When was the last time you rode in an Amtrak dome car?

[cpotisch]

In June 1994, on the Lake Shore Limited! That was a classic dome car.

Do you recall what type? Was it a full length dome?

 

[DCAKen]

My last time was in the early 80s aboard the Broadway Limited.

 

[railiner]

My last time was in the early 80s aboard the Broadway Limited.

Really? Between which stations? (Don't tell me one of them was New York....

)

 

[jis]

My last time was in the early 80s aboard the Broadway Limited.

Really? Between which stations? (Don't tell me one of them was New York....

)

Yeah. Broadway Limited had a dome in the 80s? Praytell more! Between where and where?

 

[DSS&A]

Hi,

The last time I rode on a dome car was on May 13, 2015. The train was a special Chicago Railroad Superintendents inspection train that used Iowa Pacific equipment with three full length dome cars, a dining car and an open-end observation car, an equipment car with a pair of E9s in charge of the train. The train ran from downtown Chicago on Metra, CSX and Iowa Pacific tracks (all former CRI&P tracks) out to Beureau, IL and back. (Sorry the photos are loading sideways.)

 

[cpotisch]

Hi,

The last time I rode on a dome car was on May 13, 2015. The train was a special Chicago Railroad Superintendents inspection train that used Iowa Pacific equipment with three full length dome cars, a dining car and an open-end observation car, an equipment car with a pair of E9s in charge of the train. The train ran from downtown Chicago on Metra, CSX and Iowa Pacific tracks (all former CRI&P tracks) out to Beureau, IL and back. (Sorry the photos are loading sideways.)

You're pictures are sideways. Here:

 

[ehbowen]

My last time was in the early 80s aboard the Broadway Limited.

Really? Between which stations? (Don't tell me one of them was New York....

)

Yeah. Broadway Limited had a dome in the 80s? Praytell more! Between where and where?

My last time was in the early 80s aboard the Broadway Limited.

Really? Between which stations? (Don't tell me one of them was New York....

)

In June 1985 when I rode it, the Broadway Limited was combined with the Capitol Limited west of Pittsburgh. I was technically a Broadway Limited passenger, but I enjoyed the hospitality of the dome car (almost by myself!) most of the way from Pittsburgh to Chicago.

 

[cpotisch]

but I enjoyed the hospitality of the dome car (almost by myself!) most of the way from Pittsburgh to Chicago.

Dome car or SSL?

 

[ehbowen]

It was a true short dome...a Budd, I believe. At that time before the second Superliner order, the Capitol Limited was a single level Heritage train.

 

[DCAKen]

My last time was in the early 80s aboard the Broadway Limited.

Really? Between which stations? (Don't tell me one of them was New York....

)

Yeah. Broadway Limited had a dome in the 80s? Praytell more! Between where and where?

My last time was in the early 80s aboard the Broadway Limited.

Really? Between which stations? (Don't tell me one of them was New York....

)

In June 1985 when I rode it, the Broadway Limited was combined with the Capitol Limited west of Pittsburgh. I was technically a Broadway Limited passenger, but I enjoyed the hospitality of the dome car (almost by myself!) most of the way from Pittsburgh to Chicago.

I was riding from Chicago to Paoli PA, so I was sitting in the dome enjoying the nighttime vistas of Indiana and Ohio before it was split off in Pittsburgh. Then I went to bed in the Slumbercoach

 

[railiner]

Okay then, in that case I will concede the point that you rode a dome on a train combined with the Broadway Limited part of the way...

I may have done the same...can't quite remember, but it was very possible during that time.

I rode a dome once, on the Florida Special....they added a dome-sleeper at Richmond, to Miami...

 

[Bob Dylan]

Back in the Class I Passenger Train days this was very common on thru Cars and inter-lining.

You'd start out on a Local with just Coaches, then switching would occur and Lo and Behold, a Train with Sleepers,a Diner and often a Dome Car!

