The Comet

In lieu of the normal Thursday night Photo Library, we have started getting together on Zoom. So we went through a folder of photos I had that I knew they hadn't seen before. This first photo is one of them, a rare shot of the Comet in service on the Highland Line: 

This is taken from an overpass at Newington Junction, and the train is #128 (eastbound) in 1951, and I'm pretty sure it's a Kent Cochrane photo along with the others in this post. It was scanned backwards, and I hadn't caught that it was in fact Newington rather than someplace east since it ran for most of its Boston to Providence, and then around the Boston area.

In 1950, though, Train 128/129 was added as a second Boston - Waterbury (along with 131/136). It is not listed in the June 25, 1950 time table, but is in the September 24, 1950 one. To the best of my knowledge, it was created for the Comet which was no longer serving between Boston and Providence. Although it was sold for scrap in April 1952, my understanding is that it was no longer on this run by November, 1951. In the April 27, 1952 Engine Assignments, it is hauled by RS-3 543. It was annulled prior to November '52, but reinstated with RDCs by the following year.

So for me, it will be running for ops sessions in 1950. Unfortunately, the Con-Cor model was never released in this later paint scheme, so I've stripped mine and need to work on repainting it.

I do have a few more pictures in service on the Highland. The negatives for these two were both damaged unfortunately, both and eastbound and westbound run.

I'm not sure of the exact location of these photos. It certainly looks like the Highland based on the terrain and line poles. On the south side of the track is a line of poles with two cross arms, and the north side has poles with 6. It also makes it possible to identify which way its running by which track it's on.

This looks like the same location, and I would consider it someplace east of Plainville since it's two tracks. 

The problem is, I don't know of any location that really looks like this east of Plainville. There was a siding at Terryville and Bristol, both west of Plainville and in single track territory, but since the train is on the right hand track in each photo, it appears to be in the double track portion.

Although the Comet did run elsewhere before and after it was on train 128/129, but this really looks like the Highland. So the exact location remains a mystery, but they are interesting in-service photos regardless.

Regardless, there's no question where this final photo was taken:

This is Train 128 again, eastbound. It's not clear why the two baggage cars are sitting on the westbound main instead of either Track No. 5 to the right, or the station track (off the Berlin Line) where they are usually when being loaded. My only guess is that they are in position to be moved after 128 passes.

Train 128 was an early morning train, in New Britain at 7.07 AM, and 129 was evening, leaving New Britain at 6.23 PM. So I'm guessing these photos are summer of '51 prior to it being pulled off the run.