Gloomy, gloomy skies. Seems like that past few weeks have seen nothing but clouds, rain & storms. Well, this morning was no different – overcast, but no rain. But with a small hole in my schedule I decided to head out to see what I could see on a walk. As it turned out, it was more than just clouds.
I figured my best bet would be Erickson Park along Mill Cove in Ledyard, so I set out heading north out of the office. Along the way, Providence & Worcester train NR-2 reported to the Worcester dispatcher that they were south of MP13. Looks like the timing would work out just fine.
About 15 minutes later, NR-2 again reported that they were south of MP7 – a few miles north of me. So I figured it was time to figure out where I was going to shoot from. With the look of things, I thought my best bet would be the south end of the cove. So I made my way back to the car and headed down to the other end of Mill Cove.
A few minutes later, NR-2 came into view, and I rattled off a series of standard shots.
[cpg_imagefixthumb:9342] [cpg_imagefixthumb:9341] [cpg_imagefixthumb:9340]Then I grabbed the 20D for some wide shots. I really liked the way the clouds looked, so I took two back to back shots and made one color and the other black & white
[cpg_imagefixthumb:9339] [cpg_imagefixthumb:9338]And finally a vertical of the train heading for the bridge, with a family of geese in the foreground.
[cpg_imagefixthumb:9337]Not bad for a cloudy day. Now, the questions is could I make it to Fairview before they came into view.
Well, I got there just as they were entering the yard limits, and I got a couple shots of them at the south end of the yard
[cpg_imagefixthumb:9336] [cpg_imagefixthumb:9335]So far, so good. Next up is the Thames River draw.
As I pulled out of the parking spot at Fairview, NR-2 was talking with the Amtrak New London dispatcher, requesting clearance to head west. After clearing up a speed restriction, the dispatcher gave them the green signal to head west. That meant I wouldn’t have to wait to get them crossing the bridge.
A few moments after getting to the parking area south of the bridge, NR-2 began heading across the Thames River.
[cpg_imagefixthumb:9334] [cpg_imagefixthumb:9333] [cpg_imagefixthumb:9332]OK, three for three on my spots. Next up was the Garbo Lobster parking lot directly across from the Shaw’s Cove swing bridge.
A few moments after getting there, NR-2 was sounding for the Governor Winthrop St. crossing. So I got a shot of them appearing between two ferries – a kind of “Where’s Waldo” shot.
[cpg_imagefixthumb:9331]Then one shot of them rolling along the Waterfront Park in New London
[cpg_imagefixthumb:9330]As I was getting that shot, something to the north caught my eye – it looked to be a US Navy Police boat heading south. Would the timing work to catch it and NR-2 in the same frame? Yep.
[cpg_imagefixthumb:9329]And after they passed, I got one final shot of NR-2 stretched out over Shaw’s Cove
[cpg_imagefixthumb:9328]Then the phrase “FULL CF” flashed in the viewfinder. Perfect timing – filled up the card just as NR-2 slipped out of view. So it was back to the car, and back to the office for the rest of the day.
Thanks for looking!
Tom
One thought on “NR-2 along the Thames”
Awesome Photos Keep Up The Great Work On The Photos.