For today’s walk, I opted for the MP4 area in Ledyard again, hoping for the usual rendezvous with Providence & Worcester train NR-2. But instead of hitting the north end of Mill Cove right at the milepost marker as I did yesterday, I went to the south end of the cove to take advantage of the sun and blue water in the cove.
As I drove down Long Cove Road, the scanner gave me some information – NR2 was south of MP12 and about 20 minutes from the base. That was great – it would give me a good 15 minutes for a walk, then allow me enough time to get into position just before the train arrived at MP4 and grab some shots of them rolling along the causeway. So I parked the car, grabbed my gear and started my laps. While I was doing that, an EOT was coming across the scanner – perhaps New England Central train 610 was around. Well the train sure was around – they were to my south heading for New London. I could hear them blowing for the crossings to the north of the Coast Guard Academy in New London. Oh, well, no two-fer today.
At about 15 minutes into my walk, I got back into the car, and headed down to the south end of the cove just in time to hear the train inform the Worcester dispather that they were clear of MP5. Seconds later, the train was sounding for the crossing at Red Top, and made their way onto the causeway between Mill Cove and the Thames River
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Not a bad catch. So it was back to the car, and time to head back south. But as I was driving back, I caught up to the tail end of the train at Fairview, where they had just got the signal to head over the Thames River bridge. No time to get the head end going over the bridge, so I grabbed a shot of the trailing power passing the work area on the eastern abutment of the moveable span.
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Looks like they’ve got most of the foundation poured for the extensions that will support the east tower of the new lift span.
As the train rolled away from me, it was time for me to roll to the south and get back into the office to end the quick walk/photo expidition.
Thanks for looking!
Tom
