Today was unpacking day at work – they moved our offices again over the weekend due to construction in the building. So I took a break this morning from sorting through the boxes and headed north to try to catch Providence & Worcester train NR-2. On the way north, I got a little surprise. A good one…
I did end up getting out a bit later than normal, so I was hoping that I didn’t miss NR-2. So as usual, the scanner was on for the trip north.
As I rolled past the Nautilus overlook park, I heard a marker chirp. Hmmm, maybe they were further south than I thought. So a quick 3-point turn and I was headed back south.
Not long after that, the P&W frequency locked in – NR-2 was reporting that they were south of MP12 and 15 minutes out. OK, that meant that the chirp I heard would have been the NECR. So another turn and I headed for the USS Nautilus to see if I could catch them across the river.
As I pulled into the parking lot, I saw NECR train 608 rolling across Smith Cove across the river in Waterford. I thought about one shot where I could get the train and the Nautilus in the same frame. A few moments later, the train rolled into position for the shot.
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Not bad…and a look at the watch told me I had a few minutes to get my ass up to Mill Cove to catch NR-2. So off I went…
Instead of my usual stop at Erickson Park, I went straight to the south end of the cove and got into position. Within a minute, NR-2 was calling south of milepost 5, and sounding for the crossing at Red Top. As the echo was fading, NR-2 rolled past MP4
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And around the bend, with the Harvard Boat House in the background
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Then with the NRG Cogeneration plant in Montville across the river
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Then two white things caught my eye – a pair of swans were sitting by the causeway as NR-2 rolled past.
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And these were real swans, not Steve’s Inflatable Wildlife™.
From there I decided to try to get them at the south end of Fairview yard.
Luckily the lights worked with me today, so I got there as NR-2 was rolling through the yard. The first shot I got was of Rod waving out the window at a neighbor of the railroad
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Then a closer shot, getting some of the sky in
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And a final going away shot, into the sun, this time in black & white
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Following my usual script, I headed to the parking lot south of the Thames River drawbridge. On my way there the Shore Line Dispatcher informed NR-2 that he would be bringing them onto the corridor right away, so there wouldn’t be much of a wait.
Moments after I got into the parking lot, NR-2 rolled onto the drawbridge
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And crossed over the moveable span
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At that point I called it a day and made my way back to the office. I still had 5 boxes to unpack…and that killed the rest of the day.
Thanks for looking!
Tom
