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77-781: The CNJ's main line had a major presence in New Jersey. Most of the main line is now used by the Raritan Valley Line passenger service. CNJ main line trackage in Phillipsburg, New Jersey became part of the Lehigh Line under Conrail. The earliest railroad ancestor of the CNJ was the Elizabethtown & Somerville Railroad, incorporated in 1831 and opened from Elizabethport to Elizabeth, New Jersey in 1836. Horses gave way to steam in 1839, and

154-510: A standard gauge model of the train in 1930. This gave the train and Lionel an almost mythical quality. There were three factors behind the creation of the Blue Comet : The Blue Comet offered extra accommodations at the regular coach fare and assigned seats so passengers knew exactly where they would sit. The PRR charged extra for its all-parlor car Atlantic City Limited and New York Limited . The PRR charged extra fees for parlor cars on

231-429: A bundle of the daily papers – including The New York Times , The Philadelphia Inquirer , among other big-city publications – which had been provided for passengers to read while on board. This goodwill gesture offered a way for locals who did not have radios or electricity to stay informed on current events. Community lore has it that residents would show their appreciation by bringing baskets of freshly-picked berries for

308-696: A drinking fountain by the North Pole Sanitary Drinking Fountain company of Chicago. Collapsible cone-shaped paper cups with the train's logo were available via a dispenser above the fountain. Coaches were fitted out with 64 individual seats which rotated, nickel-plated coat hooks and umbrella holders mounted to the back of the seats. Upholstery was Persian Blue, rendered in figured mohair. The observation car seats were triple-cushioned, 48 rattan lounge chairs in silver and blue, lining either side. These were upholstered in Persian blue Avalon plush, with

385-455: A few minutes after the Blue Comet left Hammonton, bound from Atlantic City to Jersey City. State police said the crossing was marked with a sign but was without a watchman, crossing bells or signal lights. The train stopped several hundred yards up the tracks after the incident and was delayed for an hour. The crew included A. Feryling, Phillipsburg, engineer, and J.F. Walsh, Somerville. Three brand-new G3s Pacific locomotives were assigned to

462-612: A formal dinner was held for railroad officials at the Hotel Dennis . The Blue Comet was published in several periodicals and trade magazines such as Railway Age (March 1929), Fortune (the first issue in February, 1930), The Modelmaker , and several advertisements for ELESCO Superheaters and Feedwater Heaters. Periodic articles about the train appeared in The New York Times , The Philadelphia Inquirer , and local papers such as

539-475: A gold modern pattern. The combines had 48 blue leather bucket seats. The flooring was a blue-and-cream diagonal checkerboard linoleum tile. This same flooring was installed in the vestibules and lavatories as well as on the observation platform. The diner accompanied the early-morning trip to Atlantic City and the evening return to Jersey City and could accommodate 36 patrons. Porters in blue uniforms served savory dishes and homemade goodies. The fresh apple pie with

616-414: A gold-tinted floral pattern. The coaches and combines each had a men's lavatory and toilet located at one end of the car to each side of the aisle. The coaches and observation car were each fitted out with a generous women's lounge with an adjoining toilet. The lounge had a full-length mirror, two wicker armchairs, a boudoir chair, and a cup and towel vendor. The floor covering was a Persian blue carpet with

693-561: A long time at Winslow Junction, NJ awaiting plans for restoration. In March 2017, enough funds were secured to move them to Boonton, and Westphal was moved by truck from Winslow Junction to Boonton, followed by D'Arrest a few months later. In September of that year, both cars arrived in Boonton and were coupled up to the DeVico with plans for further restoration to return them to Blue Comet livery and be operated on excursions. The combine "Halley" #300

770-402: A mile through the woods in water waist deep in parts to reach the wreck. Reports that one hundred people were killed led to a flurry of ambulances from northern parts of the state. Actually, only forty-nine people were on board. The injured included 32 passengers, 4 dining car employees, 1 porter and 1 train service employee. The chef, Joseph Coleman, was crushed and badly scalded in the kitchen of

