Plush seat cars

I remember riding in a NJT/MNR car with plush seats. Any idea as to what model these might be?

Plush as in fuzzy like coach bus or airline seats? I don't think NJT has any rolling stock with plush seats. Although the Comet 2's and Comet 4's have textured seats if that's what you're talking about.

TDowling wrote:I remember riding in a NJT/MNR car with plush seats. Any idea as to what model these might be?

The only NJT car I know of with plush seating (or something close to it - I'm going by photos here, having not ridden it) is Comet IIM 5459, in the private section used by the Jersey Shore Commuter Club.

My friends from the UK thought the seats in the Arrow III car they were on last week were plush. I'm sure looked at them like they were crazy when the mentioned it.

Compared to some of the hard plastic seats found on some of the UK commuter trains, the padded vinyl seats aren't that bad...

Perhaps an older incarnation of the Comet I's?

Japan's Hankyu trains had plush seats I remember -- actually so did a lot of their subways.

ryanov wrote:Perhaps an older incarnation of the Comet I's?

This photo of an original-configuration Comet I Bar Car, which I dug up from hobokenterminal.com, shows no signs of plush seats.

Taborite wrote:

It looks so much nicer then what they turned into.

Yes, I rode these cars as a child back in the early 1980's. From what I remember the seats were a cloth like material and probably the most comfortable seats I have ever ridden on NJT.

Why were the bars taken out of the bar car in the first place?
Those do NOT look like plush seats anyway. Call me nuts, but I kind of like the harder seats in the ML's.

The seats in the photo are the ones I was referring to. I meant to say "cloth" or "fabric." Thanks, taborite.

Jersey Shore Commuters Club is indeed in car 5459 and has essentially Amtrak Amfleet (former Metroliner) 2-2 seating. The seats are just like those you can find on Amtrak and they are re-conditioned, recline, have the at-seat fold down table, etc. They also outfitted the car with two large conference tables in the front of the car. The car was pretty full with members when I saw it the other day. It's tacked onto one of the NJCL express trains, so its only one frequency inbound to NYC and one frequency outbound from NYC. Various newspapers have carried the fact the Club is celebrating its 75th year of operation (1933-2008). It's the only private commuter rail passenger club in the country that's left. the Amtrak 200 Club, which basically "rented" an Amfleet car from Amtrak for operation on the Clocker was discontinued when the Clockers were discontinued. Then there was a club out in Chicago that operated on one of the commuter lines, but this was more of a private car operation, where the Jersey Shore Commuters Club leases their space and has a general open policy towards membership. Then there is the seasonal Cannonball on the LIRR. But again, the Jersey Shore Commuters Club operates year round on regular weekday express train service on the NJCL. So it's the last of its breed I would say. It's got a nice storied history and past. I know some people get mad because they can't get in the car, but all you have to do is become a member and pay the price. With the Multilevels coming, I hope NJT can somehow keep this car around - again 75 years for it to be in operation is a nice run for this Club. And to some degree it's a reminder of "what was" in NJ, as many lines before NJT took over had private rail commuter club cars. Even the CNJ operated a Club Car - a former car of the Blue Comet.

sullivan1985 wrote:

Taborite wrote:

It looks so much nicer then what they turned into.

The original Comet I seats from 1970 foreshadowed the Comet V seating in 2002.