Well, while I eat my lunch, I figured I could bang out a post or two to try and get current on things. This one is from this past Wednesday the last day of September. I was able to catch Providence & Worcester train NR-2 at a couple spots, one of which coincided with a little boat in the Thames. But that little boat is one you don’t really want to mess with…no, I’m not talking about a sub. It’s literally small…read on.
A hole opened up in my morning, so I figured a ride up to Stoddard Cove was in order. But as I was leaving, I heard NR-2 hit the Jewett City detector over the scanner. OK, I had a bit more time to play with. I still headed up to Stoddard Cove, but instead of doing my work around Stoddard, I instead opted to make the 10 minute hike north to Poquetanuck Cove. Figured I hadn’t been up there in some time, so it was worth the walk.
On my way up to Poquetanuck Cove, I took a couple shots of birds…hey, why not?
[cpg_imagefixthumb:10388] [cpg_imagefixthumb:10387]Also, on my way up there, NR-2 called south of MP12 – putting them about 4 miles north of me. Timing would be about right.
After a few minutes at the cove, NR-2 started blowing their horns for the crossings at the old Norwich Hospital to the north in Preston. A bit after that, they appeared just to the north of me, skirting the Thames through Preston.
[cpg_imagefixthumb:10386]Then came into view north of the bridge over the inlet to the cove
[cpg_imagefixthumb:10385]As they approached, a fisherman on the other side of the inlet got out of the way, and I snapped a shot of NR-2 approaching, and the fisherman a safe distance away.
[cpg_imagefixthumb:10384]A switch to the wide angle, and I got a shot of NR-2 entering Ledyard
[cpg_imagefixthumb:10383]After they passed, I grabbed the telephoto, and got a shot of them heading south
[cpg_imagefixthumb:10382]Then a couple artsy-fartsy shots of them in the distance as I walked back.
[cpg_imagefixthumb:10381] [cpg_imagefixthumb:10380]Not too bad. On my walk back to the car I started contemplating my next spot. I figured the safest bet would be crossing the Thames River in Groton.
I ended up catching up to NR-2 as they were entering Fairview Yard, so instead of trying for a shot there, I went straight down to the parking lot south of the bridge.
When I got there, NR-2 contacted the Amtrak New London dispatcher and asked for permission to head west. He promptly gave them the signal – cool, I wouldn’t have to wait. Just as I could hear the GEs pulling down the west leg of the Groton wye, a US Navy Sub Base police boat pulled under the drawbridge. Could I get it and NR-2 in the same frame?
NR-2 finally appeared, and pulled across the Thames River
[cpg_imagefixthumb:10379] [cpg_imagefixthumb:10378]Then the timing worked – I was able to grab two shots with NR-2 and the armed patrol boat in the same frame.
[cpg_imagefixthumb:10377] [cpg_imagefixthumb:10376]As NR-2 put their wheels onto New London soil, I got a shot of the boat itself
[cpg_imagefixthumb:10375]After that, I figured with the sunshine I had to work with, a shot across the Thames towards Shaw’s Cove was in order. So it was off to the Garbo Lobster parking lot.
From there, I got a series of photos as NR-2 progressed through downtown New London
[cpg_imagefixthumb:10374] [cpg_imagefixthumb:10373] [cpg_imagefixthumb:10372] [cpg_imagefixthumb:10371]And called it a day as NR-2 rolled out of sight at the south end of the Shaw’s Cove bridge.
Thanks for looking!
Tom
