Amtrak California Comet 1B Train Cars

Since the early 1990’s, Amtrak has operated several different intercity passenger train routes under the “Amtrak California” name. One of these, the San Joaquin, travels through California’s Central Valley in between Bakersfield and Oakland as well as from Bakersfield to Sacramento. When the San Joaquin was officially brought under the Amtrak California name in 1993, train equipment consisted of EMD F59PHI diesel electric locomotives and bilevel “California” style passenger cars, built by MK Rail. Over the years, train frequencies increased, necessitating additional locomotives and cars.
California purchased 14 single level “Comet 1B” type cars from New Jersey Transit and then paid Amtrak to completely overhaul them in 2008. These cars started off life as “Arrow 1” self propelled electrical multiple unit cars in the late 1960s and were later converted by New Jersey Transit to standard passenger cars after a series of reliability issues. This conversion earned the cars the nickname “Commarros”. Amtrak completed the initial car overhauls in the spring of 2013 and the first of two full train sets of equipment entered service in October of that year. California also leased three former F40PH cab control cars and three horizon fleet cafes from Amtrak to be used with the comet 1B sets. They were used for a decade in regular service until they were replaced with new Siemens-Mobility Venture passenger cars in December of 2023.
In this video, we will take a look at several of the Comet 1B passenger cars in service on the San Joaquin trains. Locations include several spots in the east San Francisco Bay Area as well as in the San Joaquin Valley.
This video was made possible by my supporters on Patreon:
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CoasterFan2105 is the home of all sorts of train and railroad related video content. Stop by every Friday at 9 AM Pacific time for an all new railroading adventure and be sure to check out all of my social media pages @coasterfan2105 for even more great railroad content. Thanks, and I'll see you down the line!
©2024 Mike Armstrong Media

[@adventuresofamtrakcascades301]

Quite ironic that the San Joaquin is probably the ONLY train in the Amtrak system to operate Comet cars of all things. Nice video though!

[@cornermpg]

Idk how ur vids are this entertaining. Just watching trains is somehow relaxing. Thank you for making our childhood.

[@CaseysTrains]

I love how they look more like NJT after the Amtrak overhaul than anything Amtrak.....

[@OwlEye2010]

I'm so used to seeing these comet cars on NJT's Atlantic City Line trains that seeing them all the way on the west coast feels surreal.

[@derrickwong5337]

Amtrak California Comet 1B train cars celebrate for 53 years. That's fantastic and terrific video!

[@SoCalOCRailfan]

Amazing video!! Man, use to love seeing these things roll down on the San Joaquin, great captures.

[@_mynewcareer]

Crazy Amtrak gave these another life

[@tonytins]

The Comets sure have one interesting history.

[@arthurschipper8906]

Those comet cars are quite attractive

[@angelhuerta1626]

These videos about Amtrak my favorite trains are marvelous and fantastic

[@wolfgangpfeilergartenbahnd6530]

Good morning Mike, an interesting video, from a wide variety of passenger trains and locomotives, as well as railway companies. Thanks for showing and explaining, I wish you a nice weekend and best regards from Germany

[@Trainsandanimationstv]

Couldn't help but notice that you're almost at a million subscribers! Congrats!

[@AMTK317Productions]

Quite an interesting video on the Amtrak California Comet 1B cars. I saw a few 1B car like types on the San Joaquins service. I most recently saw the Siemens Venture coaches and business class cars last month. Looking forward to see if I can get another shot of the Comet 1B cars sometime soon when I go back to NorCal sometime soon! Great video. I gave it a thumbs up.

[@Deadchannel99128]

I’ve seen the Amtrak California commet 1B cars before on the Amtrak San Joaquin trains before. Great video!

[@TheDapTopEngine]

Unique Amtrak locomotive and also you are so close to 1M subs

[@PrincessAmtrakMinamoto]

0:11 0:12 Amazing videos with Amtrak California. 🙂❤️💖

[@angelhuerta1626]

Wow this is new I didn’t know California had Amtrak to that is so awesome

[@TohaBgood2]

In fact, California has three of the top five Amtrak intercity routes in the country. Only the high speed services like the Acela and the Northeast Regional beat the three California routes on ridership. California has been quietly making some crazy investments in rail since the 90s. If you go by states rather than by regions, California has the largest passenger rail system of any state in the country now. It's kind of a crazy transformation in a relatively small amount of time.

[@ELMSEP0514]

Cool design in my opinion!

[@theaustinleeytchanneltalytc]

Haven’t seen a Horizon car on the San Joaquins yet. But great video as always!

[@kptrains]

Great video! Interesting that the Comet 1B's were bought from NJ Transit.

[@nicksfuntv1281]

I just rode on one of these a week ago!

[@brenrob7403]

Man I probably rode some of those coaches in NJ back in the 80s 😆

[@roscalenecrailfanning8847]

ill miss this. the ventures wont replace the feeling of seeing a comet car

[@WH_Railfan84]

Awesome catches!

[@joshuadominictoling5310]

I wish Amtrak uses the Horizon Cafe and Coaches on the Pacific Surfliner, Amfleet I Cafe and Coaches on the San Joaquins, Capitol Corridor, and more other trains for short hour routes.

[@CreeperBroCMJ]

One full set managed to come back into service due to one of the venture sets having an issue with them

[@orlandorailfanproductions2010]

You're so close to 1Mill!!!!!!

[@RimRimando]

The first train channel that about to hit 1 mil 🎉🎉🎉🎉 !!!!

