| The Old Saybrook Station's signs are jumping the gun a bit, as it is not actually "boarding" time for the two CDOT Shoreline trains, as Amtrak Acela Express 2153, speeding from Boston to Washington DC, has to pass through first. Acela Power Cars 2017 (up front) and 2036 (on the rear) will whisk this six-car train through the snow flurries here in Connecticut, clearing Track 2 for CDOT train 1645 to arrive shortly. On this line, however, these trains cannot achieve their full high speed (150 mph [240 km/h] in a few areas, including nearby Rhode Island), as the average speed across Connecticut is less than half that at just 66 mph (106 km/h) - still faster than the Amtrak Northeast Regionals and the Connecticut Department of Transportation's trains, however. The next day I will see this same Acela trainset (Trainset 11) in Delaware. The passenger waiting on the opposite platform is, perhaps, perplexed by two people photographing this train … perhaps she's never seen a railfan before. (And many who have won't admit it.) I've looked online for his video, but cannot find it … yet. Perhaps he isn't as big an egotist as I am and doesn't post his work. (Old Saybrook, Connecticut – January 31, 2023) |