RailForum.com
TrainWeb.com

RAILforum Post A Reply
my profile | directory login | register | search | faq | forum home

» RAILforum » Passenger Trains » Amtrak » dome cars » Post A Reply

Post A Reply
Login Name:
Password:
Message Icon: Icon 1     Icon 2     Icon 3     Icon 4     Icon 5     Icon 6     Icon 7    
Icon 8     Icon 9     Icon 10     Icon 11     Icon 12     Icon 13     Icon 14    
Message:

HTML is not enabled.
UBB Code™ is enabled.

 

Instant Graemlins Instant UBB Code™
Smile   Frown   Embarrassed   Big Grin   Wink   Razz  
Cool   Roll Eyes   Mad   Eek!   Confused    
Insert URL Hyperlink - UBB Code™   Insert Email Address - UBB Code™
Bold - UBB Code™   Italics - UBB Code™
Quote - UBB Code™   Code Tag - UBB Code™
List Start - UBB Code™   List Item - UBB Code™
List End - UBB Code™   Image - UBB Code™

What is UBB Code™?
Options


Disable Graemlins in this post.


 


T O P I C     R E V I E W
MontanaJim
Member # 2323
 - posted
does amtrak use any dome cars anymore?
 
rresor
Member # 128
 - posted
Amtrak has one full-length dome lounge that was used in Los Angeles - San Diego service until replaced by the "Pacific Surfliner" equipment two or three years ago. It shows up now and then on excursion trains such as those from Oakland to Reno.

Amtrak's dome coaches, which used to run on the "Capitol" and "Lake Shore" (Albany-Chicago only) were withdrawn from service and sold about eight years ago.
 

The Chief
Member # 2172
 - posted
shanghai,
Here's a cool link to lotsa domes:
http://www.trainweb.org/web_lurker/WebLurkersDOMEmain/
- - - - -The Chief
 
reggierail
Member # 26
 - posted
I saw a dome car on the train to San Diego as recently as a year ago. The City of New Orleans also had dome cars. I was on the train a few years ago and we had 2 dome cars in the consist.

Reggie
 

dilly
Member # 1427
 - posted
I believe the Piedmont, on some of its runs, still uses a former Milwaukee Road Superdome lounge car (now called Mt. Mitchell) for business class passengers. The car is owned by the North Carolina Department of Transportation.

[This message has been edited by dilly (edited 02-27-2003).]
 

efin98
Member # 1943
 - posted
IIRC the Piedmont is the only train left that still uses a true dome, all the others apparently use a lounge with floor to cieling windows(but no higher than the cieling). but then again, i could be wrong
 
PullmanCo
Member # 1138
 - posted
The presence of a state-owned car implies 403(b) service.

John

------------------
The City of Saint Louis (UP, 1967) is still my standard for passenger operations
 

rresor
Member # 128
 - posted
Reggierail, you're right. The "City of New Orleans" also carried a dome coach or two.

But not anymore. Since at least 1995 (when I last rode it), CNO has been Superliner. Last Amtrak dome in service was the long dome I mentioned, on the "San Diegans". Pacific Surfliners put an end to that.

The North Carolina car isn't owned by Amtrak, hence I did not include it when answering a question about "Amtrak domes".
 

atsf3751
Member # 1538
 - posted
There is still at least one set of conventional Amfleet/Horizon equipment left on the Surfliner, as far as I know, although it may only see use when one of the Surfliner sets is in for maintenance. I saw the dome car (an ex-GN "Great Dome") in the consist as recently as late last year.
 
RRRICH
Member # 1418
 - posted
The only dome car I have seen in the last 10 years or so is a privately-owned car named "Northern Sky" -- I have seen that on at least 2 of my recent train trips. BTW, does anyone know the history of that car?

In "days of old," I have seen dome cars on the Capitol Ltd, City of New Orleans, and a LONG time ago, on the Sunset -- but no more.

 

Superliner
Member # 1670
 - posted
The Auto Train also carried Domes as well. The one on the Peidmont is NDOT's, but is painted in Amtrak's scheme (phase III still, I believe).
 
PullmanCo
Member # 1138
 - posted
Mr Rich...

Amazing what happens if you do a google search or go to the AAPRCO website:

Sources:
http://www.aaprco.com http://www.northernsky.com

From the Northern Sky website, her history:

The Northern Sky is a former Union Pacific 9003 dome car. In his book, THE UNION PACIFIC STREAMLINERS author Bill Kratville records that in 1955 the UP became the last of the transcontinentals to invest in dome cars, labeled Astro-Domes by the UP's Passenger Traffic Department.