[@ParrotGaming123]

Amazing video!

[@HarborSubHughley]

Fantastic video

[@SpotterCrazyperson]

Great video!

[@paulcastillo1310]

Great video

[@MaaAnnapurnakitchen1244]

Wow nice video super se uper radhe radhe

[@yellowrailproductions]

Nice video

[@coolleo149]

I think I’m planning on riding them sometime, as long as they don’t retire

[@wondabiz]

they’re all retiring soon but right now one of the siemens sets is having maintenance done on it, so they entered a comet set back into service temporarily

[@theflyingduckman3608]

It looks like that route has mostly done away with the double deck cars. Anyone know if Amtrak has fixed the food and beverage issues on the sets using venture cars? I know they were planning on all vending machines on those trains, but were currently running without food or beverage for purchase.

[@AaronsiPhoneEscareno]

I like Amtrak trains

[@Thailand_country]

I like The 🇺🇲United States Of America🇺🇲 Train Amtrak From 🇹🇭Thailand🇹🇭

[@Karimlovestrains]

It’s a shame to see these getting replaced by those Siemens venture cars. When is your video on CP 2816 coming out?

[@TohaBgood2]

Why a shame? The Venture trains are the same type of train that premium Railjet services use in Europe. They're a great modern train.

[@davidng2336]

@@TohaBgood2most people are attached to the classics. It will always be a thing.

[@TohaBgood2]

@@davidng2336 It seems that liking objectively substandard rolling stock despite it obviously being substantially worse than the new stuff has become like a badge of honor in the foamer community. The reality is that there are classics and then there's just old junk. Something does not become a "classic" just because it is old. It has to also be good, at least for its time. The whole point of a "classic" is that it's something that is old and maybe even functionally obsolete, but it's still in some way good. A piece of trash low-cost thing that no one liked when it was new never becomes a classic. It just becomes old junk! The Comet cars were atrocious even when they were new and still in transit service. They sucked even harder in the 90s when they were converted for intercity service on the San Joaquins. And now they're old and even worse. They simply don't deserve to be a classic. They were never good.

[@davidng2336]

@@TohaBgood2 the R32 subway cars in New York City, on the other hand, while you may think of them as old junk, have become so iconic to the city that so many of them are saved in museums. I guess it depends on the reputation.

[@TohaBgood2]

@@davidng2336 It depends on whether the original thing was ever good. The Comet cars were trash from the outset and became even more trash when they were converted from EMUs to unpowered cars. They were complete garbage by the time they were again retrofitted to become intercity cars. This was always a cost-cutting measure where a lower level of quality was accepted to keep costs down and move quickly. The sooner these are all replaced by gorgeous new Venture cars the better. Those are actual premium cars that are used on premium services like Railjet and Brightline! They actually have a shot at becoming future classics.

[@sleepythespian1455]

Is it me or do the Comet I-B “ComArrow” cars look like Silverliner IV’s?

[@joshuadominictoling5310]

Amtrak Amfleet for the Capitol Corridor/San Joaquins and Horizon for the Pacific Surfliner.

[@centredoorplugsthornton4112]

1:40, the NJT train has Bombardier and Alstom built cars, no Comarrows. Twice showed a Comarrow consist with no Cafe car. Did it replace the Siemens consist with no food service car? One of the Horizon Cafe cars redone for the San Joaquin line is at Beech Grove per a drone flyover.

[@davidng2336]

I heard they will save these for other routes or special events down the line.

[@seanmas7599]

on may 17 i going to in Emeryville with my Seth and on 18 i take the California zephyr to Chicago .

[@johnnydodd9919]

Hello from nw oklahoma

[@archstanton5973]

Comet cars in the Bay Area? I thought they were only seen in SoCA. Maybe we''ll get lucky and see an Amfleet coach in the Bay Area.

[@saulrod2087]

Are the Arrow I cars still opening on Amtrak

[@TYR-RailFan]

When will Amtrak California retire its last f59phi’s

[@InventorZahran]

When the EPA or CARB forces them to, I'm guessing... The F59 is a very reliable and well-built locomotive, so they could last another decade or two (with good maintenance). Sadly, the increasingly strict emissions standards in California are causing a lot of fine engines to get retired prematurely.

[@maas1208]

​@@InventorZahran Where would they go next tho?

[@arrazy_studio]

Bro boleh kah mengambil sedikit cuplikan vidio nya untuk bahan tambah hehehehe

[@PatrioticCoservativeAmerican]

Hey do you know if 2105 will be saved?

[@kevp9601]

First KZbin Comment.

[@surfliner456]

5:24

[@claudiogenerdasilva571]

hi

[@marianaelizabethlealsaenz7221]

My brother in law train

[@AshleyTarricone]

1B train cars

[@dominictauane]

I don't like to comc card set

[@InventorZahran]

I understand. They do look very outdated, and out-of-place alongside Amtrak California's other equipment.

[@dominictauane]

I don't like comc card set

[@robinlittle343]

Hello

[@Ольга-я3т4х]

I'm the first.

[@coolleo149]

No one cares

[@TohaBgood2]

@@coolleo149 Dude, the "first comment" meme is just a way to promote videos from your favorite creators. Videos without comments get fewer recommendations so people came up with silly games to boost videos that you as a viewer want to do well so that the creator is incentivized to make more of. Settle down. It's not a big deal.

[@dominictauane]

I don't like that, comic cards

[@Young_Drizz]

4:03

[@dominictauane]

I don't like comc card set