While there have been tons of versions of the CNJ Blue Comet released over the years, and some engines at least come close to the prototype, there has never been anything close to a prototypical set of passenger cars released for it. I'd like to use this thread to explore possibilities, either of newer, more accurate sets being released, or of modifying existing cars to more accurately represent the prototype. Feel free to chime in!
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Based on the response to the discussion about the 90th anniversary of the Blue Comet, it seems that there might be enough interest for Sunset/3rd Rail to make a Blue Comet engine and cars, just as they are doing for the Rock Island Rocket and the C&O Chessie Train. However, it's difficult to predict the market - and I'm happy not to be an O gauge model train manufacturer/importer...
MELGAR
If you can piece together a consist of correct cars by various makers, Christine Braden will custom paint the train for you. I have done this with 2 trains already (not Blue Comets) and she is working on another one for me currently.
VistaDomeScott posted:If you can piece together a consist of correct cars by various makers, Christine Braden will custom paint the train for you. I have done this with 2 trains already (not Blue Comets) and she is working on another one for me currently.
If I can piece together a consist of correct cars, I'll custom paint it myself. The trick is either finding the correct cars, or modifying existing cars to be correct. You wouldn't think it'd be that hard to find a heavyweight coach in O scale with evenly spaced windows... I don't mind taking a dremel to a $15-25 car, but when Lionel cars, WITH broken trucks, are going for $300 and up per set of 4, sheesh! When I get a chance, I'll lay out what'd be needed for a basic 5 car set, figuring 1 combine, 2 coaches, 1 diner and an observation car, and folks can chime in on potential sources.
Okay, this has been "fun" so far 
Golden Gate Depot has an observation car with the end recessed, as it was on the Blue Comet cars. Only problems are it has 6 wheel trucks, incorrect window spacing and an incorrect interior. The interior will likely be an issue on ALL O scale observation cars, as the Blue Comet had individual movable parlor chairs.
Atlas Trainman O scale Observation cars have the windows correct (it supposedly used a CNJ car as a prototype), but without the recessed ends. It also has 4 wheel trucks. I think that's the way I'm going to go for the observation car. I may or may not move the end back, depending both on how hard it appears to do and how much free time I have and how ambitious I feel. It may just get painted for now, with moving the end a project for a later day.
https://mrr.trains.com/-/media...R0816_10a.jpg?mw=600
The Atlas coaches are close. They still have slightly wider dividers between every other window, but not nearly as bad as Lionel does. I may pick up a set of those for now, and make castings of the thinner dividers and modify them somewhere down the line.
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/file...00x.jpg?v=1541689405
The Atlas cars are 60' cars based on a C&NW prototype. However, they do have the right look. If you could take those cars and splice in 3" to get the the 72' buffer to buffer distance of the CNJ cars you would have a fairly accurate representation. For the observation use just the end of the GGD car on an Atlas car and you get closer. The diner being an 80' car and originally an all wood Pullman Palace car, could be replicated using a GGD base 80' coach by replacing or heavily modifying the sides and adding truss rods to the bottom.
The nice thing about the GGD cars is that they disassemble with a screw driver into flat parts. The P70Far might look good from the window standpoint as a starting point and then using the full clerestory style roof profile from the original run P70s.
From the standpoint of the locomotive, the MTH model probably makes the best stand in without having to make modifications.
I am actually after the coaches myself for their later use in commuter service, but any and all ideas on how to pull those together in a believable way would be most welcome.
When talking about wrong width of dividers or wrong windows are we talking dimensions in inches or feet that is wrong?
The CNJ cars built in the late 20's were not paired windows. If you look closely at all mass produced O scale coaches with the exception of the Atlas Trainman commuter cars the windows are paired. In other words the divider between the windows had a single row of rivets for each pair of windows and then a double row of rivets, which is wider, between separate pairs of windows. The effect is a wide, skinny, wide, skinny pattern across the cars for the dividers between windows. CNJ and many east coast commuter cars instead are evenly spaced single windows.
While some may not be concerned about this detail, it is pretty noticeable if you know about it. Having grown up around these cars and then been in several in tourist service its a detail that matters to me.
Hope that helps. I don't have access to my images at the office at the moment!
aussteve posted:When talking about wrong width of dividers or wrong windows are we talking dimensions in inches or feet that is wrong?
It depends on which model we're talking about. MTH's coach windows is a matter of inches (but then there's those incorrect AC ducts on the roof!), Lionel's are a matter of feet.
Not necessarily a Blue Comet car, but this is the typical CNJ coach. Note how the windows are single windows spaced evenly across the car.
