We got back home from Florida early last week, but because of things around the house, I didn’t get out to shoot at all.  This morning, though, I finally got a chance to head out, and bagged Providence & Worcester train NR-2 at a couple spots.  I also got some dredging along the Thames River channel on my way north to catch the P&W.

So I managed to get out this morning to hopefully catch NR-2 somewhere along the Thames River.  Since I had no idea where NR-2 was, I decided to head north along Military Highway, which skirts the Thames River south of the US Navy Sub Base.  On my way north, I saw something odd in the river – a barge that looked to be split open along the keel.  At about the same time, I heard NR-2 was somewhere around MP22 – quite a ways north of me – so I decided to stop & check out the barges.

I pulled off about a half mile south of the USS Nautilus & checked things out – a pair of Great Lakes Dredge & Dock dump scows, along with a dredging crane barge were working in the channel south of the base.  I got a few shots as one scow was pulling out loaded with silt, and another was being positioned alongside the crane barge.

Interesting.  But time to head north to catch what I ventured out into the cold for.

As I was continuing north on Route 12, I got an update on NR-2 – they finally got track from MP16 down to Fairview (there was a track car ahead of them).  I figured I could catch them at Poquetanuck Cove on the Preston/Ledyard line.

I got up there a few minutes ahead of NR-2, so I relaxed for a bit – until I heard the horns to the north.  Moments after I got out, I got a pair of shots of the short train skirting the cove.

I figured I had enough time to leapfrog them and catch them at either Mill Cove or at the USS Nautilus.

Well, as I was passing by Dow Chemical, NR-2 reported to the Worcester dispatcher that they were south of MP5 – which is about 3/4 of a mile south of Dow.  I guess Mill was out of the question.

I got to the USS Nautilus overlook park just as the crossing gates were dropping at the Sub Force Museum pedestrian crossing.  I decided to head a bit further north and get a tighter shot of the train coming out from behind the museum.

And finally a shot of the rear power, with the dredging behind.

Yeah, it’s through the trees, but it was the best I could do without breaking my neck (I would have sprinted to another spot to get the barge and train in the clear, but the sidewalk there was pure ice).

A quick check of my watch told me I had about 20 minutes to get back to the office before my next teleconference.  So the cameras hit the bag, and I headed for the office.  It was a good thing – NR2 had to switch out Spicer Gas in Groton, so it would have been a while before they headed west on Amtrak.

Thanks for looking!
Tom