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Reply to "For The Blue Comet Afficianado's"

CNJ continued to have passenger service on the CNJ Southern Division until 1957 to Bridgeton  In 1982 NJ Transit suspended service to Atlantic city due to poor track conditions with a 15 mph speed restriction on the former PRSL trackage from Lindenwood.  This was part of the route of the Nelly Bly, which was PRR's Atlantic City train that operated until from NYC to Atlantic City via Trenton until 1961.  K4s also pulled lesser trains in the PRSL pool along with Reading G series Pacifics.  I'm certain that Atlantic City was quite a great place to watch steam in the late 30's!

Amtrak reestablished service in 1989 after major upgrades, but the train stopped short of the original Atlantic city Terminal.  Amtrak had big plans to make Atlantic City a tourist destination from several locations, but the demand was not there.  New Jersey Transit again began running local trains on the route from Lindenwood at the same time and after Amtrak stopped servicing Atlantic City in 1995, New Jersey Transit extended the western terminus of their trains to 30th St. Station.

Surprisingly some of the BC equipment still exists.

Coaches:

CNJ 1172 - Blue Comet 'Westphal'  - CNJ 1173 - Blue Comet 'D'Arrest'.  Others likely exist after several renamings running on various excursion lines throughout the US.

All three Observations Exist:

CNJ 1169 - Blue Comet 'Tempel' - CNJ 1178 - Blue Comet 'DeVico' (served as NJT-1 as an inspection car) - CNJ 1179 - Blue Comet 'Biela' - The car Bill mentioned.

Locomotives:

CNJ Camelback 592 - an Atlantic type Camelback that pulled the BC on several occasions during the later years of service.  It was donated in operating condition to the B&O Museum in 1954.

Truly the Seashore's Finest Train as it often has been coined.

As an aside, several studies have been done over the years about reestablishing commuter service on the CNJ Southern Division to Lakewood.  I believe the tracks are gone south of Chatsworth to Winslow Junction.  It's been so long since I've lived in NJ I don't think Conrail Shared Assets serves the sand plant anymore.  Conrail did when I still lived there.  The northern terminus of the Southern Division is in Red Bank, NJ and I spent a few summers walking the tracks from Oceanport to watch trains in Red Bank.  A former Blue Comet coach sat at the junction as a crew facility still in CNJ green paint up until about 1982 or 1983.

Bill - I just picked up a PS1 Blue Comet Pacific that has been upgraded to PS2.  Unfortunately I'm robbing most of the parts to finish my 2 rail CNJ Pacific.  The PS2 will end up in a 3rd Rail SP Mountain I purchased from Peter Atonna to run on the P&P.    All that will be left of the my BC pacific will be the boiler and the 3 rail chassis, drivers, steam chest, and lead and trailing trucks.  Eventually I'll find a junker MTH Pacific to restore that one back to 3 for the club. Confused?  So am I!

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