The “Comet Cars” might be the most recognizable commuter rail car in North America. The original Comets were designed by Pullman-Standard for NJDOT (Erie-Lackawanna operated commuter services). In the early 1980s, Bombardier acquired the rights to continue building these cars with an order for NJ TRANSIT, successor to the NJDOT and E-L. Followup orders were placed by Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority (MBTA), Metro-North and Connecticut Department of Transportaion (CDOT). Most of these cars are still in service today, nearly 40 years after rolling off the assembly line.
MBTA has wrapped a few cars for Operation Lifesaver, Massachusetts’ 250th anniversary honoring the Revolutionary War and for use on their laser train.
Many commuter agencies use similar-like rail cars. These schemes have adapted very nicely to the Comet car design!
HO Scale Comet Cars:
Operating ditch lights on appropriate models per era
Dual or single cab car windows per prototype
Free-rolling, highly-detailed inside-bearing trucks with roller-bearing axles and metal wheelsets
Full underbody and unrivaled interior detail
Accurate painting and lettering, both inside and out
Prototypically accurate tinted windows
Metal side grab irons
Constant interior lighting in DC and DCC
Controllable cab car lighting in both DC and DCC
MoPower capacitor for uninterrupted DCC lighting
Suggested minimum radius: 22”