 

[ehbowen]

Back in the Class I Passenger Train days this was very common on thru Cars and inter-lining.

You'd start out on a Local with just Coaches, then switching would occur and Lo and Behold, a Train with Sleepers,a Diner and often a Dome Car!

And better make sure you sat back down in the right car after visiting the lounge car and knocking back a few!

There are stories about that told on the Empire Builder even today. Some of them may actually be true!

 

[cpotisch]

Okay then, in that case I will concede the point that you rode a dome on a train combined with the Broadway Limited part of the way...

I may have done the same...can't quite remember, but it was very possible during that time.

I rode a dome once, on the Florida Special....they added a dome-sleeper at Richmond, to Miami...

What did a dome-sleeper look like? Did each room actually have panoramic windows?

 

[Seaboard92]

Okay then, in that case I will concede the point that you rode a dome on a train combined with the Broadway Limited part of the way...

I may have done the same...can't quite remember, but it was very possible during that time.

I rode a dome once, on the Florida Special....they added a dome-sleeper at Richmond, to Miami...

What did a dome-sleeper look like? Did each room actually have panoramic windows?

No. The only dome sleeper I'm familiar with are the Northern Pacific ones. Four roomettes on the A end, four duplex single rooms under the dome, and four double rooms on the B end. The dome was the same layout. Eventually the NP ripped out the singles under the dome and put a small lounge. And ripped out the dome seats and put a lounge in the dome. For the lounge in the sky after they removed the round end observation.

There is one preserved in original shape minus Amtrak Phase II paint in a warehouse in NC. Sitting with a Burlington Dome Parlor Observation car.

 

[cpotisch]

Okay then, in that case I will concede the point that you rode a dome on a train combined with the Broadway Limited part of the way...

I may have done the same...can't quite remember, but it was very possible during that time.

I rode a dome once, on the Florida Special....they added a dome-sleeper at Richmond, to Miami...

What did a dome-sleeper look like? Did each room actually have panoramic windows?

No. The only dome sleeper I'm familiar with are the Northern Pacific ones. Four roomettes on the A end, four duplex single rooms under the dome, and four double rooms on the B end. The dome was the same layout. Eventually the NP ripped out the singles under the dome and put a small lounge. And ripped out the dome seats and put a lounge in the dome. For the lounge in the sky after they removed the round end observation.

There is one preserved in original shape minus Amtrak Phase II paint in a warehouse in NC. Sitting with a Burlington Dome Parlor Observation car.

Aw. That's a shame. It probably wouldn't be practical, but some kind of panoramic sleeper would be amazing, IMHO.

 

[ehbowen]

Okay then, in that case I will concede the point that you rode a dome on a train combined with the Broadway Limited part of the way...

I may have done the same...can't quite remember, but it was very possible during that time.

I rode a dome once, on the Florida Special....they added a dome-sleeper at Richmond, to Miami...

What did a dome-sleeper look like? Did each room actually have panoramic windows?

No. The only dome sleeper I'm familiar with are the Northern Pacific ones. Four roomettes on the A end, four duplex single rooms under the dome, and four double rooms on the B end. The dome was the same layout. Eventually the NP ripped out the singles under the dome and put a small lounge. And ripped out the dome seats and put a lounge in the dome. For the lounge in the sky after they removed the round end observation.

There is one preserved in original shape minus Amtrak Phase II paint in a warehouse in NC. Sitting with a Burlington Dome Parlor Observation car.

Aw. That's a shame. It probably wouldn't be practical, but some kind of panoramic sleeper would be amazing, IMHO.

I do believe that Colorado Railcar had a prototype built while they were still a going concern; at least, I remember seeing photos of one. Sadly, I don't believe they ever entered service.

 

[Seaboard92]

Deutsche Bahn had something close. It's since been sold to the ÖBB

 

[railiner]

It was common practice prior to Amtrak, for the Pullman Company to move sleeper's used in the summer season on western trains, to winter season Florida trains. Sort of an "advance rainbow era"...

