A Bit New Haven...

Mystic, Groton and New London Ct.

The following photos are from my fall 2011 visit to the New London, Ct. area. There is a lot to see in less than a half hour drive from New London. If you have a passenger timetable you could get a nice group of shots at a half dozen interesting waterfront and station or tower locations in half a day. You could then take in the Mystic Seaport Museum later in the day that has a lot to offer anyone interested in vintage boats, large or small. In Groton you can also take in the Submarine museum and if you are lucky get a shot across the river of the NECR passing by. I was not that lucky as the day I visited was a Tuesday and that is the only day of the week that the submarine museum is closed. A good reason for a return trip to the area. 

The Mystic, Ct. ex-New Haven station still stands in 2011 and is in very good shape being used as the tourist information centre and shelter for commuters. Mystic is just a short 15 minute drive north of New London and worth a stop if you are interested in vintage wooden boats and lift bridges. The Mystic Seaport Museum is a working boat yard with many restorations ongoing and is one of the towns highlights. Also there is a railroad swing bridge about a half mile south of the station which is interesting to see operate. The other highlight in town if you are interested in lift bridges is the  Hwy. 1 lift bridge, noted as the narrowest spot on the highway that stretches from Maine to Ft. Lauderdale Florida.

Mystic station as it looks in October 2011.

As I was getting out of my car at the Mystic depot...as usual that is the time the gates start going and I quickly bale out and get a grab shot. This one I think turned out better than most.

About half a mile north of the Mystic, Ct. station is this swing bridge that is seen in the open position. There is a lot of boat traffic in the area and I am guessing this bridge might open more than one expects.

Looking over the river at the Mystic Seaport museum and some of the vintage boat that can be seen, Oct. 2011

Another of the many waterfront scenes one will find in Mystic, Ct...if you are a seaside town modeller there is a lot of inspiration to be found in this town.

And the last Mystic scene...a neat marine storage structure seen in the background. The railway swing bridge is just behind me as I took this photo.

At Groton I stopped by to see if the old brick NH tower was still standing north of the lift bridge on the Thames River. It was and I took a look around. I had seen a photo taken with a train and the tower in a calendar that I saved. I could not remember the angle. I did hang around  for a bit...but no trains passed. I took a short drive over to a riverside location to get a good look across the river at New London and the lift bridge over the Thames River. The bridge was in the process of going up as a lone sailboat wanted to pass. When I got home and checked out my calendar which is a BRCF train crew, out-of-work insurance yearly calendar. The photos used are contest winners. I actually had one of my photos used  in 1994.  I realised the photo was taken from on the bridge...somewhere I would land up in jail if I wanted to try a photo, but a shot a train crew could easily get.

This photo was taken back in 1992 of the Amtrak Virginian  heading south at Groton, Ct. This photo was a contest winner for the October 1993 page of the BRCF calendar. The BRCF is a railroad employee insurance group.

Groton tower as it looks during a visit in October 2011. The silver boxes have taken over this scene.

Groton, Ct. up close.

The Thames river lift bridge which is located between New London and Groton, Ct. is in the up position to let a lone sailboat though, October 2011. The bridge was in the up position the whole time I visited the location. The old Groton signal tower is to the right of this photo.

New London
While looking around New London, Ct. this fall there was a passenger or commuter train sitting idle on the outside track nearest the river facing south. It was getting near rush hour time so this might have been for loading when a ferry arrived our possibly a tour group. It was gone when I checked the next morning. Interestingly it was not electric as all the others I seen go by. The coaches had NH and Connecticut Commuter Rail markings added.

Layover equipment at the New London, Ct. station, October 2011.