I was hemming and hawing about going out this morning. When I went out to get a coffee, I was convinced – bright blue skies were pouring through the skylights in the building. So instead of the coffee, I headed for the car. Hopefully I could catch something because it was a touch later than usual. But it was a nice day, and at the very least, I’d get a nice walk and ride on this beautiful day.
On the way north I had the scanner on – nothing at all was coming across the speaker. Maybe I had missed NR-2? Well, I figured I’d head for Mill Cove to see what it looked like down there. So I took a left off of Route 12 down Long Cove Road.
As I got to the bottom of Long Cove Road, quite a sight greeted me. A glass like Mill Cove! OK, now if I could get a train, this would make some damned nice pictures! So I headed for Erickson Park to wait and see if NR-2 would come by.
Just as I parked, I heard something to the north of me – horns! But they were quite loud – I quickly left the parking area and headed to the south end of the cove…where I saw NR-2 rounding the bend at MP4! A quick parking job on the road, and I spilled out of the car, camera in hand to begin shooting the train, and the very nice reflection.
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Hmmm, short train – maybe light engines? A second later I got the answer – nope, one car stuck in the middle of a pair of B40s
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Then a standard shot with the Harvard Boat House
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And for this one, I used the two smoke stacks across the river to bracket the train
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Just then I got a friendly toot from the cab. I moved a bit north for the next couple shots.
First up was a shot of the head end crossing the inlet to the cove
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And a second later, the trailing unit
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And the train slipped behind the treeline. Talk about a quick shoot!
Next stop was the Thames River drawbridge.
I got a couple shots of the east tower, now that the final pulley was placed into position earlier this week.
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And one of both towers
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With no sign of Amtrak train 171, I figured I’d head back to the office – NR-2 wasn’t moving, and presumably they’d be following 171.
On my way out of the parking lot, the scanner woke up, but this time on the bridge frequency. The tug Leslie Ann was looking for a bridge opening. The bridge tender informed him that they had a train about 5 minutes out, then he could open up. OK, 171 should be close to the detector, so I guess I could wait around.
I pulled into the next parking lot, and set up for the telephoto shot. A couple minutes after 171 hit the Midway detector, they pulled across the bridge, and I got a shot of them, with the Leslie Ann in the background.
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Then I widened out to get one of 171 crossing the drawbridge itself
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And a couple moments later, I got a shot of the HHP8 across the river, rolling in front of the parking garage in New London.
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Just then, the Shore Line dispatcher contacted NR-2 to inform them they’d be heading out now, but would have to hold at the signal for Shaw’s Cove, as they needed an opening for a boat. So while waiting, I got a shot of a goose standing nearby
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So of course, I incorporated the geese into a couple shots. First a shot of the train heading on the bridge
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Then two shots of the train crossing over the bridge.
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And one final shot with my avian models, and the train way in the background
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Pretty good for a quick 30 or so minutes away.
Fast forward a few hours. I had to leave work early to get to a dentist appointment up in Storrs. Like usual, the scanner was whirring away on my trip north.
As I pulled into Willimantic, I started hearing marker chirps. That meant New England Central train 608 was somewhere close by. My guess is they were in Willimantic yard, getting ready to head back south to South Windham.
As I was heading north on Route 32, I could see something moving in the distance – it was 608 heading south out of the yard. So I made a quick turnaround, and got ahead of them south of MP27.
I parked in the commuter lot by the pizza place on Route 32, grabbed my gear, and got into position along the tracks. A few seconds later, 608 came into view, approaching MP27
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Then a wider shot, getting some of that nice blue sky in the frame
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And a going away shot of the train approaching the old Rogers plant crossing
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Then this next one caught my eye – mostly the colors of the boxcars
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And one final shot of the tail end of the train, with the head end visible just beginning to pull through the curve to the south
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Not a bad little diversion. I still had time to get to the dentist a few minutes early.
Thanks for looking!
Tom
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