Quite the day today turned out to be. It started out under sunny blue skies, with some changing foliage along the Thames River, and ended in the dark, with some more of that nice New England color. But that ending also had a piece of Florida in the picture – literally. And the other stuff in between included the usual P&W NR2, along with a returning Los Angeles class fast attack submarine. Even managed to get the sub & NR2 in the same frame…
The morning started out a bit earlier than normal, so I decided to head up to Stoddard Cove to check things out. Once I got up there, I saw that Bob LaMay and Dick Sobielo were already there waiting for NR-2s arrival. After talking for a bit, NR-2 came over the radio and reported to the dispatcher that they were south of MP12 – which is about 4.5 miles north of us. Not satisfied with the angles & color I saw, I opted to head south to Mill Cove and take my shots there. So we all bit farewell, and I headed south as Bob & Dick waited there.
I got down to the cove just as NR-2 was sounding for the crossings at Dow Chemical a mile or so to the north. While waiting, I shot a passing coal barge, headed to the AES Thames power plant in Montville.
[cpg_imagefixthumb:10685]Soon after that, NR-2 came into view at the top of Mill Cove, and I rattled off a few standard shots.
[cpg_imagefixthumb:10684] [cpg_imagefixthumb:10683] [cpg_imagefixthumb:10682]Then I managed a shot with the barge in the background
[cpg_imagefixthumb:10681]Then a shot with some of my patented “inflatable swans”
[cpg_imagefixthumb:10680]Followed by a wide shot with the 40D
[cpg_imagefixthumb:10679]And crossing over the inlet to the cove
[cpg_imagefixthumb:10678]Now for the trailing locomotive. First up with the coal barge, continuing north
[cpg_imagefixthumb:10677]Then the very cooperative swans
[cpg_imagefixthumb:10676]And over the inlet
[cpg_imagefixthumb:10675]Finally, a grab shot of the trailing engine sneaking behind the trees
[cpg_imagefixthumb:10674]I figured that was enough, so I started back for the office.
But, as we all know, things change while in route. As I passed by the Thames River lift bridge, I noticed it was open. Hmmm, wonder who was passing through. As I was heading down Thames Street, I looked to the north and saw nothing. Was something heading northbound?
As I continued north, I looked to the river again to see a speeding US Coast Guard rigid hull inflatable boat armed, and heading north. That could only mean one thing – a sub was heading home!
A quick turnaround, and I headed for my usual spot across from the State Pier. Not long after arriving, a US Navy Los Angeles class fast attack submarine came into view. Also, while waiting, a nice welcoming committee formed in the parking lot – many family members of the crew gathered to welcome them home.
[cpg_imagefixthumb:10673] [cpg_imagefixthumb:10672] [cpg_imagefixthumb:10671] [cpg_imagefixthumb:10670] [cpg_imagefixthumb:10669] [cpg_imagefixthumb:10668] [cpg_imagefixthumb:10667]With that now in the bag, I thought I was done. But as soon as the bridge closed, I heard NR-2 say “here we go” – looks like they’re heading west!
So I got a standard shot once they came into view
[cpg_imagefixthumb:10666]And a couple tight shots of the lead power with the sub in the background
[cpg_imagefixthumb:10665] [cpg_imagefixthumb:10664]A wider shot of them crossing the span
[cpg_imagefixthumb:10663]And finally one shot of the trailing power crossing the river with the sub in the background.
[cpg_imagefixthumb:10662]At that point I really said that was it. Had a nice run, and figured it was time to head back.
Fast forward to this evening. I had to run some errands in Willimantic tonight, but earlier on my way home from work, I heard some scanner chatter that there was a southbound out of Palmer heading to Willimantic. On a whim, I grabbed my Lumedyne to see if I could get lucky.
Well, as I was crossing Bridge Street in Willimantic, I saw a blinking light just beyond the crossing, and heard the crew doing a brake test. OK, timing couldn’t have been much better. I ran through a list of places where I could set up a night shot in my mind, and figured my best bet was Depot Road in Mansfield Depot. That would give me enough time to set up and get a few test shots off before the train got there.
Well, I had a good 15 minutes to get my gear ready. After trying a few different angles, I opted for a going away shot, with some foliage and the painted crossbuck on the pavement in the foreground. This involved putting the Lumedyne on a 6′ tall microphone stand, and putting that on the roof of my car for some more elevation. Also, I put the reflector of the flash head at the widest setting.
Not long after I decided on my shot & set up, NECR train NERWPA, led by a lone Florida East Coast Railway SD-40, pulled across the crossing, and the field of view of my camera.
[cpg_imagefixthumb:10661]A quick look at the LCD on the camera told me I did pretty well with the shot. So I packed up the gear, and enjoyed the train pulling past me – it was a good 20-30 cars long with that lone SD for power. It sure sounded nice!
Thanks for looking!
Tom
