The trains and boats of New London, Ct. Train and boat horn heaven!!!! 6/25/24

We spent a gorgeous sunny day in New London, Connecticut. The waterside area is a wonderful place to catch trains and boats coming and going constantly. This is also a rare place on the Northeast Corridor where there are railroad crossings and the trains blasting their horns for them. We see numerous Amtrak trains along with a few Shore Line East M8 mu trains. You will hear raised letter K5LA horns on the ACS64’s plus hybrid K5LA horns on the Acelas. The M8’s have Leslie RS2M horns. In addition, there is heavy ferry boat action here and you will hear a variety of boat horns on these ships.  I couldn’t tell you what kind of horns those are, but they are varied as well. It was a fun day capturing the ships on the rails and on the sea at this delightful seaside community. We conclude with highlights of a magical ferry boat ride back to Orient Point. 

[@pmichael73]

I used to come down from Worcester on the B-Liner (Norwich & Worcester RR line) and change at New London. Waiting at the level platform was exciting with the ferry and submarine traffic. Seeing the NYNH&H "Colonial" come across the bridge was exciting and the engines (from ground level) were huge! Wonderful memories! Thank you!

[@johnplampin7274]

One of the most interesting videos. Trains and ships, swing bridge.... cinematography is fantastic. And the sunset....

[@3985uprr]

Everything seem to click that day

[@FrederickCAycottJr]

Excellent video. Enjoyed it a lot. Glad you took the trip to film this. Been watching the live video on youtube a lot.

[@jimlasterni7310]

Thank you sir you sure do salute that boat

[@mark03061956]

Agreed. There's a large plaque inside the boat detailing its history. Vessel is in fine shape, especially in light of its having been in service for 81 years. Someone's been taking very good care of it.

[@user-xy1lp8jx2h]

I like those hybrid K5LA horns.I live in southwestern CT near the metro north waterbury branch . In the early 2000s metro north used some amtrak GE P42 locos on some of their waterbury branch trains and some of them had hybrid K5LA horns.

[@davidkalbacker6033]

Great day- thanks for featuring the East End and New London. For several Summers as a teenager, I was a parking attendant at the Orient dock.

[@3985uprr]

Ahhh. I love parking lot there. I left my car there for a week in 1989 while my brother and I spent a vacation in Northern Maine.

[@davidkalbacker6033]

@@3985uprr I worked there back in the late 60s and 70s when the service was operating war surplus LSMs. If they made 8 knots it was a lot.

[@billclements3879]

That was a great video, thanks for sharing, beautiful day to rail fan….❤😊

[@scottyerkes1867]

Wow!! Trains, Boats and Horns!! Beautiful day. Thanks Tim for sharing💚👌😀👍

[@jimpern]

Very entertaining! The ferries remind me of my days crossing Puget Sound on the Washington State Ferries, except they were all double-ended and fairly homogeneous in appearance. In comparison, it looks like no two boats in the CSF fleet are of the same design! The Cape Henlopen is a very unique story.

[@timothynoel786]

Loved the Little Rascals story!!

[@user-pu5hh5ix2s]

Excellent video Tim. A couple of things to add. The station is built in the middle of an "S" curve and has a speed restriction for passing trains. Accross from where you ate lunch, back in the days of the New Haven, there were a couple of storage tracks where you would normally find a couple of RS3's and an RDC which ran from New London, crossed the river then north toward Norwich and Plainfield. At the location where the raised platform is next to track 1 was the location of a water column for refilling locomotive tenders. The 3rd track at the station is the connection track to the Central Vermont Railway. The big green structure accross the river from the station on the Groton side is Electric Boat, where nuclear powewed submarines are built. It's good having grade crossings on both sides of the station. Nothing can sneak up on you. Again, thanks for an excellent video.

[@3985uprr]

I had a great time there.