847-443: A mother and two of her children were killed when the Blue Comet express train crashed into a light delivery truck at an unprotected crossing not far from their home. They were Mrs. Antionette Macciocca, 35, of White Horse Pike Elm, and her two daughters, Gloria, 13, and Joanne, 4. The accident took place as Mrs. Mocciocca was driving back to her home after visiting a neighbor to obtain advice on canning vegetables. The crash occurred

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924-483: A partial interest in the Mount Hope Mineral Railroad from Warren Foundry & Pipe Corporation. Following World War II , passenger traffic diminished, and was almost entirely commuter business, requiring great amounts of rolling stock for two short periods five days a week. Three-fourths of CNJ's freight traffic terminated on line; the railroad was essentially a terminal carrier, which meant little profit

1001-503: A slice of sharp cheddar cheese was a popular offering. The tables were set with the finest embroidered blue tablecloths with the train's logo, special china and flatware, and a silver base lamp with parchment shade. The lampshades had an astral pattern of comets and stars, and tinted lightbulbs were employed to cast a soft blue glow. As passenger traffic diminished, the G3s engines were withdrawn from Blue Comet service and other locomotives pulled

1078-463: A small carfloat terminal in The Bronx . It was the site of the first successful Class 1 railroad diesel operation. Over the years CNJ maintained an extensive marine operation on New York Bay , including a steamer line to Sandy Hook. On April 30, 1967, CNJ's last marine service, the ferry line between Manhattan and CNJ's rail terminal at Jersey City , made its last run, which was also the last day for

1155-793: A smaller portion of northern New Jersey , in the United States . The line's most frequent western terminus is Raritan station in Raritan . Some weekday trains continue farther west and terminate at the High Bridge station , located in High Bridge . Most eastbound trains terminate in Newark ; passengers are able to transfer to NJ Transit using a combined ticket or PATH (rail system) and Amtrak to New York City. A limited number of weekday trains continue directly to New York. Raritan Valley Line trains use three lines owned by three entities. Between High Bridge and

1232-694: Is colored orange on New Jersey Transit's system map, and its symbol is the Statue of Liberty , an homage to the Central Railroad of New Jersey, whose logo was also the Statue of Liberty. Most of the line follows the main line of the former Central Railroad of New Jersey . Historically, CNJ trains ran on this line, as part of its Lehigh-Susquehanna Division, from Scranton , Wilkes-Barre , Allentown , Bethlehem and Easton in eastern Pennsylvania through Elizabeth and Bayonne to Jersey City . In peak years of service

1309-608: Is not electrified, the Raritan Valley Line requires diesel locomotives. The locomotives originally consisted of the GP40PH-2(A and B) and Alstom PL42AC with a 5- or 6-car set of Comet series coaches. Since late 2008, Bombardier Multilevel Series Coaches were added and displaced most of the Comet coaches. As of late 2013, the trainsets' consist use an ALP-45DP and a 6- to 8-car set of Multilevels. However, some occasional trains use

1386-613: Is performed at Newark. The line's rolling stock is stored at the Raritan Yard, the line's only rail yard, located just west of the station of the same name. All eastbound trains change crews here and trains are normally stored here overnight. This is also one of four fueling facilities for NJT locomotives, the other three being Hoboken Terminal, Port Morris, and the Meadows Maintenance Complex. All trains terminating in Newark head to

1463-461: Is reported to have been a long-bell 3-chime steamboat whistle similar to a Hancock or Star Brass 6" long-bell 3-chime. In later years, as ridership declined, the usual G3s locomotives were sometimes used in other service. As a result, a variety of motive power was used. Sometimes the Blue Comet was pulled by other CNJ fast Pacifics such as #820, or Camelback locomotives such as #592. No. 592 was one of

