There is a code for those shrill train whistles to announce leaving or arriving, to warn at crossings, but at times, it seemed that the Cumbres and Toltec engineer just blew it for the sheer joy he felt.

What could be more fun than driving a shiny, black antique steam engine through beautiful country on what was probably the best aspen gold viewing day of the year?

Among his passengers Sept. 27 were 60 members of the Old Forts, South Metro history buffs who belong to a subgroup of the Littleton Friends of the Library-Museum. They hail from Littleton, Highlands Ranch, Denver, South Jeffco and elsewhere, and join together for an annual trek.

Ray Koernig of Littleton planned this excursion, with related melodramatic evening entertainment organized by the versatile Max Smith and musical friends — who had a repertoire of train songs.

Traveling by bus to Alamosa, the group stopped at Fort Garland en route, learning that it was built in 1858 to protect settlers and encourage expansion, an idea that understandably displeased Native American residents of the area.

U.S. Army strength also was beefed up to thwart Confederate designs on the state’s gold fields.

The Cumbres and Toltec narrow gauge railroad, the Old Forts’ focus for 2008, was built in the 1880s to serve southwestern Colorado’s booming mining districts.

Narrow gauge was chosen to navigate the tight turns necessary as the route was laid from Antonito over 10,015-foot Cumbres Pass and down a 4 percent grade into Chama, N.M., where it arrived Dec. 31, 1990, according to a history provided by knowledgeable docents from the 2,300 member Friends of the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad.

Their well-written pamphlet includes a map with the curves, trestles, water tank tunnels and towns marked. This active Friends group, which claims worldwide membership, repairs and renovates the train cars and buildings along the way, including the station stop at Osier, where a hearty lunch is served midway.

In recent years, Old Forts have explored the Santa Fe Trail forts across Kansas, headed north to the Custer battlefield, traveled south to the Spanish Peaks, Cucharas, Trinidad sites and at another time explored Bent’s Fort, the Japanese Internment camp and other southeastern (and also Santa Fe Trail) historic locations. September 2009 will bring an excursion to Washington, D.C., and Fort McHenry in Baltimore, which is already sold out.

This well-preserved historic railroad, operated as a nonprofit by a bistate Colorado-New Mexico commission, runs from late May to mid-October, with various possible ticket options: all day, half day, moonlight dinner trip, Cinder Bear Express for kids, plein air artists train, Sunday Express.

See www.cumbrestoltec.com. for information.