Blue Comet

Blue Comet is a large express locomotive that originally worked in the USA. He hauls the named 'Blue Comet' train from Thorndyke to Glasgow. He is named after the express.

This first section is called a lead. You'll want to fill it with the most important aspects of the character's life. Think about a newspaper article. Put the best stuff up front!

Bio
Use this section to give greater details about the character's life.

Livery
Blue Comet is painted in Packard Blue with the number '833' painted in simple yellow on the cabsides. The tender is painted in the same colour but with the CNJ emblem in white.

Basis
Blue Comet is based off the real locomotives on the same express for the Central Railroad of New Jersey or commonly known as the CNJ G-3s class 4-6-2 steam locomotive. These were built for the Blue Comet express from the New York metropolitan area to Atlantic City in New Jersey from 1929 to 1941. The class was light for American standards but top-heavy for British standards (total weight: 326,470 lbs, axle loading: 197, 660 lbs). None of the locomotives of the G-3s class 4-6-2s survive in preservation.

Filming model
For main filming on layouts/sets, Blue Comet's model is a HO scale model (1:87 scale) locomotive, which was scratch built via halving the measurements of an O gauge Lionel model.

Some close-up scenes of the driving wheels are of a Lionel O gauge model, used to help create the HO model.

Wooden mock-ups of Blue Comet's cab are created for interior scenes, created using the measurement (to full scale) of the Lionel O gauge, close-up model.

Trivia
Blue Comet has some modifications in order to work on British railway routes.

Realistically, Blue Comet shouldn't be able to run on British railway routes due to his design being too heavy for UK rails.

Blue Comet is the only locomotive on TR fitted with Baker valve gear.


 * Casey was fitted with Baker valve gear originally but was changed to Walschaerts valve gear for easier maintenance.