CHAMA, N.M.—A historic railroad trestle in northern New Mexico that was damaged by fire may have to be replaced, but officials with the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad said Friday they are waiting for a second opinion on whether the decades-old structure can be salvaged.
Two teams of engineers have assessed damage to the Lobato Trestle that was caused by a blaze in late June. One team suggested that the trestle’s structural shortcomings indicate complete replacement of the span may be necessary.
“They said that the most prudent course of action would be to replace the entire thing, but we are still exploring less extreme alternatives,” said Elmer Salazar, president and CEO of the C&TSRR Management Co. “It is not yet clear whether this recommendation is based on damage from the fire, or from the general condition and design of this almost century-old structure.”
Railroad officials expected to receive a report from the second team of engineers late Friday, but they won’t decide on a plan until they have time to review the reports and consider all of the options.
The railroad would prefer the quicker solution of replacing the roadbed on the existing steel trestle framework, Salazar said.
“However, the long-term safety and adequacy of the trestle is the primary concern, and if those considerations dictate a necessity to replace the whole thing, we will do it,” he said.
The blaze started June 23 and is believed to be human-caused. It burned the wooden ties on the trestle, which is about four miles north of Chama.
The railroad halted departures from Chama and has been busing passengers north for a ride on the line’s Colorado side. New Mexico and Colorado jointly own the tourist railroad.
As many as 43,000 people ride the train every year, and business owners in Chama rely on the tourists who are drawn to the northern New Mexico community to ride the railroad.
While the railroad has had many cancellations since the fire shut down the Lobato Trestle, railroad spokesman Nick Quintana said there was a glimmer of hope when the railroad logged its biggest day in reservations on Wednesday.
“We don’t know why, but it’s very exciting. Maybe people feel sorry for us, maybe they feel bad for us, whatever the circumstance, we’re just happy to see it. We want people to know we’re still running,” he said.
The Cumbres & Toltec has scheduled a Fireworks Special train on July 4 that will make a short trip between Chama and Lobato and return to give passengers a view from the train of Chama’s hour-long fireworks display.
The railroad said it’s too early to say how much repairing or replacing the trestle will cost. The railroad has insurance on the trestle, but it would likely not be enough to cover replacement costs.
Tim Tennant, president of the nonprofit Friends of the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad, said people are already lining up to support the rebuilding of the trestle if it turns out to be necessary. He said the group has established a separate account for the trestle restoration.
