Come fall in Colorado, many of us drive among the golden aspen trees. Others get out to hike. And others heed a certain, loud whistle that echoes through the forests, through time, along with a certain call: “All aboard!”

For their annual showcase of the season, Gazette photographers took to Colorado’s historic train tracks — these tracks that once carried miners and supplies through the mountains of a developing state and now carry tourists.

And wise photographers.

“When you’re driving you have the distractions of the road — traffic, parking, noise, etc,” said Gazette photographer Parker Seibold. “On a train, you get to just sit back, relax and enjoy it. Many of the trains have open-air cars, so you get to hear the sounds of the mountains around you, feel the breeze and smell the change of the seasons.”

And maybe learn some history. Seibold did so along the Leadville Railroad, listening to a conductor’s narration as the train rolled through the aspen-splashed scenery known by gritty passengers in the late 19th century.

Meanwhile, fellow staff photographer Jerilee Bennett captured scenes around another old silver mining epicenter. The Georgetown Loop Railroad runs along a narrow gauge that was considered an engineering marvel in the 1880s.

And Christian Murdock headed to the state’s southwest San Juan Mountains. The Gazette’s photo editor took to the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, the former ore transport that opened in 1882.

On the way home, Murdock swung over to the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad. Beginning in 1880, the San Luis Valley tracks served as an extension to the silver mines of the San Juans.

“The fun thing about shooting the trains and aspens is, 150 years ago, it would have looked the same,” Murdock observed. “The technology of photography has changed, but the aspens, trains and fall is the same. It’s like traveling back in time.”

With this gallery, the team invites you to travel along.

Come fall in Colorado, many of us drive among the golden aspen trees. Others get out to hike. And others heed a certain, loud whistle that echoes through the forests, through time, along with a certain call: “All aboard!”

For their annual showcase of the season, Gazette/Courier photographers took to Colorado’s historic train tracks — these tracks that once carried miners and supplies through the mountains of a developing state and now carry tourists.

And wise photographers.

“When you’re driving you have the distractions of the road — traffic, parking, noise, etc,” said photographer Parker Seibold. “On a train, you get to just sit back, relax and enjoy it. Many of the trains have open-air cars, so you get to hear the sounds of the mountains around you, feel the breeze and smell the change of the seasons.”

And maybe learn some history. Seibold did so along the Leadville Railroad, listening to a conductor’s narration as the train rolled through the aspen-splashed scenery known by gritty passengers in the late 19th century.

Meanwhile, fellow staff photographer Jerilee Bennett captured scenes around another old silver mining epicenter. The Georgetown Loop Railroad runs along a narrow gauge that was considered an engineering marvel in the 1880s.

And Christian Murdock headed to the state’s southwest San Juan Mountains. He took to the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, the former ore transport that opened in 1882.

On the way home, Murdock swung over to the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad. Beginning in 1880, the San Luis Valley tracks served as an extension to the silver mines of the San Juans.

“The fun thing about shooting the trains and aspens is, 150 years ago, it would have looked the same,” Murdock observed. “The technology of photography has changed, but the aspens, trains and fall is the same. It’s like traveling back in time.”

With this gallery, the team invites you to travel along.