@Bruce Brown posted:Arnold,
Whenever anyone brings up the Blue Comet, all I can think about is Bobby Baccalieri getting whacked at the Trainworld store in Lynbrook.
That's hilarious, but another reason to have the Blue Comet! LOL
The essential Blue Comet I will eventually have is the one I will be kitbashing myself since no one has made an accurate one in O scale. I find it pretty incredible with all the renditions done of the Blue Comet in O that it has never been done right outside of a few hardy modelers who have taken the time to do it correctly.
Yes, I know that makes me train snob. I think the reason is that the real train is so much more interesting than any model that has been done of it. Of all the famous name trains, the Blue Comet is unique. It was a hodgepodge of equipment pulled together by a perennially bankrupt railroad yet had so much class. Of the 5 locomotives built in the same class as the Blue Comet with the wide Wooten firebox to burn Anthracite only 3 got Blue Comet paint. Needing to be thrifty, the CNJ reused a wood Pullman Palace Car from the 19th century to build diner Giacobini and that car retained its truss rod support system during its entire service life. The rest of the cars were just combines, steel coaches, and three steel open end observations that came as part of an order for commuter cars. In other words nothing special. Yet put together, this train truly special.
While knowledge is power, in this case it is a never ending source of frustration for me when I see an O scale Blue Comet.
Many have tried to represent this train and all have failed in the mass production world.
To be fair, it hasn't been done correctly in its entirely in any other scale either.
One day I'll get that project done. For me it is essential.
@Bruce Brown posted:Arnold,
Whenever anyone brings up the Blue Comet, all I can think about is Bobby Baccalieri getting whacked at the Trainworld store in Lynbrook.
So why was he walked at Trainworld? I have the MPC Version of the Blue Comet with all of the cars including the diner Lionel missed some 15 or so years ago.
@RJT posted:So why was he walked at Trainworld?
This will explain:
The first things to go (non-essential to me) would be about seventeen or so K-Line 21 inch observation cars. The New Haven "WATCH HILL" and Milw "DELL RAPIDS" are the keepers.
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@Bruce Brown posted:This will explain:
Bruce, I just watched the video. Maybe I'm dense, but I still don't know why he got whacked?
@GG1 4877 posted:The essential Blue Comet I will eventually have is the one I will be kitbashing myself since no one has made an accurate one in O scale. I find it pretty incredible with all the renditions done of the Blue Comet in O that it has never been done right outside of a few hardy modelers who have taken the time to do it correctly.
Yes, I know that makes me train snob. I think the reason is that the real train is so much more interesting than any model that has been done of it. Of all the famous name trains, the Blue Comet is unique. It was a hodgepodge of equipment pulled together by a perennially bankrupt railroad yet had so much class. Of the 5 locomotives built in the same class as the Blue Comet with the wide Wooten firebox to burn Anthracite only 3 got Blue Comet paint. Needing to be thrifty, the CNJ reused a wood Pullman Palace Car from the 19th century to build diner Giacobini and that car retained its truss rod support system during its entire service life. The rest of the cars were just combines, steel coaches, and three steel open end observations that came as part of an order for commuter cars. In other words nothing special. Yet put together, this train truly special.
While knowledge is power, in this case it is a never ending source of frustration for me when I see an O scale Blue Comet.
To be fair, it hasn't been done correctly in its entirely in any other scale either.
One day I'll get that project done. For me it is essential.
Jonathan, my knowledge about the Blue Comet is next to nil. I just like the blue color and general appearance of it. I found your comments about the Blue Comet regarding its true features and history to be very interesting.
@Arnold D. Cribari posted:Bruce, I just watched the video. Maybe I'm dense, but I still don't know why he got whacked?
Bobby was a high-ranking lieutenant in the Soprano crime family. In a mafia control dispute, orders came down from the Luztezzo Crime Family to kill Bobby and Tony Soprano. Bobby wasn't killed because he was a TCA member.
@Bruce Brown posted:Bobby wasn't killed because he was a TCA member.
Whew! I'm relieved we got that one resolved! I was really worried there. 
Jonathan
TCA#01-53047
On a serious note, I just reflected on how my TCA membership is essential as well. It has been my connection to a world of similarly minded individuals and I have made friendships throughout the country as a TCA member. I have come to appreciate entire worlds of trains that I never would have considered had it not been for those one on one interactions with other TCA members.
@Arnold D. Cribari posted:Jonathan, my knowledge about the Blue Comet is next to nil. I just like the blue color and general appearance of it. I found your comments about the Blue Comet regarding its true features and history to be very interesting.