1540-556: The Nellie Bly . The Blue Comet ran on-schedule 97 percent of the time for the first five years. A billboard was installed on the Routes 33 and 34 overpass at Farmingdale listing the times the train would pass that area. The Blue Comet was initially a success, but fell victim to the Great Depression . Service was reduced to a single daily round-trip by April 1933. Also that year,

1617-576: The Red Bank Register . It was featured in a British 1937 Gallaher Ltd collection of tobacco cards entitled "Trains of the World". Billed as the "Seashore's Finest Train", it was dubbed a "Symphony in Blue". Lionel Trains founder Joshua Lionel Cowen was among those who frequently rode the Blue Comet . Inspired by the train's elegant beauty, speed and the sublime power of its towering locomotive, Lionel offered

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1694-667: The Aldene Connection , east of Cranford , it uses the former Central Railroad of New Jersey Main Line, now owned by New Jersey Transit and also called the Raritan Valley Line. From the Aldene Connection to Hunter it uses Conrail 's Lehigh Line , formerly the east end of Lehigh Valley Railroad Main Line. Finally, it uses Amtrak 's Northeast Corridor from the Hunter Connection to Newark and New York. The Raritan Valley Line

1771-547: The CNJ Southern Division Main Line to Winslow Junction, where it would travel over the Atlantic City Railroad 's tracks to Atlantic City. The colors chosen for the Blue Comet' s locomotive and passenger cars were ultramarine and Packard Blue, for the sea, cream, for the sandy coastal beaches, and nickel. The tickets for the train were blue, the dining car chairs were upholstered in blue linen, and

1848-473: The Chesapeake and Ohio Railway and Norfolk and Western Railway proposed in 1965 sought to counter the impending PRR merger with New York Central Railroad merger was to have included CNJ, but the bankruptcy of Penn Central Transportation Company killed that prospect. CNJ drafted elaborate plans for reorganization; they came to naught as neighboring railroads collapsed. Conrail took over freight operations of

1925-705: The Delaware River west of Bridgeton, New Jersey in 1871. The NJS came under control of the CNJ in 1879. CNJ's influence briefly extended across the Delaware River in the form of the Baltimore & Delaware Bay Railroad, from Bombay Hook, Delaware , east of Townsend , to Chestertown, Maryland . That line became part of the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) family in 1901. CNJ's lines in Pennsylvania were built by

2002-565: The Lehigh Coal & Navigation Company as the Lehigh and Susquehanna Railroad (L&S). The main line was completed between Phillipsburg, New Jersey and Wilkes-Barre in 1866. A notable feature of the line was the Ashley Planes , a steep stretch of line (maximum grade was 14.65%) operated by cables driven by stationary engines, which remained in service until after World War II (WWII). CNJ leased

2079-671: The New York metropolitan area and Atlantic City . Designed by Central Railroad of New Jersey (CNJ) president R.B. White in 1928, this train whisked passengers from Communipaw Terminal in Jersey City to Atlantic City, making the total trip from Manhattan (via ferry to the Jersey City terminal) to Atlantic City in three hours. The Blue Comet would travel via the CNJ-co-owned New York and Long Branch Railroad to Red Bank , then follow

2156-490: The North River Tunnels . The introduction of ALP-45DP dual-mode locomotives allows for direct service to New York Penn Station . Limited service to New York Penn Station started as a pilot program on March 3, 2014. Select trains provide one-seat rides to New York. This original "pilot project" schedule has been subsequently expanded to include additional trains, but is limited to off-peak hours due to capacity issues in

2233-657: The United Railroad Historical Society of New Jersey to the Black River & Western Railroad's restoration of CNJ coach 1009. CNJ camelback locomotive #592 is preserved in the roundhouse at the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Museum in Maryland. Observation car "Tempel" (later known as CNJ car #1169) was used as various rail offices throughout the 1960s until the mid 1980s. NJ Transit eventually donated Tempel to

