Let’s fire all the CMO’s of all the major steam operations and see how replaceable they are.

Then there'd be a hell of a job market, and the CMO's could move to jobs at other steam railroads.

How about let's not engage in hyperbole and see how the situation develops for both the former employer and former employee?

More LIKE.

Wesley

Geez, I just read the first post (after wading backwards through some rally silly content) and was shocked to hear this.
I've been around him a few times but never talked with him (saw him running Chiggin at Snoqualmie, saw him busy at Antonito the last time I was there, and he's been consulting at the RR which I volunteer at, on out 2-8-2 rebuild). Everyone I've talked with who have dealt with him have had nothing but good things to say about his work and his demeanor.
I'm quite saddened.

Against my better judgment, I waded over to Trainorders during the lunch hour. I learned this:

The NGDF mods haven't deleted anything. They've hidden C&TS-Stathi related posts for the moment, until they can ascertain the facts, if any. They didn't want it degrading into a free for all, which is understandable. Given my earlier observations (see above), I suspect we will never learn the full story, nor do we have a right to.

I was at the Round Up of Victorian Locomotives with Eureka... and watched all... and have known Stathi for many years...

He is one of the very gifted talented steam guys... He is younger than most of the others... Is a nice guy and has both the mechanical background and a graduate degree in anthropology. Any museum or tourist railroad would benifit from his labor.

Thoughts on his termination... The C&TS work force is made up of locals... who have a multi generational tradition of working for the railroad... they are a tight group and he wasn't of that community. There may have been friction there. The C&TS is run by a Bi-State commission appointed by the govemors of Colorado and New Mexico. Only one of the commissoners was at the event... so while we think of the event as a great success, they were not excited... and seem to be more focused on ridership than on history. Apperently the railroad has terminated or retired 11 people in the last year or so as the commission tries to change the bussness plan (for better or for worst)

This is more about what the C&TS, and what they think they want to do, and less about Stathi...

Hey! I have an idea. Why doesn't someone call Stathi and ask? He is very approachable. If he wants to answer you then great. If not, drop it.

I have talked to Stathi Pappas many times over the years and he is one fine steam locomotive mechanic among other things. I have found his personality to be mellow, clear headed, and passionate. Likewise I have known the C&T for a very long time and they are a fine origination, with a good track record.

I am not going to jump to conclusions on what happened. If FRA rules were violated then they should be reported. One thing is for certain. The C&T has been around a long time and they will keep on moving on regardless of who is working there. I remember the Georgetown loop fiasco when they all packed up and moved out. They said that was the end of the Georgetown loop and it would rust. Yet not long after people and equipment was replaced and it was back to business as usual.

I am currently working the Class one railroad system. One thing I learned long ago is it is best not to buck the system. Those companies want things run their way and they don't want your opinion. There is a old saying, the squeaky wheel gets oiled. Well that squeaky wheel also gets replaced. I know Stathi moved to Alamosa just to be working on those trains. That's real dedication! Can't imagine what happened but many times it involves new management.

So far, five posters in this RYPN thread have invented reasons for and details about how a person may have been fired. They have attached their creative writing to the person's name so now all of their invented reasons will show up during a google search of the person's name.

Thank you for demonstrating why the NGDF's policy not to discuss negative personnel actions is the correct one.

NGDF comes up 6th in a Google Search. RyPN will be soon to follow as soon as it’s crawled and indexed. Certainly not what I would have wanted to see happen but there ya have it.

I hope you are not allowing your emotions to drive your post. The C&TS has a fifty year history at this point. The K-36 on the C&TS have been owned longer on the C&TS than the D&RGW. There is a picture of Ernie Robart, Bob Richardson, Ben Greathouse and others on a day in September 1970 relettering the 483 before it makes the first moves on the C&TS. Many did not think the railroad would last a year then but the efforts of the above named and many others they did succeed. Sadly today many of those people are nolonger with us. And for someone of my age of 50 years the C&TS is older that I am. But inspite of all of the changes the railroad continues to survive. The C&TS continues to struggles with personnel and vision issues. Long before the current situation there was a situation I remember with a CMO who was not liked in the late 1990's. Then you had the term oil of the RGRPC years in which there were several versions of the stories depending on who you talk to. This list could go on and on.

I wish both parties in this situation the best in their future. But there are bigger issues buried in the irrational outburst of too many people who are acting like a lynch mob and want to hang someone and not thinking objectively about what they know or do not know of the situation. This lynch mob mentality drives good talent out of our industry and makes us look like and "Old Boys Club" to another group that could be of benefit to our organizations.

Unfortunately this is not an isolated issue in our industry today. There are too many tourist railroads where egos rule the day. Then add railfans who measure people not by their character but by the locomotive(s) that they reportedly restored and you have people not measured by their character but by their supposed accomplishments which feeds their egos. When you see events that should be private become known, the result is an emotional outburst from the hero worshipers about their hero being mistreated instead of an objective consideration of the issue or issues. If the steam locomotive is going to survive we have to address a lot of baggage that situations like this bring to our attention.

Robby Peartree

Yep. And I cannot believe people are still doing it.

As for me, I truly regret making the initial post. I initially did so because RYPN folks are usually in the know and I wondered if the TO post was legit.

Please forgive me for opening this can of worms. I won't do it again. I was shocked to see the TO post and hope things turn out well.

Don Wirth

We live in a time in which politically appointed boards and elected politicians make choices for reasons which aren't clear on the surface - but underneath there's always the reality of self interest on their part, unencumbered with a deep knowledge of a lot of other reality that hired help deals with. Actually, it's probably always been that way...... Stathi is by all repute a good man and a great craftsman and will no doubt do even better in another place. Best wishes to him, and cautious hope for the citizens of New Mexico and Colorado that their economic development program disguised as a historic railroad continues to benefit them to the point that they want to keep it in operation for decades to come.