All Aboard: The train whistle has sounded and the conductor yells ‘All Aboard’ as passengers make their way to the Leadville Colorado & Southern Railroad for a 2.5 hour round trip at Leadville, Colo. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Rounding the Bend: Passengers admire the beautiful mountain scenery as the train rounds a bend while traveling through the San Isabel National Forest on the Leadville Colorado & Southern Railroad. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
By GARY WARREN
Photographer
Formerly of Los Alamos
After traveling much of the first half of this year, we are staying closer to home for a while. We have a few short trips planned for the second half of the year. Our first local trip was a few weeks ago when we visited Leadville, Colorado.
Leadville, Colo. is the highest elevation incorporated city in North America sitting at 10,152 feet above sea level. Denver is known as the Mile High City but Leadville proudly boasts being the Two Mile High City (almost). Mining and the railroad played a major part in Leadville’s history and both industries are still active today in the area.
The Leadville Colorado & Southern Railroad is alive and well today. It runs the same route as the Denver, South Park & Pacific and Colorado & Southern Rail lines from more than 100 years ago but it transports tourists today rather than miners and their supplies.
The Leadville Colorado & Southern runs seven days a week from about May through October depending on snow conditions early and late in the season. The trip takes two and a half hours for the round trip journey, which takes riders from the Leadville Depot to the Continental Divide about 1,000 feet higher in the Rockies.
In addition to the normal once a day regular trip, the Leadville train also offers special rides including a BBQ dinner ride in July and August, fall color rides in October, and the Holiday Express ride during the Christmas season.
We arrived at the Leadville Depot about 12:30 p.m. for the daily excursion, which leaves the station at 1 p.m. We packed a lunch to eat on the train, which is allowed and even encouraged by the train company. The train features open cars with no roof, open cars with a roof, and enclosed cars with windows that open. Snacks and drinks are available for purchase but no meals except for the special rides as mentioned above.
The train whistle alerted riders that it was time to board about 12:50 p.m. We rode the train on Tuesday in August, which translated to a good number of riders but not at all crowded, which made it easy to move about the train during the trip. We began the trip in an open car but moved to an open car with a roof after a few minutes in the high altitude sunshine on a warm August afternoon. We would move about through the train while on our ride.
The conductor briefed the riders of the train’s history as well as Leadville and mining history of the area and special points of interest were also pointed out to riders throughout the trip. The route is an up and back route on the same tracks as opposed to a loop route. The route follows the same line that miners rode when traveling to the mines. The conductor’s stories and points were both entertaining and educational for riders.
The Leadville Colorado & Southern Railroad leaves Leadville and travels through the San Isabel National Forest for a few miles while overlooking the beautiful Arkansas River Valley. The tracks are about 1,000 feet above the valley floor giving riders a great view of the valley and surrounding mountain peaks including the two highest peaks in Colorado.
I love trains and I love to photograph trains when we are traveling. The two and a half hours spent on the Leadville Colorado & Southern Railroad that warm August afternoon were spectacular. Beautiful scenery all around and a chance to sit back and take it all in. I would go again tomorrow if the opportunity arose!
Editor’s note: Longtime Los Alamos photographer Gary Warren and his wife Marilyn are traveling around the country, and he shares his photographs, which appear in the “Posts from the Road” series published in the Sunday edition of the Los Alamos Daily Post.
Mountain Scenery: Riders are treated to beautiful forest landscape and mountain peaks as the Leadville train slowly chugs through the hills during an afternoon trip on the Leadville Colorado & Southern Railroad. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Arkansas River Valley: The beautiful Arkansas River Valley is viewed from the Leadville Colorado & Southern Railroad. The railroad tracks sit about 1,000 feet above the valley floor giving riders a special view. The valley and surrounding peaks are visible at many points along the route. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Open Views: Riders enjoy an unobstructed view from the open car as the Leadville train travels along the tracks outside of Leadville, Colo. Riders may move about from car to car throughout the trip for a variety of views. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Water Tank: The Leadville Colorado & Southern Railroad nears the end of its line when it approaches the French Gulch Water Tank. The tank sits at 10,840 feet in elevation, which is near the routes highest points. The train stops for about a 20 minute break while at the water tank and riders are allowed off of the train to walk around. At this point, those riders who wish to tour the engine may do so. The train returns to Leadville on the same tracks that it took up the hill. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com