American Car & Foundry's BERWICK ENGINEERING PASSENGER CAR DIVISION LOT NUMBER ASSIGNMENTS book shows that on November 5, 1952, these dome cars, coaches, diners, and observations, were released for construction.

Between February and April of 1955, the American Car & Foundry's St. Charles, Mo., plant near St. Louis completed a total of 15 (9000-9014) blunt-end observation-dome-lounge cars for the Union Pacific in Lot 4096. (Interestingly, the column which defines these cars in the above mentioned book describes them as five bedroom-observation cars.) The first five, 9000-9004, were delivered for service on the City of Los Angeles, operated over the rails of the Union Pacific and the Milwaukee Road between Los Angeles and Chicago. The City of Los Angeles, or GOLD as it was often referred to, disappeared with the startup of Amtrak on May 1, 1971. But the 9003, one of the comparatively few cars built specifically for this train, is still very much active almost 25 years later.

As constructed, the car seated 24 in low-backed divans in the dome, each offset at a 10 degree angle toward the outside to improve even more the already excellent viewing from the dome. On the main level, a card room at the head of the car seated five. There was room for nine in a cocktail lounge which also had a bar, beneath the dome. Seating capacity in the observation lounge was 19. The observation cars assigned to the City of Los Angeles had a Gold Quartz theme, used in two tones of green and gold on a beige background in the drapery material in the cocktail lounge. The back of the bar in the cocktail lounge depicted the Golden Spike Ceremony at Promontory, Utah.

Just one year after they went into service, all 15 observation cars were reconfigured for mid-train service, most often, it would appear, operating coupled between the dining car and sleeping cars in the train.

The rearmost of the two doors at the observation end was removed and a diaphragm added. Rear-facing observation windows were covered over with sheet metal. The oscillating Mars and backup lights disappeared along with the marker lights. Saddest of all, gone forever were the unique City of Los Angeles blue and red neon tailsigns built into the observation-end of each car. The original Auto-Train picked up the 9003 from the Union Pacific in 1973. Auto-Train rebuilt it into "Maxi-Dome" coach 903 with 24 revenue seats on the main level, 20 revenue seats in the dome, and a bar and small lounge under the dome. Auto-Train expired on the last day of April, 1981, and AUT 903 passed into private ownership following the December 8, 1981, auction of Auto-Train equipment at Sanford, Fla. Late in 1988, Northern Rail Car Corporation purchased the car from Classic Rail Travel.

In mid January, 1992, David Hoffman, a successful Wisconsin State highway contractor purchased the ex-Union Pacific 9003. Northern Rail Car would rebuild the car. "There appears to be a pretty steep learning curve with regard to rebuilding passenger cars," said Hoffman as he recalled his choice, "and I felt Northern Rail Car was over theirs. Among the things we saw was that Northern had already rebuilt a number of dome cars before we showed up. I was satisfied that all of the learning-curve problems were gone and that the Northern Sky could only benefit from the refined process. As you can see, the result is that this car is extremely functional, its components flow well, and it serves exactly the purpose I said I wanted it to do right at the outset. Essentially, we sleep downstairs, use the lounge with its entertainment center primarily as a movie theater, and do all our dining (the car easily accommodates 14 for dining) and entertaining in the dome".

------------------
The City of Saint Louis (UP, 1967) is still my standard for passenger operations
 

CottonBelt819
Member # 2362
 - posted
While we're on dome cars, does anyone know where the former CottonBelt Rail Historical Society dome-lounge tailcar Susecapejo is. (I knowthe name is weird, and might be misspelled, but thats what she was called.) The car was owned by Pete Smikela and sole some time around 1993. (The name was an anagram from the first few letters of his grandkids name.) I was just wondering where the car got off too.
 
RRRICH
Member # 1418
 - posted
Pullman Co - thanks a lot for your very interesting reply about the history of the Northern Sky dome car! I looked at the web link you gave me. It'd be nice to take a charter trip in a car like that, but I know it would be priced WAY out of my market!!! When I was on the Canadian in 1999, Northern Sky had been chartered by Tom Clancey (author) and was on the tail of VIA #1 from Toronto to Jasper. Thanks again!!
--Rich
 



Contact Us | Home Page

Powered by Infopop Corporation
UBB.classic™ 6.7.2




Copyright © 2007-2016 TrainWeb, Inc. Top of Page|TrainWeb|About Us|Advertise With Us|Contact Us