For the past couple weeks, there have been talk and sightings of a coach destined for the Valley Railroad in Essex, CT. Well, it finally completed the last leg of its journey from New Hampshire to Essex this morning on Providence & Worcester train NR-2. And as things worked out, I was able to photograph it as it was passing through both Ledyard and New London along the Thames River.
With the weather forecast for clearing skies, I figured I might as well head out and see what I could see. With the possibility of the Valley RR’s coach being on NR-2, I figured my best bet for photos would be Mill Cove. So a little while after I heard NR-2 hit the Jewett City detector, I headed out of the office, setting my sights on the cove.
When I got there, Bob LaMay was already there waiting. So I parked and joined him at the south end of the cove. We shot the shit for a while, and then NR-2 came into view with the blue coach in tow just behind the power. A couple standard telephoto shots to start out with
[cpg_imagefixthumb:10714] [cpg_imagefixthumb:10713]Then a couple wider ones as the train skirted along Mill Cove
[cpg_imagefixthumb:10712] [cpg_imagefixthumb:10711]And a shot of just the coach heading into the trees
[cpg_imagefixthumb:10710]With that done, Bob & I went our seperate ways. I figured I’d have just enough time to head over the river and through the, uh, downtown and get to Shaw’s Cove in time.
Well, as things had it – the lights, construction and other drivers – I got there just as NR-2 was asking the New London dispatcher for permission through New London station. A quick glimpse to the north told me that NR-2 was just crossing the bridge. OK, I had a few moments to get down to the water and set up.
Just then, Amtrak train 190 started talking to NR-2 about taking the station. Then they came into view, slowly rolling across the Shaw’s Cove bridge
[cpg_imagefixthumb:10709]And a few seconds later, NR-2 came into view to the north
[cpg_imagefixthumb:10708]Then we had a rolling meet on the north side of Shaw’s Cove
[cpg_imagefixthumb:10707] [cpg_imagefixthumb:10706]Finally, NR-2 came across the swing bridge, and into my (mostly) unobstructed view
[cpg_imagefixthumb:10705] [cpg_imagefixthumb:10704]One vertical of the coach coming off of the bridge
[cpg_imagefixthumb:10703]And a final going away shot as the train headed west on the Shore Line towards Old Saybrook, where the coach would be dropped.
[cpg_imagefixthumb:10702]As the train rolled off into the distance, I walked back to the car, loaded the gear back up, and headed back across the river to the office for the rest of the day.
Thanks for looking!
Tom
