American Heritage Railways Appoints Michael Gibson As VP of Rail and Freight Development

DURANGO, Colo. - March 26, 2019 - PRLog -- American Heritage Railways, Inc. (AHR), the country's premier scenic tourist rail operator and the industry expert in rail-related special event management, today announced it has appointed longtime railroad industry veteran Michael Gibson to the newly-created position of vice president of rail and freight development.

In this role, Gibson is responsible for the planning, creation, cultivation, and management of a robust freight operations and logistics business unit across AHR's historic scenic railroad portfolio, which includes the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad™ (http://www.durangotrain.com/) in Durango, Colorado; the Mount Rainier Railroad and Logging Museum™ (http://www.mtrainierrailroad.com/) in Elbe, Washington; and the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad™ (http://www.gsmr.com/) in Bryson City, North Carolina. In addition, Gibson is tasked with developing, constructing, and overseeing new rail infrastructures which can be utilized for dual freight and passenger traffic.

"The addition of Gibson and his extensive rail domain and line management experience to the AHR team represents a strategic shift in the company's long-term planning and operations as it continues to identify and capitalize on valuable market-share growth, infrastructure expansion, and revenue-generation opportunities for the company," said Allen C. Harper, co-owner, chairman and chief executive officer of American Heritage Railways. "With AHR already having successfully introduced freight transportation on a small scale at its Great Smoky Mountains Railroad, we have laid the groundwork for a sizeable logistics business unit across multiple AHR assets. Gibson is tasked with overseeing and developing this important new division, and leveraging various corporate properties, resources, and human capital that can accelerate its expansion and financial contributions."

Gibson brings over 25 years of rail operations, safety program, sales and marketing, and infrastructure management experience to his new role at AHR. Prior to joining the company, he was general manager of Texas, Kentucky, and Indiana for Louisville, Kentucky-based Road and Rail Services, Inc., where he supervised all operations across the three-state region, representing $30 million in annual revenue, and led the company's operational safety planning and terminal switching initiatives. Previously, he was senior vice president of operations at NorthStar Midstream, at which he oversaw all corporate, operational, and safety programs, and successfully developed the largest crude and sand terminal in North Dakota and Texas. Gibson also held multiple senior management positions at Pittsburg, Kansas-based Watco Companies, LLC and Genesee & Wyoming's rail link division in Jacksonville, Florida. Gibson began his railroad industry career in 1992 as a switchman and conductor for the Port Terminal Railroad in Houston. He has been a part of multiple Gold/Copper Harriman Safety Awards and multiple Gulf Region Bronze Safety Awards.