Seeing the Northern Pacific two-tone green cars on Florida trains was a treat.

 

[DSS&A]

In addition to the NP dome-sleepers, the California Zephyr had dome sleeper-observatuon cars on the rear end carrying the markers. My mom's family rode in this car on a trip when she was a kid. The Canadian Pacific also had these cars too.

Here's a link to the California Zephyr information and photos:

http://www.trainweb.org/web_lurker/CBQ/

Here's a link to the Canadian Pacific Canadian train information and photos:

http://www.trainweb.org/web_lurker/CP/

Here is information and photos of the Northern Pacific dome sleepers:

http://www.trainweb.org/web_lurker/NP/

 

[TylerP42]

I've never ridden in a dome car, from any railroad, sadly.

 

[cpotisch]

I've never ridden in a dome car, from any railroad, sadly.

The Dome is going to be on the Adirondack soon, and it's not a particularly long ride on the LSL from Toledo to Schenectady, where you can connect to the Addie. You'll also be in NYC for the Gathering, right? Just saying, if you want to ride a dome, it wouldn't be that difficult.

 

[chakk]

Never rode domes on Amtrak, but did ride in many domes on their predecessor railroads, including B&O, N&W,

NP, UP, WP, D&RGW, CB&Q, ATSF, and CN. Also on VIA Rail in the Amtrak era. And a couple of tourist railroads in New Mexico and Vermont.

 

[crescent-zephyr]

Okay then, in that case I will concede the point that you rode a dome on a train combined with the Broadway Limited part of the way...

I may have done the same...can't quite remember, but it was very possible during that time.

I rode a dome once, on the Florida Special....they added a dome-sleeper at Richmond, to Miami...

What did a dome-sleeper look like? Did each room actually have panoramic windows?

No. The only dome sleeper I'm familiar with are the Northern Pacific ones. Four roomettes on the A end, four duplex single rooms under the dome, and four double rooms on the B end. The dome was the same layout. Eventually the NP ripped out the singles under the dome and put a small lounge. And ripped out the dome seats and put a lounge in the dome. For the lounge in the sky after they removed the round end observation.
There is one preserved in original shape minus Amtrak Phase II paint in a warehouse in NC. Sitting with a Burlington Dome Parlor Observation car.

Aw. That's a shame. It probably wouldn't be practical, but some kind of panoramic sleeper would be amazing, IMHO.

There was a plan to do that with the Santa Fe Hi-levels. Budd drafted a plan for sleepers with "vista bedrooms" - would have been a really different design.

 

[cpotisch]

Okay then, in that case I will concede the point that you rode a dome on a train combined with the Broadway Limited part of the way...

I may have done the same...can't quite remember, but it was very possible during that time.

I rode a dome once, on the Florida Special....they added a dome-sleeper at Richmond, to Miami...

What did a dome-sleeper look like? Did each room actually have panoramic windows?

No. The only dome sleeper I'm familiar with are the Northern Pacific ones. Four roomettes on the A end, four duplex single rooms under the dome, and four double rooms on the B end. The dome was the same layout. Eventually the NP ripped out the singles under the dome and put a small lounge. And ripped out the dome seats and put a lounge in the dome. For the lounge in the sky after they removed the round end observation.
There is one preserved in original shape minus Amtrak Phase II paint in a warehouse in NC. Sitting with a Burlington Dome Parlor Observation car.

Aw. That's a shame. It probably wouldn't be practical, but some kind of panoramic sleeper would be amazing, IMHO.

There was a plan to do that with the Santa Fe Hi-levels. Budd drafted a plan for sleepers with "vista bedrooms" - would have been a really different design.

Hmm. So they had plans to build special dome sleepers, but never ended up doing sleepers of any kind. Do you know if they had any other plans for other kinds of sleepers?