Restoration of CNJ "Blue Comet" route to AC?

..... Would it be possible to use the old CNJ Blue Comet trackage for NJT to run a train from NYP or Newark Penn to Atlantic city? I was up in the LakeHurst Area this past summer and the Tracks in that area look to be in OK condition. Could NJT restore these tracks? Were do these tracks come out in referance to AC? Does anyone have any pictures of the Blue Comet in Service? When did it end? Were there ever any Diesels run on the Blue Comet Line?

The Southern Secondary line south of Lakehurst runs down to Winslow Jnctn where it interchanged with the PRSL. The line continued south eventually ending, I believe, at Bi-Valve, NJ. The Blue Comet, which was discontinued on September 28, 1941, would take the Southern down to Winslow and get on the PRSL to travel east to AC.

If I read right elsewhere on this forum, the last freights operated on the Southern as late as 1988, but by that time they only went as far south as the sand pits in Woodmansie.

I have seen the length of track between Lakehurst and Rt 72 south of Woodmansie. Although the tracks have been unused for less than 20 years, the ROW is severely overgrown with some significant pine trees growing up through the rails (where still present). They look like they were abandoned more like 50 years ago. The tracks are far from anything resembling useable condition and almost all grade crossings have been torn out, except along some of the dirt roads that still exist down there. Alot has changed (and developed in Ocean county) atleast in the northern half.

To use the Southern Secondary would require complete and major reconstruction and unfortunately, all that trackage runs through the Pine Barrens which has been deemed a severely sensitive environmental area. The Pine Barrens are considered a significant water recharge zone for the groundwater that feeds drinking water to Atlantic City and all the other communities down south. Its basically considered a sieve for any contaminant dumped on the ground. I have heard numerous stories where homeowners were not allowed to even pave their own driveways because the Pine Barrens Commission wants ZERO development in that region. I believe our "beloved" former governor Florio may sit on that commission, although I may wrong about that.

The electric utilities even have trouble getting approval to maintain their rights of way there. Of course, if the trees grow, eventually the lights go out, and if there is a fire under the lines because of excessive bussh the lights go out.

I guess it will NEVER happen......... but it would cut back alot of traveling to get to NYP or Newark Penn from AC. Instead of going to Phila...... then to Septa....... then to NEC...... it would just be one trip!

I don't think permitting would be the main issue. A railroad is rather benign, especially on the existing ROW. Funding is the only substantial impediment.

If you ask the NIMBYs, a railroad is a blight and pestilence on humanity. It is responsible for stench, noise, safety problems, and I think they consider them the root cause of plaque and are part of the flouride conspiracy.

As far as the environmental hazard of leaking oil and creosote poisoning goes, have you ever noticed how rapidly OOS trackage becomes overgrown by plants, shrubs and trees? Tracks can't be a real threat to the environment like the NIMBY's up in Kenilworth were ranting about. They were trying to paint a picture of how children were going to develop cancers just from being in the general vicinity of the tracks.

Composite ties and concrete ties could be laid in environmentally sensitive areas - it would be cool if the state and the casinos and the railroads developed a "green railroad" and the CNJ main through to winslow was it!!!! they might even be able to get funding from other various sources then too

I think it will be rebuit sometime within the next handful of decades = just a matter of when

Jtgshu wrote:I think it will be rebuit sometime within the next handful of decades = just a matter of when

Heh... Direct service from the Poconos to Atlantic City, via the Lackawanna Cut-off and the Southern Secondary.

The concrete ties are a very viable option, for that matter the probability of a diesel spill from a train is probably vastly less than the potential of a spill in a bus accident on the Parkway or trucks on other roads thru the pine barrens.

The electric transmission lines also function as a fire break giving firefighters a chance to stop forest fires from spreading. The CNJ line could also function as a linear north-south fire break, too.

The diesel spills that I was referrencing is not what happens in an accident. I was referring to the normal dripping that occurs from the lubricants and such that is common with all diesel equipment. You can see the staining on roads from the vehicles, on the construction sites from the equipment, and on the cross ties from the engines.

But my point was the opposite. If all this is so hazardous, why does nature springforth so bountiful (how's that for prose) after being dumped on for decades?

The Comet Temple was intentionally hit by a NASA space probe a few days ago. If my recollection is correct the Jersey Central's Blue Comet's passenger cars were assigned comet names and one of them was named Temple. Just a slightly maybe off topic observation.

Blue Comet obs Tempel is currently in the care of the Cape May Seashore Lines at their HQ and yard at Rio Grande, Cape May County.

http://community.webshots.com/photo/154 ... 2751GAkYqQ

I photographed it at Tuckahoe where it was delivered to CMSL rails two years ago.

http://community.webshots.com/photo/154 ... 9881NFGXxm

http://community.webshots.com/photo/154 ... 0098sgGcxy

Bob

At this point, NJT will probably run a Nwk-Penn to Atlantic City train via the NEC through Philly. As much as I would love to see the CNJ Southern Secondary back in action, it won't happen for a long time. Shame, because it's a straight shot.

where do the tracks run through?

try this link for more info on the CNJ Southern Division: http://www.thebluecomet.com/cnjsoudiv.html