Today I decided to keep things a bit more local, taking advantage of the recent clearing at the USS Nautilus Overlook Park in Groton. So I headed north a bit later than usual, since the drive was only a couple minutes.
I got up to the park just south of the sub base and walked around a bit, checking out the angles. As I was walking, P&W train NR-2 called into the Worcester dispatcher that they were south of MP5 – a couple miles to the north of me. So I headed back to the car, grabbed my camera – this time with only the 18-50mm wide angle lens on it – and walked back to the fenceline.
Soon after that, the crossing gates activated at the USS Nautilus, and NR-2 came into view – with one of the most horrid sounding horns! Nope, it wasn’t tugboat, but rather the 3901 on the point. The cove was releatively calm, so a subtle reflection was in the surface of the water as the train rolled past. I grabbed a shot of the lead power by the Nautilus and through the trees, then the trailing locomotive clearing the Nautilus.
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With the car nearby, I figured a quick sprint to the bottom of Fairview was in order. Maybe I could make it there ahead of the train. Yep, I got there just ahead of them, and snapped a shot of them heading south under some nice clear blue skies.
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Then as the tail rolled past me, Rod leaned out and gave a nice smile & wave for the camera.
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Then I grabbed an off-balance going away shot, that I think works despite being off balance.
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As the train cleared, a sort of buzz in the distance was getting louder. Here came a US Coast Guard helocopter on patrol over the Thames River.
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It was time for me to head south as NR-2 was to wait for a westbound train to clear New London before heading to Old Saybrook, and I didn’t have the time to wait for them to make their move west.
On the way south along the Thames, I noticed a ship at the State Pier in New London. It was the Saga Monal unloading lumber on the pier. Of course, I grabbed some shots. First a wide shot of them moored to the pier.
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A telephoto shot of a pair of forklifts on the pier, with the bow of the ship
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And a detail of the crane pulling some bundles of lumber out of the hold
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And finally a bow-on shot of the ship at the pier.
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Then it was time to head back. Damn, it was too nice to be in an office all day, but duty calls. Gotta pay the bills, ya know!
Thanks for looking!
Tom
