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Went to the Train Show at Tampa Union Station yesterday, taking 91 down from Deland to Tampa, and returning on 92. We had private car Dearing as the rear marker both ways - beautiful car. Does anyone know who owns it and where it's based? Jacksonville?
Anyway, got away from the farm for a day, picked up some train swag for my grandson Leo, and got to chat up an awesome little gal singer named Kat who does gigs around Tampa.
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Speaking of private dining cars, does anyone know whatever happened to the "Turquoise Room" diner on the old Super Chief? Is it in some train museum, somewhere?
Richard
Gilbert B Norman Member # 1541
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Richard, although the owner, Dan Ainsworth, passed away some five years ago, our host around here, Trainweb, continues to maintain his Dome Main site.
However, some changes have likely occurred during that time.
PullmanCo Member # 1138
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ATSF Pleasure Dome lounges 501-505 are the cars which had the Turquoise Room.
None of them are listed on the current AAPRCO site as available for charter.
yukon11 Member # 2997
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Thanks for the info Mr. Norman and Mr. Pullman.
I went to Mr. Norman's link, "Dome Main", and noted the part about the damaged sand paintings. I can't believe Amtrak placed the magazine racks just above the paintings. I have a number of sand paintings from my stint on the Navajo (& Hopi) reservation in Arizona. The colored sand grains are very fragile and can come off easily.
The roster listing gives the history of the Santa Fe 'Pleasure Dome" and some photos.
Here are a couple I took a few years ago. Not a good one of the dome but gives you an idea of the nice museum collection. It's an easy stop off if you drive from Phoenix to Tucson to catch the Sunset.
The last photo has the dome Plaza Taos in it, wish I had taken a close up. By favorite was the private car Federal.
Ocala Mike Member # 4657
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Nice thread creep. I was going to post a picture or two from Saturday, but I don't know how to do so.
yukon11 Member # 2997
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Mike:
The one I like to use is Photobucket.
There might be other sites easier to use. You have to create a UN and PW. Once you get into the site, you can upload your photos from "pictures" in your computer. Once your photo uploads to Photobucket, click on the photo and see the IMG, to the right. Click on IMG and you can copy and paste on the Railforum.
Richard
Ocala Mike Member # 4657
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Ocala Mike Member # 4657
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Like pulling teeth, but there's a pic of Dearing at TUS, 5/13/17.
Thanks, Richard.
Gilbert B Norman Member # 1541
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"Dearing" is noted in this article appearing in Today's Wall Street Journal. Unfortunately, the Journal has been plugging the knotholes in their paywall:
The restored private railcars that travel today tend to be luxuriously decorated mini-mansions, with multiple bedrooms, private chefs, domed glass ceilings and observation decks. Many are owned by ordinary train enthusiasts, who run charter trips to help defray costs.
Borden Black does the cooking on trips on her 1925 Pullman, named the Dearing, with an observation lounge, dining room and three bedrooms. She charges $6,600 a bedroom for a 10-day round trip from Washington to New Orleans
My heart is heavy, my dream is dying. AMTRAK IS PUTTING US OUT OF BUSINESS
All I can note to this Private Car owner is "live with it". Of course your car is roadworthy, you would never tender it to Amtrak if it were otherwise. Of course you've trained your on-board staff in all pertinent areas of railroad safety, who says other operators have done same?
For incidents occurring without regard to fault, Amtrak is liable. This is the case whether the incident occurred at Frankford Jct, DuPont, or Kayce. All involved fatalities and represent, total, partial, and none Amtrak negligence.
So "Dearing" owners, I know it is difficult to look at this development as independently as I (for whom, chartering a PV is not on my "bucket list"), but it appears you are without alternatives.
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