Bound for the North Pole. The platform looks pretty deserted on this chilly November evening, but looks in this case are quite deceiving. "All Aboard" has just been called and the sell-out crowd of holiday patrons are indeed all on the train. The B-Section of the Valley Railroad's North Pole Express is about to get underway, headed north as far as Deep River, and then back south toward Old Saybrook. The A-Section is already out on the line, running north to Chester. As with the 2009 event, on-line sales were so successful that the railroad has elected to run two sections on Fridays and Saturdays, utilizing BOTH of its steam locomotives. Folks wanting to see Old Number 97 under steam should make it a point to visit Essex before the end of the holiday season. As of when this shot was taken, she had just 16 days remaining before her upcoming 1472 day inspection. The railroaders tell me she'll be getting a pretty substantial rebuild and will likely be out of service for several years.
A continuously growing album of photos that IMHO reveal the awesome and seldom-seen beauty of the railroad world from the dimming of day to dawn's early light! From dusk to dawn, trains roll on! (I'm still finding gems of sunset-to-sunrise surprises!)
