Kind of a cloudy day today, but I wanted to see if Providence & Worcester train NR-2 was still on an earlier than normal schedule. So I headed out at the normal time and started rolling north. That question about the schedule kept rolling through my mind as I listened to the scanner for any clues. For most of the ride, it lent no insight into the answer.
But as soon as I pulled under the Shore Line on Fairview Ave I got my answer. A chirp on the scanner, followed by a bit of orange that caught my eye through the barren trees. NR-2 was already sitting at the signal at the Groton wye. So I headed down Military Highway and turned around to head back over south of the Thames River drawbridge. But as I was heading towards the turnaround, some more orange caught my eye – the 2008 was still in Fairview from yesterday, but this time moved up a ways. As I pulled into the turnaround, I thought about getting out and getting a couple shots. Just then the scanner woke up with the Amtrak Shore Line dispatcher informing NR-2 that they’d have to wait for 171, which was close by. That gave me time to hop out for a quick shot before getting into position south of the bridge.
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Got the shot, and hopped back in the car. I went to the closest spot to the bridge first. Just as I got there, 171 was rolling onto the drawbridge. I got a shot just as the train was spanning the drawbridge
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As the train headed for the New London side, something else caught my eye below me, an armed US Navy Sub Base Police boat
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Hmmm, when they’re armed, that usually means there’s going to be, or was recently a sub movement in the river. Nothing around, and the bridge was lined for rail traffic, so nothing was impending. Oh, well.
A moment later, a very short NR-2 headed out onto the drawbridge
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From there, I figured I’d go get a couple more shots of the 2008 in Fairview. On my way back up there, the scanner locked into the ship to shore frequency – a US Coast Guard cutter was looking for times for bridge openings. They were currently on their way north to the Sub Base, and were going to escort something south between 12 and 12:30pm. OK, maybe there was a sub leaving. If time permitted, I’d have to take a quick ride back and see. So I headed up to Fairview and got a couple more shots of the 2008 idling away.
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Along comes noon. A look at my tasks, and I figured I could duck out for a few to see what’s up. So I head out, and as I’m walking to my car, I see out on the river a Coast Guard cutter, followed by something big & black. I guess they were on schedule. So I got to the car and headed south towards the UConn Avery Point campus. But instead of going on campus, I opted for the Town of Groton’s Eastern Point Beach. I got there just as the Virginia class submarine came into view. First shot I got was with the lighthouse in the background.
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And a wider shot, with the entire boat and lighthouse
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Pretty neat catch! Talking with a woman there, also taking pictures, this should have been the USS Virginia, and she said that the USS Hawaii was heading out at around 2pm also. So back to work it was, and if time again permitted, I’d try to catch the Hawaii heading for sea.
As the clock got closer to 2pm, my schedule showed a bit of a gap. A quick run up to the USS Nautilus overlook park was in order to see what I could see. I got there before anything was happening, but something odd began to unfold. A familiar voice started coming across the scanner on the P&W frequency, and it wasn’t NR-3. Nope, NR-2 was finished with their duties along the Shore Line (they now work all the way from Groton to New Haven, CT – P&W train NH-1 is no more), and was preparing to head north out of Fairview. Well, that made things more interesting. Would I be able to get NR-2, the Nautilus and the Hawaii all in the same frame? Time would tell.
Not too much longer after that, the Hawaii began to back out of her berth with the aid of two tugboats. Just as the sub cleared her berth, and the tugs began to gently nudge her bow to the south, NR-2 reported to the Worcester dispatcher that they were now northbound out of Fairview. It was starting to look like things would fall into place. Well, most things – the only thing left was some good light, but the clouds wouldn’t cooperate. But that was fine with me – at this time of day, the sun would have been more of a hindrance than a help, so the diffused light of the cloud cover helped.
Just as the Hawaii began moving under her own power south, the crossing gates at the Submarine Force Museum activated – here comes NR-2!
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And finally, a shot with NR-2, the USS Nautilus and USS Hawaii all in the same frame
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Then a wider shot of the trailing power, now with the 2008 behind the trailing locomotive.
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With the train out of sight, it was time to concentrate on the sub. Got a couple shots with the stern of the Nautilus, and the US flag waving in the stiff breeze
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Next stop was Fairview, where there’s a decent shot with the Thames Shipyard in the background. I got there well in advance of the flotilla, and while waiting, I heard a train rumbling across the Thames River drawbridge. But something made me look to see what it was. I’m glad I did – it was the Acela that was wrapped for the History Channel. So I got a quick (not so great) shot of it heading to New London.
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Soon after that, the Hawaii came into view, and I got my shot with the shipyard in the background
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And a tighter shot with an old barn
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A bit further south from the same spot gave me the US Coast Guard Academy as a backdrop
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From there it was off to the overlook south of the Thames River drawbridge. Of course, there was traffic and a couple red lights I had to deal with, so I missed the boat heading through the drawbridge. Oh, well, can’t win ’em all. I got there to get a shot with the bridge in the background at least
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And stacks of lumber on the State Pier
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Finally at this spot, the New London skyline in the background
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Then a quick move south to the lobster company parking lot for a few more shots. First one was of the tug John P. Wronowski pulling away from the Hawaii
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A shot with a piling nearby
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And my favorite of the day, a black & white shot of the sub’s silhouette and the low afternoon sun
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As the USS Hawaii and her escort ships continued south, I headed back to the office to get the rest of my day in.
Thanks for looking!
Tom
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