ATSF Budd Dome Cars?

[BNSF4ever]

I have a Walthers HO Scale Budd dome car (not a full dome) in Santa Fe livery. Was this ever prototypical? I thought ATSF's only domes were made by Pullman-Standard.

[passengerfan]

BNSF4ever Hope this helps.

Atchison
Topeka
&
Santa Fe Dome Cars
(AT&SF)
By Al

The Santa Fe owned a total of 20-dome cars, 6-short domes from Pullman Standard and 14-big domes from the Budd Company.
The Santa Fe went daily with the SUPER CHIEF in February 1948 with new sleeping cars and new sleeper Observations for four of the five consists.
At the end of 1950 the Santa Fe once again added new cars to the SUPER CHIEF receiving 7-new 36 seat dining cars 600-606 in November-December 1950. In December the Santa Fe received 6-Pleasure Domes with the famous Turquoise dining room numbers 500 - 505. These cars were coupled directly behind the new diners and the Turquoise room located in the forward part of the Pleasure domes was served from the dining car. During peak travel periods it served as extra dining space for twelve. At other times the Turquoise room was available for private luncheon or dinner parties. Many an evening the Turquoise rooms served as private cocktail lounges for Hollywood stars and their guests or captains of fortune 500 companies. This Turquoise room was located in the short end on the main floor and this was always the front of the car coupled to the dining car ahead. Beneath the dome of these cars was a lounge seating ten with bar. In the larger room at the rear of the car on the main level was a lounge with seating for 18. A desk and chair was tucked behind the stairway leading to the dome level.
The dome seating was unique to these dome cars, on each side in the center of the dome was four swiveling parlor seats revolving a full 360 degrees. At the front of the dome and the rear of the dome on each side of the aisle was a pair of seats. The two pair of seats at the rear of the dome faced rearward an unusual arrangement not found on any other short domes, except for those seats in the UP Dome Dining cars where half of the eighteen seats faced rearward at the tables. This gave the Santa Fe pleasure domes a seating capacity of 16. No other short domes built for any railroad seated this few, not even the UP Dome diners who seated 18 at tables in the domes.
These six cars were operated only in the SUPER CHIEFS and never ventured to any other Santa Fe train, although it is believed they operated on occasional business train specials on rare occasions as there was a spare if the SUPER CHIEFS operated on time.
When ordered from Pullman Standard the cars were to have PLAZA series names but were delivered with numbers only 500-505.
The intended names of these cars were as follows.

500 – PLAZA ACOMA

501 – PLAZA LAGUNA

502 – PLAZA LAMY

503 – PLAZA SANTA FE

504 – PLAZA TAOS

505 – PLAZA ZUNI

All six of the pleasure domes were sold to Amtrak in 1971 and were renumbered 9350 – 9355.
In 1954 the Santa Fe received 14 Big Domes from Budd between January and May 1954. The first eight delivered 506-513 featured 57 coach seats and an 18 seat lounge on the upper glassed in level and beneath the dome in the center of the cars lower level was a Buffet and lounge seating 28 with a double bedroom serving as quarters for the Courier Nurse.
The Santa Fe assigned one each to the Chicago – Oklahoma City CHICAGOAN - KANSAS CITYAN.
The other six of these Big domes were assigned to the EL CAPITAN train sets one per consist operating between Chicago and Los Angeles daily in each direction. These domes would be transferred to the CHIEF beginning in July 1956 when the EL CAPITAN became America’s first Hi-Level trains. These cars remained in the CHIEF until that train was discontinued in 1968. At that time three were transferred to the TEXAS CHIEF and operated between Chicago and Houston replacing that trains lounge cars.
The other six-Big domes delivered in 1954 were for a new train the SAN FRANCISCO CHIEF between Chicago and San Francisco. This train inaugurated in May 1954 operated by the southern mainline the only CHIEF train operating on this line. The Big domes built for the SAN FRANCISCO CHIEF were identical to those built for the EL CAPITAN, CHICAGOAN - KANSAS CITYAN on the upper or dome level 57 coach type seats and 18 seats arranged in a lounge. The lower level of these cars featured a Buffet and lounge with only ten seats. A twelve-crew dormitory occupied the remainder of the lower level between the cars six-wheel trucks. These cars remained in SAN FRANCISCO CHIEF service until Amtrak discontinued the train.
Big dome cars 507, 508, 509, 510, 511, 512, 513, 550, 551, 552, 553, 554, and 555 were sold to Auto-Train becoming their 540, 520, 521, 522, 523, 541, 524, 512, 513, 514, 515, 510, and 511 respectively. They wore the Red – White – Purple from 1972 until sold at bankruptcy auction in December 1981.
The Santa Fe retained 506 for its business fleet, being renumbered AT&SF 60 in 974. After the merger into the BN #60 was renumbered BNSF 31 in 1999 and the name BAY VIEW was applied to the sides of the car at that time.

[Philcal]

Several of the Santa Fe domes went to the Auto Train in 1972 when it was a private entity. Auto Train recieved these cars in their Santa Fe livery and interior decor. Auto Train painted the car's exteriors into their then current red/white/purple scheme. The interiors were left pretty much intact, and featured their well known southwestern theme.These cars were recieved in excellent mechanical condition, and were very popular with Auto Train patrons. These were the Budd built cars. They were virtual heavyweights, and had excellent riding qualities.

[daveklepper]

Any of this equipment running today?

[passengerfan]

One of the former AT&SF Big Domes is part of the BNSF Business Fleet and several still operate in Alaska owned by cruise ship operators.

One is now operating in Southern Colorado.

Most of the short former Santa Fe domes built by Pullman Standard are owned privately.

TTFN