Best source for Blue Comet passenger cars

Sir Willis,

 

To be honest, I pre-order the blue comet engine and I cancel later because of the whistle sound, do you think Lionel gonna fix it?

 

But the crescent whistle sounds good, I don't know what it happens but, maybe the crescent gonna be my choice finnally even if I prefer the color of the blue comet.

 

Thanx for sharing with us sir.

I had read a lot of discussion on this forum about the whistle, how it doesn't sound right and it's far too diesel sounding.  So I was very curious and wanted to hear it.  We played it quite a lot.  

 

Yes, it is different than the Southern Crescent's - very noticeably.  Deeper, a bit more monotonous in tone start to finish.

 

But it sounds like a steam whistle sound to me, one of the very deep moaning ones like I recall hearing dozens of times in 1950s B-pictures, always on a big fast steam loco rushing through the night.  The sound is deep, low, and yes, just a tad toward the droaning moan of a diesel, but no doubt steam, not a horn, to me. 

 

I liked it a lot.  Let's face it: most trains whistles sound pretty much alike, either a shrill steam whistle sound that is pretty much like all steam locos (e.g., the Southern Crescent's is just 'another steam whistle), or a diesel horn sound that is usually just about the same always.  Locos of either type that stand out from the crowd are special.  This one is . . . 

It's good to read you sir Willis, I'm new to the hobby (deeply since 6 months) and you don't know how you help me to understands different things about trains.

 

People like you sir can make connection between real trains and O gauge trains, something our generation cannot know and gonna lose, specially on steam engine.

 

Thanx a lot sir.

Lee: I have been checking around for the same thing for about the past 3 months, although I have preordered the Lionel set #25655 I was hoping to find some Blue comet passenger cars requiring a smaller track then 0-54. I still don't understand the engine at 0-36 and the cars at 0-54. I was also hoping to find some cars with the full interiors and figures. No luck yet, They do not have to be 18" long. It would be nice if such a set of passenger cars existed. Now about that Whistle, It does sound like a diesel horn to me.(at least mine does).

 

Lee,

 

To the best of my knowledge, Lionel has only announced the Blue Comet 4-pack for the 2012 train thus far.  And one dealer I know is only selling the cars packaged with the locomotive, but that seems to be the exception more than the rule.

 

It's not clear to me how different -- if at all -- the 2012 passenger cars will be from those that came in the "limited edition" boxed set in 2002.  For that earlier set, Lionel produced a two-pack add-on (#6-39082) along with a StationSounds diner (6#6-15406).  If similar add-on cars are not produced this time around -- and if the earlier cars coordinate (which they should) or they are identical -- then you may find someone willing to sell the earlier cars (either in groups or as an entire set.)  I have the entire set from 2002, and they are quite nice -- with detailed interiors and such.

 

I have also added two recent MTH R50B express reefers to the train, as they were produced in the CNJ Blue Comet color-scheme and coordinate quite well.  So you may want to look into acquiring one or both of them, MTH #20-94175.  They were released a few months ago from the MTH 2011 Vol 2 catalog and supply is still relatively good (according to the MTH product finder) at a number of MTH dealers.  But these are the type of rolling stock you may want to grab while you can, if you're thinking about adding something a little different to your Blue Comet train. In 3-6 months, they may be more difficult to find.

 

Hope that helps!

 

David

Sorry but that is the worst excuse for a steam whistle I have ever heard   Here are the cars that Dave was talking about right behind the engine

I have the new Lionel Blue Comet and love it.  Lionel is acutely aware of our dissatisfaction with the whistle.  Hopefully, resolution is in the works, but NO official word that a fix is coming yet if at all.  I would encourage people to write to Lionel to expedite a fix for it.  Other that that, the locomotive is fantastic in every other way.  I also ordered the passenger cars from the same catalog which I believe will be available in July.  Just for fun, I also bought at York a weaver Central of NJ caboose in case I ever wanted to pull freight on my railroad when not in passenger service.  Weaver  makes or made a very nice bright red illuminated caboose.

Probably next year or catalog, the station sound diner will be re-released for it, but that would be a total wish on my part.

I also bought the 2012 Lionel Blue Comet and my Railking 16" passenger cars look great with it. I added beep people to the cars and they look great.I have 54' curves and any car longer than 16" long does not look good on 54" curves

I feel close to alone in this, but the Blue comet whistle both sounds like a steam whistle to me (if as I said, a very deep one, almost like a small ocean liner's), and one that I like a lot. 

 

I agree with you, Bill Pierce, that anything longer than 16" does not look good on O-54 - and not really that good on O-60, really.  I wonder about repainting some 16" cars to match the loco - not too difficult I would think if one could find a good match for the paint

I'm still torn between ordering those cars (and hoping Lionel then offers the add-on pack in its Volume II catalog later this year) and repainting a set of 16" cars, which I think would look better: the Blue Comet will run pretty much on my all 60" curve loop and shorter cars look a bit better.

if you get the Railkig cars maybe on e bay you can add passengers without a problem

Today I received two MTH R50b Express Reefers 20-94175 in the blue comet color scheme, Thanks to a heads up from David (RockyMountaineer) and the video from (bluelinec4). As I have said before, I am not an MTH Guy, but I am very happy with these cars . They are a great match to my new Lionel Blue Comet. Even the gold lettering Central Railroad of New Jersey, matches the gold lettering on the Lionel Engine. As of now I still have a standing pre order for the 6-25655 Lionel Blue Comet Passenger cars, but I must tell you these reefers are starting to look good as a beginning to my  Blue Comet freight train, the 14.5" size cars look real nice on the track and also can run on O-31 track. As David mentioned these cars will become harder and harder to find as I had to make quite a few phone calls to locate them, as the dealers kept telling me that I had just missed the last one by a day or two. So Thanks again (RockyMountaineer) and (bluelinec4). Regards, Casey.