When Duane Danielson boarded the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad on Sunday, he was just a train buff looking forward to riding in the cupola of the caboose. Before the trip between Chama, N.M., and Antonito ended, he had a story to tell.
“Surely, one of my cat’s nine lives has been wasted on this, and I can scratch this off my bucket list as being in a train wreck,” the Durango resident said.
The train was backing up at about 3 mph onto the Toltec Siding, said Cumbres & Toltec General Manager and President John Bush, when the caboose, the third car from the rear of the train, suddenly popped on the ground and went off the edge of the railroad ties at about a 45-degree angle.
“It just started tipping over very slowly,” Danielson said, “If it hadn’t stopped, or had been going fast, many people would have been hurt, but luckily, no one was. I could stick my hand out the window and touch the ground.”
By leaving the caboose coupled to the car in front of it, it was easier for workers the next day to get it all picked up and back on the rails, Bush said. The cause of the tip-over is still under investigation.
“They brought the caboose out Monday afternoon, and by Wednesday, it was back in service,” he said. “In fact, on Sunday, it may be used to haul former Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar for the dedication of the Cumbres & Toltec as a National Historic Landmark.”
Founded in 1880, the Cumbres & Toltec has been owned by the states of Colorado and New Mexico since 1970. It takes a windy, narrow route that was voted one of CNN’s “49 journeys that will change your life.” The 10,015-foot Cumbres Pass, which is part of the journey, is the highest mountain pass reached by rail in the United States.
“The states spent $7 million or $8 million fixing the main line, and it’s a wonderful ride,” Danielson said. “This was a very scary experience, but I will definitely go on it again sometime.”
Bush is happy about how his staff members handled the situation.
“I’m proud of all our crews for the speed, consideration and safety precautions they took as they handled this,” he said. “Just like with the Durango & Silverton, when something like this happens on the route, you’re pretty much out there on your own.”
The Cumbres & Toltec is running through Oct. 20. Bush said the colors are still developing along the route for leaf watchers.
abutler@durangoherald.com