[@johnconnolly6011]

That ferry was in service down in Cape May. I spend a few days in Wildwood with my wife and young kids. I would take the ferry over to Lewis De. Trip would end in Seaford to visit mom and dad. I also stop in to see my sister.

[@evangouldtransit]

the Henlopen.? they have one down there with the same name, but they are two different ships.

[@micvic83]

Wildwood. Watch the tram car please. Did you go whale watching?

[@IRTFan9327]

I am glad you approved my way of saying Boston Back Bay and Boston South Station announcement for 86.

[@3985uprr]

You are the agent working the station that day and making the announcements? Great job. That’s the most accurate way of announcing those stops.

[@IRTFan9327]

@@3985uprr Yep that is me and thank you. I do my best! If I have known you were there I would have said hello. Come back again!

[@broyofroyo1207]

I love the Cross sound ferry, please do more ferry videos

[@3985uprr]

They do provide some interest

[@fredredmon5828]

Really and enjoyable video Tim. You really don't think they are that big until you go inside and see semi trucks loaded on there. That really surprised me

[@owensweetland342]

Visit Paul's Pasta in Groton. Nice deck view of the port and the trains.

[@michaelroke5733]

Great horn combinations with history details of the water transportation ! Great spot for it!

[@jonathanmeeks9973]

You knocked the ball right out of the park with this one. Probably your best video ever! Full of information, superb video work; this will be hard to top.

[@3985uprr]

Wow, thanks!

[@Relics_tv]

Ayyyy Welcome to my backyard!! You'd Love Mystic station and the history of the area of Midway in Groton as its the old Midway Railyard and hidden in the woods is the old roundhouse which you can still find the foundation, tracks, and turntable pit!

[@evangouldtransit]

original MV Grand Republic was built almost identically to the MV Park City. looks beautiful

[@evangouldtransit]

also i think the Race Point has a Kahlenberg D2 horn.

[@HarrisonPeloso]

your not the only person thats a fan of 642, ive been lucky a few times riding right behind the engine and i have it set for my channels cover photo

[@stephenmokshefski698]

Its now sitting in the Yard at Union Station D.C i seen it tonight on my wa home

[@jquas1965]

I hope you’ll return to New London for Sailfest, Saturday July 13th and Sunday July 14th. Next time you’re in NL if the water taxis are ruining go over to the Groton side of the Thames and eat at Pauls Pasta make sure you sit on the deck over looking the river and you can see the NL skyline.

[@brianhenderson9124]

Great video, as always! Keep up the good work. I never could stand humidity much, myself, and I grew up in Northern Virginia. Now if you want to talk about impressive ferries, there's none, I think, that can match the design of the MV Kalakala. It was a Puget Sound ferry that ran until the 1960s, even impressing the same crowds that first visited the Space Needle. Incidentally, I'll be riding the Port Jefferson ferry as part of my Labor Day weekend vacation. I'll be visiting family back east, as I now live in Salt Lake City, first in the DC metro area, then near NYC. And I'll film it all, too, with my mirrorless camera (a Panasonic Lumix G7 in case you were wondering). Be on the lookout for these and other videos starting early to mid September over on my channel.

[@russeljohn7168]

This video reminds me of the day you were filming the MBTA Blue Line trains in East Boston, as well as the planes landing at Logan Airport. Planes and trains. Boats and trains.

[@3985uprr]

I do find fascination with big planes and boats. Trains are #1 though

[@Kidney7661]

I’m guessing the ferry doesn’t get close enough to race rock lighthouse. Probably one of my favorite lighthouses in that area.

[@iweezy2020]

Awesome catch with that opening of the swing bridge! :)

[@jonathanng2390]

The last two times I took the Orient Point Ferry, New London was not yet electrified. I saw EMD F40s stopping there. On somber notes during each of those last two times, I got news that somebody famous died. In August of 1997 it was Princess Diana. In July of 1999, it was John F. Kennedy Jr.

[@hornshowrailfan2554]

I blasted through there yesterday on Acela 2167.

