The colors of the trees are just beginning to change in the Buffalo-Niagara region, which means there’s still a sliver of time to plan a fall foliage adventure.

To get a sense of WNY’s fabulous, but short-lived, fall foliage transition, take a trip out to Wyoming County for a Fall Foliage Run. Beginning this weekend, the Arcade and Attica Railroad will host train rides that point out the region’s spectacular autumn sights.

According to I Love New York’s Fall Foliage Report, colors in the Buffalo area are just on the verge of transitioning from green to gold, orange, red and deep purple.

The Fall Foliage Run rides begin Friday and continue through Oct. 21. Ride times are 2 p.m. Fridays; noon and 3 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.

“See Mother Nature at her finest. Sit back and enjoy the vibrant colors of autumn. View some of Wyoming County’s prettiest countryside on this two hour excursion to the Curriers Depot,” the train station’s website reads.

Tickets are $13. For more information, download the official train station brochure.

Love the look of autumn leaves but still not entirely sure how Mother Nature makes it all happen? The Buffalo Museum of Science answers on its website:

“The simple answer is that, during summer, chlorophyll in the leaves is so densely green that it hides the yellow and orange colors of other chemical compounds that are also there. But when chlorophyll begins to disappear with the oncoming cold season, the oranges and yellows are exposed. At the same time, in autumn, red chemical compounds are produced in large quantity by some trees, and these are added to the orange and yellow. The brown color is that of tannin, a waste product of the tree’s life processes.”

Photo courtesy of Flickr / Rylan Schoen.