GG1 4877 posted:The CNJ cars built in the late 20's were not paired windows. If you look closely at all mass produced O scale coaches with the exception of the Atlas Trainman commuter cars the windows are paired. In other words the divider between the windows had a single row of rivets for each pair of windows and then a double row of rivets, which is wider, between separate pairs of windows. The effect is a wide, skinny, wide, skinny pattern across the cars for the dividers between windows. CNJ and many east coast commuter cars instead are evenly spaced single windows.
While some may not be concerned about this detail, it is pretty noticeable if you know about it. Having grown up around these cars and then been in several in tourist service its a detail that matters to me.
Hope that helps. I don't have access to my images at the office at the moment!
Jonathan,
I noticed that this MTH Premier New York Central Madison car (18-inch) has equally-spaced windows with two rows of rivets - but 3-axle trucks.
MELGAR
Like the original CNJ, often budget requires that certain compromises are made. Decided to run with the Atlas Trainman cars. They're too short (60' instead of 72'), and the window placement is better, but not perfect, but they do have 4 wheel trucks, and no roof AC ducts. Being short won't hurt running on smaller radius curves. At the moment I'm just setting up 2 coaches and an observation car (I've got an MTH diner and combine which will do for now).
Started working on the inside. Not worried about a ton of detail, but the seats are a "Persian Blue", the walls are close to a walnut, and the vestibules are tiled (originally had 1'x1' tiles, then had to redo them based on a picture of Giacobini, where it appears they used 6" tiles). Don't think a color picture of the carpet actually exists, so they're just a darker blue, which should be fine since you really won't see it. Started putting some folks in, waiting for the rest to get here from China (apparently the only place you can get seated people that don't cost a fortune).
Once I figure out a way to get the windows out of the shells without (hopefully) destroying them, I'll start painting them too.
Very nice work on the diner! If I could have afforded it at the time, I probably should have picked up several of the Atlas cars and lived with them until a suitable replacement could be found if it that never happened, I'd at least have something!
Got the drumhead on the observation car. Nice that they come with a lighted one. Wish those posts weren't right inside the rear wall, or I'd have moved it back as in the prototype to allow room for chairs.
The Blue Comet is one of my favorite trains. Regarding the discussion about the recessed observation car rear bulkhead, these pictures of an original car show the recess.
Those photos are from the 1939 derailment of the Blue Comet. While not resulting in the trains demise, certainly didn't help it. The train would be discontinued in 1941. Good shots of the rear of the observation for sure though!
Okay, it's been a while, but finally some progress! I've got them painted and lettered, still need to decide whether to use a semi-gloss or satin clear finish, then the windows will be replaced and they should be ready to roll. MTH car in the background, though it looks darker in the photo because of lighting differences. Had a heck of a time matching the colors (attempting to get them close to the MTH ones, as I already have 2 of their cars, since there are no known color photos of the prototype).
Even what originally looked good on paper didn't match how it looked when actually sprayed onto the cars. The cream band (which looks much whiter in the photo than in real life) is a mix of Tru-Color Soo Line off white and (I think) Passenger car interior cream. Dark blue is a mix of Bangor & Arrostock Blue and US Navy Blue, lighter blue is a mix of D&H Blue and VIA Rail Blue. Matching paint chip cards to monitor colors to model colors to actual sprayed paint proved quite the chore, but as they say, after a few coats with slightly different blends, it's close enough for government work...
Wish I could have moved the rear of the observation car back, but the posts where the shell screw to the chassis are right inside the rear wall. I may add some sort of "curtain" to the rear deck roof if I can find something that looks appropriate. There are quite a few passengers added to the interior. The lettering was from Clover House, and while the typeface matches the MTH cars, the size is a bit larger. Not sure if "S" scale would have been large enough, or I might have downsized to that. Wish you could actually see stuff live before ordering...
Looks terrific! The color really pops out at you seeing the contrast between the cream and blue colors. I have some MTH premier cars lettered Jersey Central I wanted to modify to be more accurate but it became too much of a daunting project. Kodos for taking this on!
I would certainly be a buyer if someone can get a manufacture to made accurate Jersey Central coaches.
Just about finished! Still need to put the windows back in, and screw the shells to the chassis, but other than that, they're ready to roll! Went with the satin clear, which matches my 2 MTH BC cars very well. Interiors have walnut paneling and Persian blue seats, vestibules have blue & cream tiles, and with these cars and the 2 I already had, I can put together the consist that wrecked at Chatsworth in 1939!
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