GEC's Layout Progress

[Green_Elite_Cab]

I've managed to acquire an "Empire Builder" 60-seat AC& F coach. NJ DOT acquired some of these in the early 70s to improve service on the Central Railroad of New Jersey (CNJ) passenger trains New York & Long Branch. They were rebuilt to carry ~ 108 passengers, and became affecctionately known as "Jersey Builder" consists. These ran like this well into Conrail, though by the 80s most hade been repainted into completely NJ DOT or NJ transit paint schemes. They were retired in the late 80s as more Comet equipment became available.

Apparently, Walthers no longer produces these, which makes me do a face-palm.

I had been aware of the "Jersey builder" sets, but these usually used Great Northern's old 48-seat coaches (as produced currently by Brass Car Sides), and I have almost never seen the car in question on a train. I saw only two pictures, one was the coach supposedly in Elizabethport NJ undergoing rebuilding, and another that was in the mid-80s with the car in NJ Transit paint (Silver with the black band).

I have yet to find one of these coaches in a train in it's "original" paint with a CNJ or NJ DOT patch. Still, it couldn't hurt.

These trains usually ran in 6-7 car consists (in many incidents longer or shorter), with GP40Ps pulling. However, these coaches woud look just as at home behind a GG1 or an E8A set. That GP40P will be a locomtive project for the future, since other than super expensive brass, none currently exist for purchase.

Walthers pic of the car (camera's charging now)



Prototype 60-seat car at Elizabethport






48-seat coach from Brass Car Sides



Prototype consist from The Blue Comet , an awesome website. this consist is before Conrail, but its not far away
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Jersey Builder in 1979. Note the obeservation car, and some other ATSF, CNJ, GN, PC, (And UP?) cars in the consist. many cars also appeared in the Green and White of Burlington Northern, Great Northern's successor.