Christmastime In Connecticut. VALE 97 (2-8-0, Alco, 1923) is a staple of the Christmas season at the Essex Steam Train & Riverboat, the most prodigious of seasonal tourist train operators in New England. On December 28, 2019, it is seen departing the Essex, Connecticut station under a good head of steam, one of the several departures an hour during this busy time. The locomotive was intended for sale to Cuba, but was eventually purchased by the Birmingham Southeastern Railroad in 1926. In 1963, it was purchased by a private owner, and operated several excursions on the New York, New Haven, and Hartford Railroad before coming to "The Valley" in 1970.
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!)
