Southern Pacific Dome Cars

[081552]

What ever happened to the full length S.P. dome cars? I remember riding those as a kid to Santa Barbara during the late S.P. and/or early Amtrak days. I know one is operated by KCS down in Panama.

[passengerfan]

SP 3600 Scrapped 1973
SP 3601 Scrapped 1989
SP 3602 Storage awaiting rebuilding
SP 3603 RIO CHAGRES in Operartion Panama
SP 3604 Minnesota Dinner Train
SP 3605 Canon City & Royal Gorge CRRX 9374
SP 3606 Part of Rocklin Transportation retail center

[randybc2003]

I'm not positive, but I think a couple of them went to either the ALASKA R.R. or to Princiss Tours for service in Alaska. Check out:"www.alaskarails.org"

randy

[passengerfan]

Those in Alaska are former AT&SF Big Domes that were first sold to Autotrain and after the bankruptcy auction most went to Notheast U S but eventually were purchased by one of the cruise operators out of Seattle where they were rebuilt for service in Alaska. The other older full length dome type seen in Alaska were former Milwaukee Road domes and not at all sure those are even in Alaska anymore. The short domes in Alaska are ARR owned and they are former CB&Q-GN-SP&S-NP or UP domes. The other full length domes are the Ultra-Domes owned by the cruise ship operators or now the ARR also has purchased a pair of these as well.

[agentatascadero]

I have never met a SP lounge which I didn't like, but the domes had one of the coolest bars on wheels what with the tall Shasta style windows, and the dome with 12 foot ceilings. i was also partial to the art-deco half circle bars in the Daylight Tavern cars. Now if we could have done something about the lack of foreward and rear visibility. I beleive the SP domes had a lower profile than the Budd short domes, tunnel clearance you know, even though the Budds never had a problem in an SP tunnel. My gripe: Even though SP had run the CZ over Donner on reroutes, they refused to run Budds, on any line I think, until well after AMTRAK, shortly before domes were retired from service.

[passengerfan]

The SP 3/4 length domes height to top of dome was 15' 2" lowest of the long domes. Today their are ultra-domes in Alaska that are 18' in height. The very first dome the CB&Q homebuilt SILVER DOME was 16' 1-1/2'" this was the highest of all short domes and one of only two domes without dropped floors beneath the domes. And of course the SP domes had a full height lounge at one end under the glass and a raised dome section for the remainder of these cars. The actual framing that held the glass or dome area was constructed by Budd for the SP and the cars were all built from older lightweight cars in the roads own Sacramento shops.

[espeefoamer]

Whenever the CZ was rerouted over Donner Pass in the pre Amtrak days,SP crews would not allow passengers in the domes on Donner.[:(!]