There is something irresistible about small engines pulling short trains over steep grades. The Colorado narrow gauge lines were literally slapped down in the 19th century to tap the riches of the silver and gold mines of the region. Most of them were built without regard for the tremendous natural obstacles they had to cross, and certainly none of them considered the effects of the winter snows.

Today, you can still sample what it was like to ride these railroads on the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad or the Durango & Silverton Railroad. Examples of rolling stock and locomotives from other lines are scattered all over the state, particularly at the Colorado Railroad Museum in Golden.

The photos below are some of my favorites. I hope you enjoy them.