[@jimpern]

One of those Shore Line East M8s had a Metro North logo! See it at 43:21.

[@broyofroyo1207]

*All boat horns* 9:24 Mary Ellen 15:16 Race Point 18:26 Susan Ann 30:12 New london 31:13 John H 38:30 Race Point

[@donkauke2372]

Great video. The restaurant hosts a rail fan camera that shows Amtrak activity on map and station stops. You need a wind screen for breezy days. Thankis for ALL of your videos and commentary!

[@nathanjiang100]

I was on 190 and 2193 yesterday between New York and Boston. I might be able to spot you from my 2193 video.

[@3985uprr]

I was standing on the top deck of the ferry in the rear

[@nathanjiang100]

​@@3985uprr alright. I'm actually gonna be on the Orient Point-New London ferry on the 4th of july. we had 642 leading on 190 which you missed by a little under an hour. you also missed a 3-hour late 66 (which was that late even after the super long scheduled layover in New York)

[@warrengibson7898]

Very enjoyable video but it does highlight some limitations of the Shoreline route: sharp curves, movable bridges and the occasional grade crossings.

[@mrvwbug4423]

Yup, slowest section of the NEC and the only section not owned by Amtrak. 80mph max speed between Penn and New Haven, 90mph max speed between New Haven and the RI state line, 150mph as soon as they cross into RI haha.

[@whsxc12]

@@mrvwbug4423the New Haven to RI half is Amtrak owned

[@davidkavanaugh8956]

When I see a relative in Rhode Island, I usually rent a car there and drive down to New London to take the boat over to Orient Point. Hate the traffic trying to get to Long Island going around the Sound thru New York. I have also taken the train from Rhode Island to New London as well.

[@3985uprr]

Sometimes going around the sound is faster depending on what time you do the drive.

[@Yo_Its_Matty_ice]

Just FYI the Plum Island research facility has been closed and is being demolished. All of the government's animal disease research is now taking place at the new facility in Kansas.

[@3985uprr]

Didn’t know that

[@UnionPacific1988]

Bro, I live in Connecticut and I’m so mad that I missed Amtrak ACS 64 642. I’m so mad like a really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really mad.

[@johnnytoobad7785]

Trains, boats and automobiles. But did you you see any submarines ? I have a relative who trains sub-mariners at the sub-school Groton

[@3985uprr]

No subs.

[@John-cj7et]

Was in New London CT two weeks ago. Decided to take the ferry for the trip back to PA. Definitely worth it. I was surprised how busy the station is. It kept me occupied while waiting to depart

[@mark03061956]

Yes, and the surrounding area is interesting as well. Neat little city. Unfortunately the route through it twists and slows the Acela to a relative crawl, a result of a ROW that dates to the mid -1800s.

[@TrainBrain2000]

I was running the train at 47:55!

[@owensweetland342]

Anything done in a hurry is done wrong so what's your rush?

[@UnionPacific1988]

But don’t worry I’ll be going there this July. I don’t know when maybe July 10 so ready rough and horned guy make sure it you’re in New London on July 10.

[@3985uprr]

I won’t be there

[@christophercancel934]

That Shoreline East reminds me of Metro North New Haven Line.

[@AaronJrBrundidge]

That's because it's been May 2022 the Kawasaki M8s started service to replace diesels

[@mrvwbug4423]

They are just Metro North M8s with extra CT Rail markings on them as well. They don't just run SLE, they'll run all the way into Grand Central.

[@AaronJrBrundidge]

@@mrvwbug4423 highly unlikely, they don't have the contact shoes for the third rail

[@mygins5820]

Is it possible to take the Long Island railroad back from the boat using sct?

[@carlossanchez-kz4wh]

Tim you could of called or emailed me I would of went fishing with you 😅

[@3985uprr]

I’m not into fishing 😁😁

[@carlossanchez-kz4wh]

@@3985uprr does the Philippines have good trains?

[@fredredmon5828]

an*