NJ TRANSIT's Comet I Cars

INFORMATION

ROSTERS

PHOTOS

In the late 1960s, the Erie Lackawanna Railroad ran commuter service out of its Hoboken Terminal in New Jersey to outlying points within the states of NJ and New York. The trains, both electric and diesel powered, were becoming quite aged, and replacements soon became a necessity. Realizing the vital commuter service needed to be upgraded, the State of New Jersey ordered 155 new commuter cars from Pullman-Standard. The cars were to be constructed of brushed aluminum, and featured a striking paint scheme, making them quite different from any other cars in Hoboken commuter service. In addition, 32 new diesels were ordered from General Electric to power the new trains. In 1970, the first GE U34CH locomotives arrived on the property. Until the commuter cars arrived, the units were stored or pressed into freight service. Finally, in 1971 the coaches arrived from Pullman-Standard, and the train sets went to work. After the Conrail merger in 1976, the cars and trains continued to wear the EL/NJDOT scheme. NJ TRANSIT took over commuter operations in the early 1980s, and soon after the commuter cars were stripped of their EL and NJDOT markings, to be replaced with the tri-colored stripes of NJT. After being rebuilt in the late 1980s, most of these cars survive today in daily commuter service after over 22 years, a testament to the original design and construction of these cars.

by Paul Tupaczewksi

The "Push-Pull" Story

Q&A leaflet from January 11, 1971 introducing the new Pullman-Standard commuters cars and U34CH locomotives.

Comet I Operating Instructions

Pullman-Standard Instruction Manual from November 1970

ERIE LACKAWANNA / NJ DEPT. OF TRANSPORTATION
COMET I COMMUTER CAR ROSTER

1500-1523

Cab Car

Built 1971

  

1524-1534

Cab Car
(Paul Tupaczewski Collection)

Built 1973

1600-1609

Snack Bar
(Gary Steubben Collection)

Built 1970

1700-1770

Coach

Built 1971

1771-1809

Coach

Built 1973

1502, 1522, 1607, 1755, 1758 wrecked 3/9/73. Scrapped 1/29/76
1512, 1768, 1809 wrecked 7/7/82. Scrapped 1987
Cab Cars renumbered 5100-5134 in 1977

RENUMBERING ROSTER

In the mid-1980s, Bombardier overhauled the entire Comet I fleet. All cars were retrofitted with fixed 3-2 seating. In addition, 32 cab cars and 45 coaches were rebuilt with high-platform side doors and traps to operate on either high or low-level platforms. Cab cars received wheelchair accessibility, and the former snack bar cars received more seats where the bars used to be. Additional improvements were made, including the upgrading of the public-address system and climate control. Former Snack Bar cars 1600-1609, as well as cab cars 5100-5134, retained their numbers. All other cars were renumbered, with 1757 being the only one to retain its original number.

New #

Orig. #

 

New #

Orig. #

 

New #

Orig. #

 

New #

Orig. #

 

New #

Orig. #

1700

1749

 

1722

1732

 

1744

1807

 

5712

1713

 

5734

1734

1701

1714

 

1723

1750

 

1745

1808

 

5713

1704

 

5735

1728

1702

1727

 

1724

1792

 

1746

1798

 

5714

1720

 

5736

1710

1703

1722

 

1725

1765

 

1747

1763

 

5715

1711

 

5737

1736

1704

1718

 

1726

1748

 

1748

1781

 

5716

1724

 

5738

1701

1705

1738

 

1727

1751

 

1749

1766

 

5717

1731

 

5739

1730

1706

1739

 

1728

1773

 

1750

1779

 

5718

1700

 

5740

1744

1707

1716

 

1729

1753

 

1751

1760

 

5719

1715

 

5741

1702

1708

1742

 

1730

1772

 

1752

1797

 

5720

1712

 

5742

1777

1709

1719

 

1731

1794

 

1753

1801

 

5721

1717

 

5743

1752

1710

1703

 

1732

1783

 

1754

1804

 

5722

1775

 

5744

1799

1711

1708

 

1733

1786

 

1755

1790

 

5723

1740

 

5745

1771

1712

1759

 

1734

1791

 

1756

1789

 

5724

1788

 

5746

1802

1713

1767

 

1735

1784

 

1757

1757

 

5725

1764

 

5747

1733

1714

1787

 

1736

1805

 

1758

1770

 

5726

1743

 

5748

1793

1715

1778

 

1737

1796

 

1759

1800

 

5727

1780

 

5749

1707

1716

1747

 

1738

1806

 

1760

1769

 

5728

1785

 

5750

1756

1717

1746

 

1739

1774

 

5707

1729

 

5729

1725

 

5751

1721

1718

1782

 

1740

1803

 

5708

1745

 

5730

1709

 

 

 

1719

1737

 

1741

1761

 

5709

1735

 

5731

1723

 

 

 

1720

1741

 

1742

1795

 

5710

1762

 

5732

1706

 

 

 

1721

1776

 

1743

1754

 

5711

1705

 

5733

1726

 

 

 

Comet I Snack Bar
As-Built

Pullman-Standard promotional photograph

Comet I Coach
Hoboken, New Jersey
October 4, 2002

Photograph by Michael Steinberg

Thanks to Alan Kramer, Randy Glucksman, and the NY Division, Electric Railroaders' Association for the Comet I Renumbering roster.