Our special rolls through Norwich
Photo by Doug Scott

Providence & Worcester
Fall Circle Tour
October 15, 2011

We reached Groton at 1:47 PM and left the Corridor for P&W’s freight-only Norwich Branch. After passing through the US Navy Submarine Base, we made our first photo stop, a double runby, below the Route 2A bridge at MP 9.2. Just up the line, we made a second photo stop at Norwich yard, south of Laurel Hill tunnel. We went through the tunnel, crossed the Shetucket River to Norwich (photo [left] at the old Norwich & Worcester station) and continued upriver to the Taft Tunnel, the oldest rail tunnel in use in North America. (The original Portage Railroad tunnel in Pennsylvania is older, but sees no trains.)

At 4:14 PM, we went through Plainfield, P&W’s Connecticut operating base, but our view of its repair shop on the former line to Providence was obscured by standing cars. Our trip staff chose to skip a last photo stop at Putnam – just as well, since the heavy clouds would have meant poor pictures.