2310-549: The CNJ on April 1, 1976; with passenger routes transferred to the New Jersey Department of Transportation including the present New Jersey Transit North Jersey Coast Line and Raritan Valley Line . In 1961, the Lehigh and New England Railroad was abandoned, and CNJ acquired a few of its branches and organized them as the Lehigh and New England Railroad . In 1963, Lehigh Coal & Navigation sold its railroad properties to

2387-566: The CNJ was leased to and operated by the Philadelphia & Reading Railroad , with which it formed a New York-Philadelphia route. CNJ resumed its own management after reorganization in 1887. The primary rolling stock repair shops were located in Elizabethport, New Jersey along Trumbull Avenue. In 1901 the original shops were razed and new, concrete shops took their place, capable of servicing 430 locomotives and 20,000 freight cars annually. With

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2464-445: The CNJ's fastest Camelbacks and could frequently be found on the point in Blue Comet service. Each train consisted of a baggage car , combine-smoker, coaches, and an observation car. Inside the train, the cars were lavishly furnished. Each car was clad in circassian walnut with a gold inlay pattern. The headliners were cream colored. Window shades were made of blue Spanish pantasote . The luggage racks were nickel-plated. Each car had

2541-511: The CNJ's new flagship at Communipaw Terminal were Miss Beatrice Winter and Miss Helen Lewis of New York. As the Blue Comet made its way to Atlantic City, it was put on display for patrons, railfans, and local residents to see and inspect. Thousands of spectators along the line came to see the new train. This was due in part to a clever ad campaign via radio and newspaper which spurred public interest. Following its first arrival in Atlantic City,

2618-634: The Comet coaches coupled with a PL42AC or an ALP-45DP. Some GE P40DC locomotives were occasionally used on the line between 2007-2009. With the initiation of select, direct, service to New York Penn Station on the Raritan Valley Line in March 2014, dual-mode Bombardier ALP-45DP locomotives (combination diesel and electric power) were added to the RVL rolling stock to incorporate the "one seat ride" between Raritan / High Bridge and Penn Station in New York. Switching of modes

2695-670: The Hudson River tunnels. Unlike the Northeast Corridor, the majority of stations on the Raritan Valley Line are not wheelchair accessible . Newark Penn Station, Union, Cranford, Westfield, Plainfield, and Somerville are accessible high-platform stations. Roselle Park has a high platform but does not have a ramp or elevator to the street. In September 2018, all Raritan Valley Line service was truncated to Newark Penn Station to allow for positive train control installation. Direct service to New York resumed on November 4, 2019. Since it

2772-715: The L&;S in 1871. The line was extended to Scranton in 1888 by a subsidiary of the L&S, the Wilkes-Barre & Scranton; L&S leased the line upon completion and assigned the lease to the CNJ. The bulk of the traffic on the Pennsylvania lines was anthracite coal, much of it produced by subsidiaries of the railroad, until the Commodities Clause of the Interstate Commerce Act of 1920 forbade railroads to haul freight in which they had an interest. From 1883 to 1887,

2849-610: The Meadows Maintenance Complex in Kearny , New Jersey to be stored. In May and June 2018, NJ Transit leased 10 MARC coaches to be exclusively operated on the Raritan Valley Line. These cars have since been sent back to MARC. Service beyond High Bridge to Phillipsburg Union Station in Phillipsburg was discontinued in December 1983 because of low ridership. Then, in November 1989, the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJ DOT) severed

2926-653: The NJ Transit rail service on the Trenton Subdivision would be NJ Transit's version of the West Trenton Line , providing a direct link to the SEPTA service of the same name and establishing an additional link to Philadelphia . To date, no funding for the proposal has been secured. Blue Comet The Blue Comet was a named passenger train operated by Central Railroad of New Jersey from 1929 to 1941 between

3003-526: The PRR and Reading Company consolidated their southern New Jersey routes and formed the Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines . After the merger, the PRR owned two-thirds of the trackage. Reports from travelers indicate that Blue Comet information was not readily available at the Atlantic City station. This had the Blue Comet service at a disadvantage, as PRR Atlantic City-New York information