A great and short reference on this train is "The Seashores Finest Train, The Blue Comet" by Joel Rosenbaum. The rest of the story of this train is even more interesting in that it was built in secret so that arch rival PRR wouldn't build a similar train first. The marketing behind the train was masterful as well. Billboards were put up starting with just a blue background and information would be added to them over time to build suspense about the train. There was even a matching Mack bus that was used to get passengers to the station. The book also shows how to make a decent replica in HO scale, but in an odd twist of fate refers to an homebuilt O scale model of the train as a reference as well. For a train that only operated from 1927 to 1941, it sure has had a lasting impact in the modeling world.
I guess I continue to find essential items, but my railroad book collection is also essential. I have close to 400 railroad books on nearly every major railroad in the US. I love the internet, but when looking for photos old books are priceless.
Arnold,
After seeing that video, I can understand why your Blue Comet is totally essential.
But, I understand that there were many versions of the Blue Comet.
What version is yours please?
And, what version of command system?
Thx,
Mannyrock
Well, I am just starting my first build and don't have a whole lot collected except for dad's Lionel he got as child. After more 60 years of being inoperable, I have resurrected it. I don't care what I have in the future that one will be the first and last train! Of course I Agee with a lot of the other posts, it will be up to my wife and boys in the end!
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There is, in New Jersey, the Clinton Station diner which has one of the Blue Comet cars.
@Tranquil Hollow RR posted:There is, in New Jersey, the Clinton Station diner which has one of the Blue Comet cars.
Know it well,never got to go there....how is the food?
@Tranquil Hollow RR posted:There is, in New Jersey, the Clinton Station diner which has one of the Blue Comet cars.
All three Blue Comet Observations still exist. The one in Clinton is former observation Biela. DeVico became NJT-1 for inspection use and is now in owned by the UHRS. Tempel is now stored outside in Tuckahoe NJ and in need of better preservation. Several of the coaches exist. Diner Giacobini served out its final days as a crew office somewhere near Elizabeth. I don't believe either of the smoking / combine cars were preserved or either the two baggage cars.
Sadly only two CNJ steam locomotives still exist, but Camelback Atlantic 592 often got the assignment to pull the Blue Comet in later years and is preserved at the B&O Museum. The famous Blue Pacifics that were made for the train were pulled in later years for other assignments and older camelbacks and Pacific class locomotives pulled the train.
Hopefully someone finds this to be essential trivia. 
My entire “collection” is modern Legacy stuff except for one post-war engine - a 1950 773. My dad gave it to me. I would sell everything else before I parted with it.
@Rider Sandman posted:My entire “collection” is modern Legacy stuff except for one post-war engine - a 1950 773. My dad gave it to me. I would sell everything else before I parted with it.
Same here (except mine is mostly MTH). I love my subways, LIRR engines amd MTA rolling stock, but I'd let it all go for the first postwar set my parents bought me. I still have the box and all of the accessories to go with it. It is quite "essential" to me.
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Joe, it’s about two hours away from us but when we travel in that direction it’s our go to spot. Everything is very enjoyable; love their soups.
@Mannyrock posted:Arnold,
After seeing that video, I can understand why your Blue Comet is totally essential.
But, I understand that there were many versions of the Blue Comet.
What version is yours please?
And, what version of command system?
Thx,
Mannyrock
Mannyrock,
My Blue Comet is a Railking Proto 2 Blue Comet set. It is not a scale or a top of the line model like an MTH Premier or Lionel Legacy might be.
However, I got it used from a LHS recently for relatively reasonable price and I am relatively happy with it at the moment even though the smoke oozes out instead of robustly puffing like it should and the headlight now works most of the time (it occasionally flickers and stops working).
A funny thing happened a couple of days ago. The headlight stopped working for several weeks, the locomotive derailed on a switch (routine derailment) and then the headlight started working most of the time, and I was very pleased. The sounds and appearance are nice IMO.
Arnold
@Arnold D. Cribari posted:Mannyrock,
My Blue Comet is a Railking Proto 2 Blue Comet set. It is not a scale or a top of the line model like an MTH Premier or Lionel Legacy might be.
However, I got it used from a LHS recently for relatively reasonable price and I am relatively happy with it at the moment even though the smoke oozes out instead of robustly puffing like it should and the headlight now works most of the time (it occasionally flickers and stops working).
A funny thing happened a couple of days ago. The headlight stopped working for several weeks, the locomotive derailed on a switch (routine derailment) and then the headlight started working most of the time, and I was very pleased. The sounds and appearance are nice IMO.
Arnold
One more thing, as an MTH Proto 2, I run it on DCS.
