Going a bit out of order with today’s post. On October 19, 2011 the member railroads of the Green Mountain Gateway – Canadian Pacific, Vermont Rail System, New England Central and Providence & Worcester – ran an office car special between Rutland, VT and Worcester, MA. The train, carrying VIPs from all the member railroads, was touring the entire route, and I was able to catch part of their run over the P&W’s Willimantic Branch between Windham and Lisbon, CT. Sure, it was a rainy, dreary day, but there was some color in the trees, and my Canon 50D does well at higher ISOs.
Despite the on and off rain showers the day brought, I headed out to shoot the OCS as it made its way across the Willimantic Branch. I started out near the Scotland Dam on the Shetucket River in Windham, and chased them east from there, shooting them in Baltic, Versailles and then wrapping up in Lisbon. Lots of enthusiastic waves from the observation car as they passed – maybe they thought I was an idiot for standing out in the rain. But, hey, at least I documented the move.
And speaking of that, here’s the photos.
[cpg_album:899]Thanks for looking!
Tom
12 thoughts on “Office Car Special on the Providence & Worcester”
i to must have look like a fool out in the rain,but thats ok its not the first time,great shoots.
Hey, anything for the shot, right Tom?! 🙂
And thanks!!
Thanks Tom, from the number of vantage points you were able to drive (and climb up) to the train must have been moving about 10 mph – or has the recent work raised speeds? George
Still all 10 between Willimantic and Versailles, and 10 most of the way between Versailles and Plainfield. Still have a good amount of work to do to bring speeds up, but I heard the aim is 25MPH the whole way in the near future.
Tom:
Great shops, as usual. When did the P & W get # 4005? I don’t recall having seen any photos of your’s of it.
Joe McDonough
Thanks Joe!
The 4005 is one of the BNSF units they got a while back. It was the faded warbonnet one – since it was so faded, it was the first into the paint shop. The other two are still in BNSF colors.
Here’s my first time shooting the 4005:
http://www.nanosphoto.com/blog/2011/10/03/first-time-with-the-4005/
I think my favorite is the 4th one down from the top, looking at the coaches heading away from the camera through the rock cut (the one where you can see the locomotive and the first car.) I saw the first photo and thought that the consist looked really strange, but its growing on me pretty fast. . .that P&W scheme really compliments the lines of the locomotive well, and the red/brown provides some really interesting color contrasts with the green and the reds/oranges in the trees. Its also interesting looking at the very angular lines on the locomotive – they’re completely opposite the curved, rounded lines in nature, and just about everything else around the train. This is a really cool set!
Tom, wonderful pictures, thank you. Also the side tip re not using a filter, going to use that one!
Some great shots Tom.
Tom, very nice photos. I have always liked a wet New England fall day. There is something about the dark skies that brings a warmth to the foliage. I think the P&W scheme looks great on that new unit too.
Great stuff here Tom! Nice work. Who says you need sunny days for great shots?
I see your name and think of a horse that was once a member of your family.
Although the smell of expurgated diesel fumes were in the air have often thought, given the rustic flavour,
perhaps a dapper steam powered Mogul with slide valves would have been nice on the head end. Nostalgia, eh?