3080-651: The RDG, but the lease to the CNJ continued. In 1964, the state of New Jersey began subsidizing commuter service, and the tax situation changed in 1967. In 1965, CNJ and the Lehigh Valley Railroad consolidated their lines along the Lehigh River in Pennsylvania and portions of each railroad's line were abandoned; the commercial anthracite traffic that had supported both railroads had largely disappeared. CNJ operations in Pennsylvania ended March 31, 1972. CNJ maintained

3157-423: The RDG. B&O also used CNJ tracks for the final approach to Jersey City. CNJ operated several named trains, most of which were interstate operations: Several non-CNJ trains operated over CNJ trackage north of Bound Brook, New Jersey to the Jersey City terminal: To celebrate its 30th anniversary in 2012, Norfolk Southern painted 20 new locomotives with predecessor schemes. NS #1071, an EMD SD70ACe locomotive,

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3234-566: The Raritan Valley Line. Their study was completed in January 2010. In addition, real estate developers have touted former industrial hub Phillipsburg as an excellent candidate for restored commuter rail service, saying "P'burg. . .a good candidate for rail service..." NJ Transit has been responsive to the idea, and initiated an environmental impact statement . It was determined that service restoration will take approximately four years and cost $ 90 million. In 2010, Easton Mayor Sal Panto Jr. promoted

3311-862: The Tri-State Railway Historical Society, Inc., and the car was moved to Morristown. Tempel would later be moved to South Plainfield, and then in 2004 to Tuckahoe, New Jersey , with ownership of the car being transferred to the County Transportation Association of New Jersey. In 2023, Tempel was given a restoration by the West Jersey Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society. The United Railroad Historical Society of New Jersey currently owns three cars, DeVico, Westphal, and D'Arrest. The " DeVico " (later known as CNJ #1178) observation car

3388-472: The automatic safety control of the engine was damaged, and the steam escaped. After a delay of about an hour, the train limped into Eatontown station, where an extra locomotive from Red Bank took up the interrupted journey. Shortly before noon on January 14, 1936, a National Biscuit Company trailer-truck stalled on the tracks of the New York & Long Branch railroad at the Shrewsbury Avenue crossing and

3465-534: The bay into Bayonne, and north to the Jersey City terminus. It had used a succession of bridges over the years, the last being Newark Bay Bridge , demolished in the 1980s. From Elizabethport, trains went to different corridors. One headed towards Elizabeth and Plainfield and points west and southwest. The second went south towards Perth Amboy and today's North Jersey Coast Line and different southern New Jersey destinations. CNJ operated several trains into Pennsylvania and other points west or south, in association with

3542-488: The crew. However, this anecdote has been disputed by some who lived in the area at the time and insisted the express train did not stop in a location where such an exchange would have happened. The train's last run was on September 27, 1941. Its main competitor, the PRR Nellie Bly , lasted until 1961. On Friday, December 26, 1935 the Blue Comet experienced a small fire in the roof of the dining car Giacobini . The fire

3619-451: The damaged track, with the rear tender truck being derailed. The rear truck floating lever was damaged, rendering the tender brakes inoperative. The entire 5-car consist had become uncoupled from the tender and derailed. The cars came to rest in general line with the track, and were leaning at various angles. Roughly 500 feet of track was destroyed. When the train failed to arrive at Chatsworth Station, personnel and local residents waded over

3696-410: The derailment was caused by the washout, which resulted from the unusually heavy rainfall. Today, the mainline track and wreck site are abandoned and very overgrown. All of the equipment involved in the wreck was repaired and returned to service, except for the dining car Giacobini . Being a steel-clad wooden car, it was unable to withstand the forces of the wreck and was too badly damaged to repair. It

