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 The Blue Comet, Chatsworth, NJ 1939 Posted by:  94RedRover
N 39° 48.284 W 074° 33.789
18S E 537395 N 4406176
On a very wet August night, the Blue Comet, carrying passengers from Red Bank to Atlantic City, derailed, injuring 37.
Locals say on a wet summer night...you can still here the Comet's train whistle in the pines.
Waymark Code: WM3YK1
Location: New Jersey, United States
Date Posted: 06/07/2008
Views: 146
The little south Jersey town of Chatsworth, known now for cranberries and blueberries, once had the famed Blue Comet luxury passenger line stop here four times a day, while taking passengers from ports such as Red Bank to Atlantic City (before the casinos). The train, part of the Central Railroad of New Jersey got it's namesake from the interior and exterior coats of blue paint.
On August 19, 1939, some 19 inches of rain fell here, with 10 falling just hours before the crash, causing a washout of rails. The result was a five car derailment, injuring 37 passengers, and causing 500 feet of track to be replaced. This rail was the only contact with the world outside these barrens. The trains brought news and commerce to these sleepy towns. The locals were able to warn the trains crew about the possible washout and they decreased speed, reducing the damage that was possible.
This marks the actual spot of the derailment, thanks to local historians that tracked this information down. The link below is the best coverage I've found of the wreck on the net...
Locals may tell you, on certain rainy summer nights, that the lonesome whistle of that old line can still be heard in the winds...
Type: Local Legend or Lore
Referenced in (list books, websites and other media):
"The Pine Barrens", McPhee, John
"The trail of the Blue Comet: A history of the Jersey Central's New Jersey Southern Division", Baer, Christopher
Website Reference: [Web Link]
Additional Coordinates: Not Listed
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