posted
Brief passage from the August edition of the Employee Newsletter "Amtrak Ink":
The Amtrak “Great Dome” car is returning to service in September to offer passengers panoramic views of the changing trees and other natural wonders as it travels along the Adirondack and Cardinal routes.
The “Great Dome” will operate for a little more than four weeks — from Sept. 23 through Oct. 24 — on the Adirondack. Same as last year, it will operate on Train 69 on Thursdays, Saturdays and Mondays; Train 68 on Fridays, Sundays and Tuesdays. It will then begin service on the Cardinal on Oct. 30 and run until Nov. 12. The Dome Car will operate from Washington-Chicago on Train 51 on Fridays, and from Chicago-Washington on Train 50 on Saturdays.
The “Great Dome” was built in 1955 for the Great Northern Railroad and was originally named the Ocean View
It appears that Dome 10031 will have a "twin bill' this season.
Incidentially, Great Dome was the trade name used by the Great Northern when the five cars were in their service (plus one owned by the "Q").
Considering that the Cardinal now has a Baggage Car on the head, it will be interesting to learn where the Great Dome will be placed in the consist. If ahead of the Coaches, the consist will have to be broken at Wash; and owing to existing regulatory sanctions, breaking a consist, or even merely adding or cutting a car at the rear, has now become a Rubik's Cube or a New York Times Crossword puzzle.
By contrast, at Albany adding or cutting the Dome to the Adirondack's consist is "no biggie'. There the car is placed immediately behind the Engine while in the yard, then is backed down to the station and coupled there with a move, short of operating a P-32ACDM through to Montreal, that would be made anyway.
Finally, so long as they're feeling so flush @ 60 Mass nowadays (after all, of any Federal agency out there, Amtrak gets a far higher percentage of their budget through User Fees - aka ticket sales - and since business is up, they get to keep the budget surplus), anyone expect they will be making an initiative to acquire the two "sisters", or otherwise "New Orleans" and "Copper Canyon", from the now-stillborn AOE revival?
Posts: 9976 | From: Clarendon Hills, IL USA (BNSF Chicago Sub MP 18.71) | Registered: Apr 2002
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quote:Originally posted by notelvis: It would be nice to see the 'sisters' come under Amtrak ownership and become a regular part of the Cardinal's consist.....
Or Adirondack.
Or both. Maybe there's enough capital funds for that now. And putting the dome on/off in Washington might not be a problem, if that is where Amtrak changes engines. To avoid a baggage car juggling move, could they put the baggage car on the back of the train?
Posts: 510 | From: Richmond VA USA | Registered: Mar 2004
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posted
The Adirondack seems like a perfect use for a one of a kind car like this. But, since the scenery on this route is obviously something special, at any time of the year, why not put a Superliner lounge on the other side when Beech Grove outshops enough.
As for the Cardinal, the best solution continues to be an all Superliner train to Washington.
On a related note, I have been reading that the nice 2/1 BC cars seem to be disappearing - at least from the Pennsylvanian and replaced by a full cafe and coach as BC. Presumably this is to add additional BC capacity and reflects more Amfleet cars also coming out of the shop. The Adirondack for some reason does not have a BC car for its long journey, so a 2-1 would be ideal for that train (or configure part of the dome for that purpose).
Posts: 2397 | From: Camden, SC | Registered: Mar 2006
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posted
Mr. Palmland, plus a T-Dorm in order to access the Lounge.
In the case of The Pennsylvanian you note, it appears that Business Class is simply a victim of its own success. There have been reports here that when a car with 2-1 seating was operated, sell-outs were frequent. Therefore Business Class became a 70 seat 2-2 "coach'. Unfortunately, the Business Class accommodation charge is not sufficient to allow 2-1 configured cars.
Beyond the complimentary Soda Pop, Business Class does not offer any amenities - and Amtrak wisely has not suggested that there are any. I for one, use it on trips where offered; while I certainly respect those here (safe to say all considerably younger than am I) that say "it's not worth it", to minimize the possibility of having to sit in the middle of the "moshing pit' environment represented by any full up passenger transportation vehicle/craft is simply "worth it' to me.