3773-421: The dining car when the stove fell on top of him as the car overturned. He later died from his injuries. The majority of the injuries were minor, resulting from the flying wicker chairs in the observation car . CNJ crews replaced about six hundred feet of damaged track in approximately forty-eight hours. A relief train arrived a few hours later to transport the remaining passengers. An investigation concluded that

3850-470: The end of April 1967, the Aldene Connection opened, connecting the CNJ main line to the Lehigh Valley Railroad (now Conrail 's Lehigh Line ), and trains were re-routed to Newark Penn Station on the Northeast Corridor via Hunter Connection . This allowed CNJ to end the ferry service between Jersey City and Manhattan, which was losing money. The former CNJ Main Line was conveyed to Conrail on

3927-405: The former's bankruptcy in 1976. Conrail sold the line to the state of New Jersey in 1978 but continued to operate commuter service under contract. Service on the line was cut back from Phillipsburg to High Bridge on January 1, 1984. Trains initially could not go beyond Newark Penn Station to New York Penn Station because the locomotives were diesel-powered, and diesel locomotives cannot operate in

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4004-625: The line was the basis for trains such as the Queen of the Valley and the Harrisburg Special, reaching as far west as Harrisburg, Pennsylvania . Until 1967 CNJ service terminated at the company's Communipaw Terminal in what is today Liberty State Park . This station, which was also served by Reading Company trains to Philadelphia and B & O service to Washington, D.C. , and beyond, had connections by chartered bus or ferry into Manhattan. At

4081-511: The locomotives to take on water. By the mid-1930s service had picked up to a morning and an afternoon train in the southerly direction and an afternoon and an evening train in the northerly in summer 1936 service. For residents of the more isolated sections of the Pine Barrens , the Blue Comet's railroad crews dropped off newspapers. In Chatsworth, the train slowed as it went through the center of town on its return from Atlantic City to disperse

4158-473: The name of the train, "THE BLUE COMET", appeared in gold lettering on the letter board. Each car was named for a different comet. The name of each car was placed in gold lettering at the middle of each side below the windows. The underframes and trucks were painted royal blue and varnished. The locomotives' marker lights, headlights, handrails, coupler lifting rods, cylinder head covers and back valve chambers were nickel-plated. Side rods were polished. The name of

4235-481: The other. The crossing was on private property and had no watchman. The engineer, William J. Smith of Elizabeth, was taken into custody for questioning and later released. Engineer Smith stated that the bell of the Blue Comet had been kept ringing ever since the train pulled out of the Red Bank station. He said the whistle had been sounded. The truck was demolished and the locomotive badly damaged. A steam valve cap from

4312-448: The porters were dressed in blue as well. The locomotive was capable of 100 miles per hour, and the railroad claimed the train itself was the first east of the Mississippi to be equipped with roller bearings for easy starting and stopping. Inaugurated on February 21, 1929, the Blue Comet was designed to provide coach passengers with deluxe equipment, accommodations, and service at a regular coach fare. The first revenue passengers to board

4389-424: The primary freight and passenger yards at Jersey City, New Jersey opposite Manhattan, a terminal and shop site was also needed in the Communipaw neighborhood. This facility was modernized in 1914 and included two roundhouses and light repair shops. In 1901, the Reading Company (RDG), successor to the Philadelphia & Reading, acquired control of the CNJ through purchase of a majority of its stock, and at about

4466-536: The rail line between Alpha and Phillipsburg during construction of I-78 . This was done in order to avoid having to build an overpass over the out-of-service trackage. Since 1984, there have been repeated calls for resumption of service to Phillipsburg to relieve traffic congestion on the parallel I-78 and U.S. Route 22 . The Raritan Valley Rail Coalition, formed in 1998 by the late U.S. Congressman Bob Franks , sought cost-effective ways to improve mobility, reduce highway congestion, and increase transit ridership along

