NR-2 Lite & a couple Acelas

Sometimes getting up late is a good thing.  Today fell into that category.  I slept through my alarm, and got out about an hour later than usual this morning.  On my way south to Groton, I had the scanner on, listening to the P&W frequency (I shut off the NECR because I knew they were already in Franklin, and the valley is still in the shadows at this time of day).   I didn’t catch anything on the scanner until I was pulling off of I-395 in Montville, and pulling onto Route 32.  That’s when I heard the dispatcher acknowledge “NR-2 no defects, Jewett City.”  OK, NR-2 was in the picture.  I guess I’d be a bit later into the office this morning…

Because of where I was at, I figured my best bet would be to continue south, cross the Thames on the Gold Star, then head back north on Route 12.  As I was passing through Ledyard on Route 12, I heard NR-2 report to the dispatcher that they were south of MP12 – about 5 miles to the north.  A quick turnaround, and I set my sights on Mill Cove.  The water should be quite calm at this time of morning…

I got to the cove a few minutes later, and was greeted by a smooth-as-glass body of water.  So I sat and waited for the usual heads-up call – horns as the train pulled through Dow Chemical a mile to the north.

About 5 minutes later, the horns carried down the river that mile, and I got into position at the south end of the cove.  Of course, by this time the winds started to stir, and slight ripple came across the water.  Oh, well, can’t win ’em all.

A couple minutes passed by, then NR-2 started sounding for the crossing at Red Top, then came into view.  Real big train today – just light engines.

[cpg_imagefixthumb:7993]

Then I got a couple shots as NR-2 scared a seagull into flight

[cpg_imagefixthumb:7992] [cpg_imagefixthumb:7991]

And a usual view with the Harvard Boat House in the background

[cpg_imagefixthumb:7990]

Then switching to the 20D with the wider lens, a shot over the inlet to the cove

[cpg_imagefixthumb:7989]

Next stop would be the Thames River drawbridge.

A quick check of my schedule showed I had a teleconference in about a half hour.  That gave me about 15 minutes of “dwell time” at the parking lot south of the drawbridge.

After I parked, I noticed something moving – it was a small crane moving a porta-potty on one of the barges

[cpg_imagefixthumb:7988]

Then listening to the radio, there were 2 Acelas in the picture before NR-2 could come onto the corridor.  First up was a westbound

[cpg_imagefixthumb:7987] [cpg_imagefixthumb:7986]

Then an eastbound

[cpg_imagefixthumb:7985] [cpg_imagefixthumb:7984]

As the trains cleared the area, there still was no word from the Amtrak New London dispatcher about NR-2, and a look at my watch told me I was out of time.  So I packed things up and headed for the office.  Just in time to get on the teleconference.  Not a bad start to the day…

Thanks for looking!
Tom