Hi, Does anybody know where the CNJ terminal was in Atlantic City? I remember seeing the PRSL Terminal which was being used as the city bus terminal until the late 90's. Did the CNJ use this station or did they have their own and if so, where was it? Thank you for any help you can give me.
The Blue Comet operate over the Reading (later PRSL) into Atlantic City.
The Atlantic City station for "The Blue Comet" was located at Atlantic and Arkansas Avenues. I'm doing some further checking but I believe this was a Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Line terminal, the "Comet" reaching it by leaving the CNJ mainline at Winslow Junction and then heading east on the PRSL. I'll get back to you when I know more.
OK, this was a PRSL station. Had to check a couple of books, so thanks for waiting.
I don't know if the old station still exists, can't find anything here in the "Fortress Firelock" archives.
The Blue Comet was started after PRSL was formed and always used the PRSL station, operating into Atlantic City over the PRSL from Winslow Jc., if my memory is correct.
Previous CNJ service used the Reading Station before the formation of PRSL.
I'm sure your memory is 100% correct Dave. Quite frankly I find your knowledge of railroading in the classic era downright astonishing.
daveklepper The Blue Comet was started after PRSL was formed and always used the PRSL station, operating into Atlantic City over the PRSL from Winslow Jc., if my memory is correct. Previous CNJ service used the Reading Station before the formation of PRSL.
Dave, the Blue Comet began in 1929 and the PRSL was formed in 1933. In Atlantic City, the Blue Comet used Reading's Atlantic City Railroad station in Atlantic City until December 1933, when it and all other Atlantic City trains were temporarily shifted to PRR's South Carolina Avenue station. This allowed work to be done on the new station. By June 1934 a temporary station was opened by the new AC station, and at that time Camden-Atlantic City trains were shifted from the South Carolina Avenue station to the station tracks and platforms of the new facility. The remaining trains were shifted to the new Atlantic City station when it opened on September 30th 1934.
Myron
Was not the Blue Comet discontinued in the '30s and then reinaugurated in the late '30s?
daveklepper Was not the Blue Comet discontinued in the '30s and then reinaugurated in the late '30s?
No - initially the Blue Comet offered two round trips plus additional weekend service but by 1933 one round trip was dropped and the remaining service lasted until 1941.
There was a bit of a downgrading of the service itself before the curtain fell in 1941. As the Thirties wore on those gorgeous blue locomotives were re-painted into standard black, it wasn't unusual for a camelback to substitue for one of the Pacifics from time to time, and standard Pullman green cars would find their way into the Blue Comet consist as well.
Still, when it was new it was THE way to go to Atlantic City. A frequent rider was Joshua Lionel Cowan, I'm sure you know who HE was, so naturally "Blue Comet" trains, both Standard and O Gauge found their way into the Lionel Product line.
Even today, the MTH Electric Train Company logo includes a "Blue Comet" steamer, so in a way, "The Blue Comet " lives!
Like he said the Blue Comet ran to the ACRR station on the NW corner of Atlantic and Arkansas until 1933. The new station opened in 1934 a block north of the old station-- anyone know why they moved it?
The route that NJT uses today from 30th Street, is that mostly the PRSL?
The PRSL, and the Reading and the PRR that preceded it, ran most of their trains from Camden ferry terminals linked by ferry boats to Philadelphia. After WWII, the PRSL ferry boats and the links to Philadelphia were primarily the Framklin Bridge rapid transit line owned by Delaware River Port Authority but operated for them by PTC and then SEPTA, before DRPA took it over and extended it Lindenwals, and secondly by PSofNJ and then NJT buses. When rapid transit service began to Lindenwald, PRSC closed the Camden Temrinal and ran from the platform at Linewald that is now just a stop on the Philly - AC trains. For a while, there was no train service to AC, and the new service operates out of 30th St. but I understand a lot of commuters still use the Lindenwald connection. The route from 30th St and across the bridge leading from Franfort Jc. was PRR and is now Amtrak to the Junction. I did have a chance to ride PRSL RDC-cars to Atlantic City and Ocean City before the service ended.
I believe it is, however they don't use the old PRSL station anymore. The NJT station is at 1 Atlantic City Expressway in Atlantic City now.
For train station info around the greater New York area you may find this site interesting, I know I have:
www.subwaynut.com
He soesn't show the current AC station, but he shows darn near everything else!
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