4543-723: The railroad was extended west, reaching Somerville at the beginning of 1842. The Somerville and Easton Railroad was incorporated in 1847 and began building westward. In 1849, it purchased the Elizabethtown & Somerville and adopted a new name: Central Railroad Company of New Jersey. The line reached Phillipsburg , on the east bank of the Delaware River , in 1852. It was extended east across Newark Bay to Jersey City in 1864, and it gradually acquired branches to Flemington , Newark , Perth Amboy , Chester , and Wharton . The New Jersey Southern (NJS) began construction in 1860 at Port Monmouth . The railroad worked its way southwest across lower New Jersey and reached Bayside, New Jersey, on

4620-410: The restoration of rail service to Easton or Phillipsburg and possibly Allentown or Bethlehem. In 2021, Amtrak placed service to Allentown via the Raritan Valley Line in their 2035 plan. Another plan that has been proposed is to restore service on the former Reading Railroad's Jersey City branch track between Ewing and Bound Brook which is the current day CSX Transportation Trenton Subdivision ,

4697-428: The same time Baltimore & Ohio Railroad (B&O) acquired control of the RDG, gaining access to New York over RDG and CNJ rails. In 1929, CNJ inaugurated the Blue Comet , a deluxe coach train operating twice daily between Jersey City and Atlantic City . It was painted blue from the pilot of its 4-6-2 to the rear bulkhead of its observation car, and its refurbished cars offered a level of comfort much higher than

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4774-554: The terminal itself; the next day CNJ passenger trains began originating and terminating at the PRR station in Newark via the Aldene Connection , where New York City passengers could transfer to either PRR or Port Authority Trans-Hudson (PATH) trains. In 1979, CNJ emerged from bankruptcy as Central Jersey Industries, later renamed CJI Industries. In 1986, it merged with the packaging company Triangle Industries, owned by Nelson Peltz . CNJ had its northeastern terminus at Elizabethport, New Jersey. In 1864 CNJ extended its railroad across

4851-448: The train pulled into the station, and the fire was quickly put out. Damage was estimated at only $ 50.00. The passengers were unaware that there was any problem until they were politely asked to leave the dining car at the station. The Blue Comet was delayed for 39 minutes while the fire was put out and the dining car removed from service. The train arrived in Atlantic City only 22 minutes behind schedule. On August 19, 1939, train No 4218

4928-400: The train was painted in gold lettering on a blue nameboard that was mounted to the front of the locomotive smoke box just below the Elesco feedwater heater. The train was known by its distinctive whistle . Mounted on the fireman's side of the steam dome, it was usually angled forward. While the manufacturer and cadence of the specific whistle has not been verified (none are known to exist), it

5005-473: The train. Frequently, one would find camelback locomotive 592 at the point, or other Pacifics. Pacific 820 was on the point for the only derailment of the Blue Comet on August 19, 1939. All of the G3s Pacific 4-6-2 locomotives were scrapped by Luria Brothers between 1954-55. Coach "Winnecke", 1176, was scrapped in Red Bank during the 1980s. In its last years, it had been used as a locker room. Various pieces of Winnecke were salvaged and eventually donated by

5082-407: The train: numbers 831, 832 and 833. The CNJ totally refurbished sixteen cars for Blue Comet service, inside and out. The train and its engines were painted in Packard Blue to suggest the sea and the sky. The passenger cars all had a cream band running the length of the side at the windows to evoke the sand of the shore. The paint scheme was unusual, since the road name did not appear on each car. Only

5159-418: The usual 70 mph to between 35–40 mph, as visibility was poor and the crew had been given a message at Winslow Junction to keep a lookout for sand on the crossings due to the heavy rains. Near milepost 86, about a mile west of Chatsworth station, the train hit a washout at 4:37 pm. The surface water had overwhelmed two 24-inch culverts, and undermined the roadbed. The engine and tender made it across

5236-423: The usual day coach of the era. The train was the forerunner of the coach streamliners that blossomed nationwide in the late 1930s and the 1940s. It succumbed to automobile competition in 1941. Also in 1929 CNJ purchased a 30 percent interest in the Raritan River Railroad , a 12-mile (19 km) short line from South Amboy to New Brunswick. In 1931 it acquired total ownership of the Wharton & Northern Railroad and

