Saving the REAL Blue Comet!

I always shake my head at these campaigns to move a basket case piece of rolling stock to somewhere else for no apparent reason other than to have it rot in a different location. There are notes in this site from someone who worked on these cars years ago and said they were in rough shape even then. I’m not seeing any plan other than to move them.

I agree - these cars are apparently too far gone to save!  :-(

Hey, ya gotta give this group "cheer" and maybe some bucks for trying!

The UHRS has some beautifully restored locomotives and rolling stock. I wouldn't count them out  with these Blue Comet cars............ 

I looked at the link.  They've only raised $610 so far and 20 grand seems on the low side to move them, unless they're getting some services donated. 

I'd agree, it looks like they need a LOT of work.

But, the first part of any plan is to get the artifact to a location totally under the group's control.

Rusty

Wow! What a cold reception. Better to spend the money on another foreign made $69 club box car with a defunct creamery logo on it??

I don't believe it's a cold reception. It's a realistic one. I'm a life-long resident of New Jersey and would love nothing more than to see the remaining Blue Comet cars preserved. But there isn't much more to add to the posts above. Tons of money have been thrown away on projects in the name of "it's a start". I want to see a viable plan from a capable group and I'll be writing a check as quickly as anyone.

While these cars will take a great deal of work and money to restore they are certainly not "too far gone" by any means for what the URHS and other groups in the northeast are able to accomplish.

I was involved in the restoration of a similar car CNJ car that wasn't on the Blue Comet, the project included stripping paint from the inside of the car and restoring the original wood work that had been painted or covered over. If you are near New Jersey I welcome you to come to the Black River & Western this summer and take a ride!

Before and after photos of our car:

Additionally the Whippany Railway museum is currently restoring a DL&W club car at the URHS yard in New Jersey, many people also thought this car was too far gone but the project is moving at a good pace and replica DL&W seats have been bought to be used with the car. When this project is done The Blue comet cars will not even be the most complicated restoration to take place at the yard. 

Photo source: http://www.railpictures.net/photo/504350/

The Colebrookdale railroad a fairly new tourist railroad in Pennsylvania, is currently turning a former PRR car into a dinning car. This car was 100% gutted and had its windows widened and removed to become an open air excursion car for a previous owner. The car is now receiving an entirely new interior to become a dinning car. 

Before photo and a photo during the current restoration:

The railroad preservation community is capable of some amazing things. If these two blue comet coaches are restored they will be joining the Blue Comet observation car that the URHS has already completed a great deal of work on. I hope we can come together and these coaches can join these amazing projects. 

More information at: http://urhs.org/blog/urhs-equipment-roster/#cnj1178

The first car could be moved soon. However, the funds still are not there to move to second to the planned restoration site.