Blue Comet question

How many cars logn was the Blue comet and what did it consist of? I heard there was a Baggage, RPO, Diner, a coach or two, about 2 sleepers an an Obs. Was there a lounge in the Obs as well? Had CNJ kept it around longer right into the Amtrak/NJT era how would the consist look like? I know the journey would be faster so the sleepers would definantly be out. But would they be replaced by lounges or be an all coach train but still retained the Diner and RPO?

If NJT had run it today would there still be atleast a car with a bar and serves light meals along with cars that has a lounge similar to that of the LIRR?

Here's the lineup of Blue Comet rolling stock:

Locomotives:
Class G-3s(P-47) 4-6-2, engine Nos. 831, 832 ans 833. Other motive power used as dictated by engine availabilty were the the other G-class engines, T-34 or T-38 ten wheelers and on occasion the P-6s (A-28) class Atlantics (such as the 592) or her sisters.

Cars:
Baggage: 391 Olbers, 392 Barnard

Coach: 1170 Tuttle, 1171 Holmes, 1172 Westphal, 1173 D'Arrest, 1174 Faye, 1175 Spitaler, 1176 Winnecke, 1177 Brosen

Combination: 300 Halley, 302 Encke

Dinner: 81 Giacobini

Observation: 1169 Tempel, 1178 DeVico, 1179 Biela

Note that there are no sleeping cars,RPO's or lounges. The above is only the dedicated rolling stock, there is the possiblity of any combination of equipment being use due to train capacity demand,special moves and equipment availabilty.

Steam Man. Thanks for clearing things up. I heard about the sleeping cars and I thought why sleeping cars for a trai nthat didn't go that far to justify them. Bu low and behold when I saw train sets of the Blue Comet by Rivarossi, Concor and this one small manufactureer called International the all had 8 CNJ Blue Comet Cars that included a Sleeper, Lounge and RPO. The only set I saw that only had a baggage 2 coaches, a diner along with an Obs. Quite surprised to hear the CNJ Blue Comet Obs didn't have a lounge or atleast a bar area. Thier paint job is great. Too bad CNJ didn't put that blue, Jersey Cream and gold on all of their trains rather then that butt ugly green. Thier Statue of Liberty Logos would looks alot better had their locos and their passenger equipment were those colors. I like your pictures of the Blue Comet.

Concor, IHC, Rivarossi, etc passenger sets are notorious for doing up one of every car they have a mould for in a scheme. You can get NJ Dot era duplex sleepers and all sorts of other fiction. I believe the Blue Comet's claim to fame was being an all-reseved air conditioned train to Atlantic City.

NJT,
I cobbled up a webpage for you to compare the Blue Comet prototypes to the IHC/ Rivarsosssi models. Take a look ,hope this helps you--
http://www.eaglesgroundforce.com/bluecomet.html

Wow! Thanks Steam Man. I had no idea on how off mark the IHC/Rivarossi Models really were side from having a sleeper when there wasn't one. I guess I'll have to wait til Walthers or Atlas comes out (hopefully) with something like The Blue Comet. Their products are great and hopefully we'll see something soon.

If you are handy with kits and detailing Bethlehem Car Works offers several of the cars needed. They have CNJ coaches, CNJ baggage, and a CNJ combine. You would need to modify the underbody equipment and paint them but they are otherwise spot on. See http://www.bethlehemcarworks.com/Produc ... index.html
Kit #330 CNJ Class BE Baggage Car
Kit #310 CNJ/RDG Class PBm Celestory Roof Coach
Kit #320 CNJ/RDG Class CVh Celestory Roof Combine

NJTRailfan wrote:Wow! Thanks Steam Man.

The observation cars were advertised as non-revenue seating available to all coach passengers at no extra charge, just like a coach-lounge.

The "Atlantic City RR" book has a reprint of a pre-"Blue Comet" Reading RR timetable that advertises Summer weekend sleepers from Atlantic City to New York. They probably used the CNJ beyond Winslow Jct. Part of the reason for starting the twice daily "Blue Comet" was to allow discontinuance of every other passenger train service on the old Jersey Southern, so that may have been when sleeping cars stopped.

JimBoylan wrote:
The "Atlantic City RR" book has a reprint of a pre-"Blue Comet" Reading RR timetable that advertises Summer weekend sleepers from Atlantic City to New York.

Now the question is, whose sleeping cars did they use? All the CNJ passenger roster info I have doesn't show any sleeping cars and there was none dedicated to Blue Comet (read painted blue and cream) service. Don't think the Reading Company had any either. B&O maybe?

Pre Comet sleepers AC to NY? for a 4hour trip?? Maybe thru sleepers to somewhere further away than NY??

I'm not too familiar with the CNJ, especially Blue Comet

Is there a reference on internet showing it in color ?


My search engine doesn't turn up much and the B&W photos just look, well B&W

Steam man wrote:

JimBoylan wrote:pre-"Blue Comet" Reading RR timetable that advertises Summer weekend sleepers from Atlantic City to New York.

whose sleeping cars did they use? All the CNJ passenger roster info I have doesn't show any sleeping cars. Don't think the Reading Company had any either.

In the old days, railroads sometimes used cars owned by and marked for the Pullman Company, and its predecessors and competitors. Reading Company did have an entirely on-line sleeping car run on the "Williamsporter" from Reading Terminal, about 200 miles, probably 4 hours plus padding. A weekend "hotel on wheels" run could be a good way to use idle sleepers that normally handled the weekday business people on the "Royal Blue", etc. between Jersey City and Washington.

NJTRailfan wrote:How many cars logn was the Blue comet and what did it consist of? I heard there was a Baggage, RPO, Diner, a coach or two, about 2 sleepers an an Obs. Was there a lounge in the Obs as well? Had CNJ kept it around longer right into the Amtrak/NJT era how would the consist look like? I know the journey would be faster so the sleepers would definantly be out. But would they be replaced by lounges or be an all coach train but still retained the Diner and RPO?

If NJT had run it today would there still be atleast a car with a bar and serves light meals along with cars that has a lounge similar to that of the LIRR?

See the front page of my website. I have a B&W photo of the Blue Comet eastbound (soon to turn south at E'Port a couple miles later) through the interlocking that was west of the 8th Street Station..

http://www.W2KB.org

Cactus Jack wrote:I'm not too familiar with the CNJ, especially Blue Comet

Is there a reference on internet showing it in color ?


My search engine doesn't turn up much and the B&W photos just look, well B&W

I've never seen what appeared to be an actual color photo. Only what appeared to be colorized after the fact. Or that may be the result of the state of color photo technology of that era. Even today, color rendition will vary widely with type of film, and with digital, the CRT or LCD it is displayed on.