5313-424: Was discovered while the train was en route to Red Bank by the chef, who promptly alerted the steward Lewis Herring. The two men attempted to put out the fire themselves using fire extinguishers; however, the origin of the fire was inaccessible. An overheated flue from the coal stove had caused some of the roof structure to burn between the ceiling and the roof of the dining car. Red Bank firefighters were summoned as

5390-440: Was in use by New Jersey Transit as an inspection car from 1982 until 1993. The car, renumbered NJT-1, was donated in 2003 to the United Railroad Historical Society of New Jersey (URHS), an organization that plans to restore the car. It currently is located in Boonton, NJ and has been recently painted in Blue Comet livery. The " Westphal " (later known as CNJ #1172) and " D'Arrest " (later known as CNJ #1173). were stored for

5467-478: Was made, if any. In addition, heavy taxes levied by the state of New Jersey ate up much of CNJ's revenue. In 1946, the lines in Pennsylvania were organized as the Central Railroad of Pennsylvania (CRP) in an effort to escape taxation by the state of New Jersey. CNJ resumed its own operation of the Pennsylvania lines at the end of 1952. The CRP continued in existence as owner of the Easton & Western, four miles of track in Easton, Pennsylvania . The merger between

5544-609: Was painted with the CNJ orange and blue. In 2019, NJ Transit painted locomotive 4109 in a heritage scheme based on that of the CNJ GP40P. Raritan Valley Line The Raritan Valley Line is a commuter rail service operated by New Jersey Transit (NJT) which serves passengers in municipalities in Union , Somerset , Middlesex , Essex , and Hunterdon counties in the Raritan Valley region , primarily in central New Jersey and

5621-472: Was readily available for passengers heading to points north. Ocean County stops for the Blue Comet included Lakewood and Lakehurst . The Lakewood stop was to pick up and drop off passengers as well as Jolly Tar Trail bus service. The stop at Lakehurst was for people needing a connection for the Barnegat Branch, later replaced by Jolly Tar Trail service during off-peak hours in the early 1930s, and for

5698-481: Was reconfigured, repainted and used in service on the Santa Fe Southern Railway. "Halley", a smoker/combine, has been modified a bit with the removal of the vestibules, and the baggage area window has been blanked out. The dining car "Giaccobini" was too badly damaged in the 1939 wreck. It was never returned to service and spent the rest of its days as a freight office. It was eventually scrapped. In 2010

5775-425: Was struck by a southbound Pennsylvania train. The driver, Joseph Clark, 53, of Corona, Long Island, jumped from the cab of the truck before the train crashed into it. According to the driver, the motor of the truck stalled just as it reached the tracks. A wrecking crew removed the truck from the tracks so as to permit the Blue Comet , due at Red Bank at 10:04 o'clock, to pass. At 6:10 PM on Monday, September 8, 1941,

5852-564: Was traveling east-bound with a consist of a combine Halley , a coach D'Arrest , a diner Giacobini , a second coach Winnecki , and an observation car Biela . Engine No. 820, a 4-6-2 Pacific, was on point. Conductor Walsh and Engineman Thomas were in charge of the train, which was carrying 49 passengers and crew. Extraordinarily-heavy rains fell in the area throughout the day. It is estimated that roughly 13 + 1 ⁄ 2 inches of rain fell, and about 10 + 3 ⁄ 4 inches fell between 2 and 6 pm. The train's crew had reduced speed from

5929-401: Was used as a rail yard freight office until it was eventually scrapped. On Friday, January 10, 1936, William Taylor, 42, a farmhand, was instantly killed when his produce truck was struck by the Blue Comet while crossing the tracks at Finkel's Lane, Shrewsbury. Mr. Taylor was employed on the farm owned by C. Borderson of Shrewsbury and had been transporting produce from one side of the farm to

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