Whippany RR Museum Polar Express Part 1 (2024)

For the first time in two years, the polar express trains ran out of Whippany, New Jersey. Today, I took pictures of the train around Whippany plus at the Algonquin Parkway Grade Crossing near the border of Whippany and East Hanover.

1. Proud Morristown & Erie GP7U # 23 sits on the rear of the Polar Express Train under the last bit of sunlight today before it became mainly cloudy.

2. One of the restored Central RR of NJ Blue Comet Coaches sits at the Whippany RR Museum.

3. Morristown & Erie Baggage car

[ Reply To This Message ] [ Quote ]

There are some of the restored private cars that make up the consist of the Polar Express train.

[ Reply To This Message ] [ Quote ]

1. These cabooses here run on the caboose excursion trains that usually happen during Spring and early Fall.

2. The passengers get ready to board the 11:30 Polar Express train at the Whippany RR Museum.

3. Proud SW1500 # 20 leads the 11:30 departure of the Polar Express out of the Whippany RR Museum.

[ Reply To This Message ] [ Quote ]

1. One of the former NJT Comet low level Comet Is is in the consist of the Polar Express train as it crosses Rt. 10 in Whippany.

2. Morristown & Erie GP7U # 23 trailing as the train heads away from me toward Morris Twp.

3. One of the restored Lackawanna Coaches back at the Whippany RR Musuem. This car was part of the consist of the excursion trains that operated during the Springtime and early Fall.

[ Reply To This Message ] [ Quote ]

1. Now the GP7U leads the first eastbound through Whippany as it is about to cross over Troy Hills Rd grade crossing, located behind where I took the picture.

2. The 20 trails on the train after crossing Troy Hills Road grade crossing.

3. At Algonquin Parkway Grade Crossing in Whippany, located almost on the East Hanover border, we look east along the Morristown & Erie right of way. In the distance, we can see a headlight which is the Polar Express train.

[ Reply To This Message ] [ Quote ]

1. The 20 is about to lead the Polar Express train across the Algonquin Parkway Grade Crossing in Whippany. It's a little under a mile from entering the Whippany RR Museum Station.

2. The 23 trails on the train as it is almost finished crossing Algonquin Parkway.

3. People assemble around the museum with the Morris Central Caboose in the background.

[ Reply To This Message ] [ Quote ]

A healthy sized crowd gets ready to board the 1:30 departure of the Polar Express at the Whippany RR Museum.

[ Reply To This Message ] [ Quote ]

Looks like they had a good turnout for this run.

The restored Lackawanna coach may have been a subscription car, I believe each of them had the diamond shaped windows.

[ Reply To This Message ] [ Quote ]

Lackawanna484 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Looks like they had a good turnout for this run.
>
> The restored Lackawanna coach may have been a
> subscription car, I believe each of them had the
> diamond shaped windows.

The lackawanna had 3 of the MU parlor cars that were used for subscription service. I rode one once....what a trip back into the opulence of the 1920's..Individual white wicker swivel seats with spitoons. 1 or 2 of them have been restored.
Its a shame NJT didnt have any desire to continue the suscription cars. I think there were 3 trains with subscription cars on the EL, and 2 on the NY&LB.

[ Reply To This Message ] [ Quote ]

1. The 1:30 Polar Express train crosses Mt. Pleasant Ave in Whippany.

2. The 23 trails as it heads toward Morris Twp.

3. The 23 leads the train across the Whippany River Bridge toward East Hanover where it will turn and then drop off passengers at the museum.

[ Reply To This Message ] [ Quote ]

The 20 trails on the train as it crosses Rt. 10 toward the museum, located on the other side of the highway.

[ Reply To This Message ] [ Quote ]

Very nice. Did you go pay and ride the train as well?

Posted from iPhone

[ Reply To This Message ] [ Quote ]

pdt Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Lackawanna484 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Looks like they had a good turnout for this
> run.
> >
> > The restored Lackawanna coach may have been a
> > subscription car, I believe each of them had
> the
> > diamond shaped windows.
>
> The lackawanna had 3 of the MU parlor cars that
> were used for subscription service. I rode one
> once....what a trip back into the opulence of the
> 1920's..Individual white wicker swivel seats with
> spitoons. 1 or 2 of them have been restored.
> Its a shame NJT didnt have any desire to continue
> the suscription cars. I think there were 3
> trains with subscription cars on the EL, and 2
> on the NY&LB.

My recollection was the terms of the federal grant to purchase the "new" Comet cars did not allow a lease to private groups. But, the groups could purchase / finance a new car if they wanted to front the money. They didn't.

There may have been two subscription cars on the Jersey Central, but I'm not sure of that.

[ Reply To This Message ] [ Quote ]

Lackawanna484 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> pdt Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Lackawanna484 Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > Looks like they had a good turnout for this
> > run.
> > >
> > > The restored Lackawanna coach may have been a
> > > subscription car, I believe each of them had
> > the
> > > diamond shaped windows.
> >
> > The lackawanna had 3 of the MU parlor cars that
> > were used for subscription service. I rode
> one
> > once....what a trip back into the opulence of
> the
> > 1920's..Individual white wicker swivel seats
> with
> > spitoons. 1 or 2 of them have been
> restored.
> > Its a shame NJT didnt have any desire to
> continue
> > the suscription cars. I think there were 3
> > trains with subscription cars on the EL, and
> 2
> > on the NY&LB.
>
> My recollection was the terms of the federal grant
> to purchase the "new" Comet cars did not allow a
> lease to private groups. But, the groups could
> purchase / finance a new car if they wanted to
> front the money. They didn't.
>
> There may have been two subscription cars on the
> Jersey Central, but I'm not sure of that.

The Jersey Shore Commuters Club (the one with its PRR origins) operated till 2012 with half of a Comet Coach it renovated into a "parlor car" - complete with two tables that had seats at them (table for four), and then refurbished 2x2 Amtrak Metroliner seats. The Club spent its own funds to renovate this portion of the Comet Coach and then paid a lease payment to NJT monthly. In 2008 it celebrated 75 years of service. As more multilevels debuted on the NY&LB, the JSCC car was relegated to a rush hour express Bay Head-Hoboken train, which actually mirrored its past when it ran as the "Broker." But it struggled without the NYC based one-seat ride market. It was actually gaining traction, but then Super Storm Sandy struck. Car was parked in Bay Head and flooded. This club and the club out in Chicago were the last two private "commuter clubs." Not sure how the Chicago group is doing.

[ Reply To This Message ] [ Quote ]

Thanks for the correction. I knew there was an issue when new cars were introduced.

Makes sense it was the multilevels.

Posted from Android

[ Reply To This Message ] [ Quote ]

5603 looks to be a Santa Fe El Capitan car that might have been stripped for Amtrak Clocker service.

The two-tone smooth side gray car looks like a CC&F CN coach.

[ Reply To This Message ] [ Quote ]

[ Reply To This Message ] [ Quote ]