Tag Archives: #New London

Acela and The Eagle

We traveled on the Orient Point—New London ferry. From the top deck, I watched the progress of Amtrak Acela Express 2166 enroute to Boston on my iPhone using the asm.transit.docs app. As well approached New London harbor, I said to Kris, “We ought to be seeing the Acela pass any minute now.”

The Coast Guard’s Eagle sailing ship was docked near the tracks, not far from the Shaws Cove draw bridge. It was dusk, with a rosy glow in the sky.

As we glided along the water, I framed up a view, anticipating the train, watching the scene evolve in my viewfinder.

“There!” Amtrak came into the frame, rolling silently along, and I exposed a series of photos.

The train is small in the scene and the file required a bit of post processing adjustment, but the overall image is satisfying. In more than 40 years of making photos around New London, this was the first time I’d ever viewed the city from this angle. I cropped the final image for presentation here.

I made two variations by altering contrast, exposure and color saturation.

Tracking the Light explores railroad photography.

Classic Chrome: Amtrak F40s at New London, Connecticut.

On March 24, 1997, Mike Gardner and I spent the afternoon photographing around New London, Connecticut. This was shortly before Amtrak began electrification.

I made this view of a pair of F40PHs leading train 175 west of the New London station.

Who would have thought the omnipresent Amtrak F40 would be the subject of a classic photo?

Exposed on Kodachrome using a Nikon N90S with 80-200mm AF zoom lens.


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New England Central and the Coast Guard Eagle—New London, Connecticut.


Mike Gardner and I made an epic chase of New England Central freight 608 on Halloween Day 1997.

Among my favorite views from that day is this color slide exposed from a footbridge along the Thames River at New London, Connecticut.

In the distance is US Coast Guard training ship Eagle.

Two years later I stood on the deck of the Eagleat the Irish port of Cobh in County Cork, having arrived by train from Cork city.

Tonight, February 28, 2019 at 730pm, I’ll be giving an old school slide show to the Irish Railway Record Society, located opposite the Heuston Station car park in Dublin. Among my featured railroads will be New England Central.

See: http://irishrailarchives.ie/index.php/meetings/upcoming/

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