Posts: 9976 | From: Clarendon Hills, IL USA (BNSF Chicago Sub MP 18.71) | Registered: Apr 2002
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posted
Mr Norman, I went to the website & read the latest Amtrak Ink (August/Sept) and could not find this article about Dome Car--is there a newer edition? Where do I find it? Thanks
Posts: 2642 | From: upstate New York | Registered: Mar 2004
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posted
Well, I'm old enough to remember the Cardinal in the 1970s (it was the "James Whitcomb Riley" then, at least in one direction), when it carried a domd coach from Chicago for Newport News that was switched out at Charlottesville. It's a wonderful ride through the mountains in the dome (and actually, the C&O of Indiana was nice from the dome as well). Coming down Cheviot Hill into Cincinnati was spectacular.
That's all gone now, but the mountains in WV are still there. Should be a nice ride.
Posts: 614 | From: Merchantville, NJ. USA | Registered: Aug 2000
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posted
Right you are GBN. Forgot about that being a single level train. Surely there is another serviceable dome somewhere that Amtrak could get their hands on, perhaps a castoff from on of the cruise line Alaska trains.
Posts: 2397 | From: Camden, SC | Registered: Mar 2006
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quote:Originally posted by palmland: Right you are GBN. Forgot about that being a single level train. Surely there is another serviceable dome somewhere that Amtrak could get their hands on, perhaps a castoff from on of the cruise line Alaska trains.
A number of the cast-off full domes from Alaska have turned up on the Royal Gorge and Rio Grande Scenic Railroads in Canon City and Alamosa, CO respectively.
I'm sure that Amtrak could find a couple or three more if they wanted them.
Posts: 4203 | From: Western North Carolina | Registered: Feb 2004
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posted
For the Cardinal they can just put the baggage car on the rear and tack the Great Dome on the front of the consist for switching the car in/out of the consist at Washington DC. The Cardinal's consit is short, compared to the Lake Shore Limited, for example, which has a baggage car on the rear as well as the front (Boston and New York City sections). The Cardinal is largely a six car passenger train, including baggage and Viewliner sleeper. Adding the Dome Car will make it a seven car passenger train. Still a dwarf in comparison to what the consist used to be even with Heritage single level equipment.
Posts: 337 | Registered: Jun 2003
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posted
UP has a small fleet... actually, considering what they built, they've retained a higher percentage than almost any other road.
Posts: 1404 | Registered: Oct 2001
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posted
Palmland, once on the Adirondack dome I decided to yell "everybody duck" as we approached one of many tunnels and rock cuts on the route. I guess in the light of the recent Megabus accident in Syracuse that would be viewed differently than in years past.
This year one of the front center windows in the upper deck has leaked, so it's about half full of water. I think it needs some blobs of oil and changeable-color LED lighting for the lava lamp effect. That and the car name has returned, complete with GN font.
Domes aren't cheap. Heritage cars aren't cheap to fix. It would be nice to put one in every scenic train (sounds like all of them...) it would also be nice to put one more sleeping car on the entire long distance network and sell some more revenue space. When the roomette price stays below $515 a little longer, first class passengers are going to feel they got a better deal, and they are bound to be more satisfied with their trips and return sooner. Putting the Adirondack up to six cars (as it is for high-demand times in the summer) doesn't make as much of a dent as it would year-round. Also, it is simple to add the dome at Rensselaer since the NYP-ALB coach and dual-mode engine come off and the P42 goes on anyway. I fear a dome would be underutilized on other routes.
I wanted to ride the Cardinal this year during dome time, but sleeper space in half a Viewliner had already gotten prohibitively expensive, and you probably can't sleep in the dome, which is a shame. Maybe next year.
Posts: 391 | From: Schenectady | Registered: Jan 2002
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On a trip to New York last May and while waiting at a small park in "The Village" for my Niece and Nephews to show up for an "Uncle sponsored" Luncheon, I noted several of the many double decked open top tourbuses passing. They seem to have an Upper deck windscreen and no doubt a strong admonishment inside "taller than this? get off this deck".
Of course "back in my day", a ride on one of these would set you back a dime; check the tour operator's site to see what a like pleasure will 'run" you today.
Posts: 9976 | From: Clarendon Hills, IL USA (BNSF Chicago Sub MP 18.71) | Registered: Apr 2002
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