R. C. Drye:
Is this the Union Pacific's/GM's "Train of Tomorrow" and where they "Astra-Domes"?
Wayner's book has drawings of them.
Ed Burns
763-234-9306
NP Eddie Is this the Union Pacific's/GM's "Train of Tomorrow" and where they "Astra-Domes"?
This was a regular daily train led by Burlington E-Units over the same tracks as other "Vista-Dome" trains. In later years it was often combined with them...
Was this the Silver Dome which was converted in the Q's Aurora shops from a Budd stainless steel coach and was the predecessor of all their vista dome cars? The Silver Dome was placed in service in 1945 running in the Zephyrs between Chicago and the Twin Cities. I believe it ran westbound in the Morning Zephyr from Chicago and returned eastbound in the Afternoon Zephyr but it could have been just the opposite.
Mark
rcdrye On the CB&Q may trains had dome cars. All but one dome-equipped train pair carried "Vista Domes". Which train pair carried domes under another trade name, and what was that name?
On the CB&Q may trains had dome cars. All but one dome-equipped train pair carried "Vista Domes". Which train pair carried domes under another trade name, and what was that name?
Would this be the Great Domes of the Empire Builder?
ZephyrOverland Would this be the Great Domes of the Empire Builder?
Trains 31 and 32, The Empire Builder carried "Great Domes" (Of which CB&Q owned several).
Your question, ZO !
The GN's "Great Domes" used that trade name for some months even before the full-length "Great Domes" were delivered in early 1956. They were the only Budd-built cars among P-S and ACF equipment.
All:
In my railroad and railfanning days, I have not heard of the regular short dome coaches of the GN referred to as "Great Domes". I always thought the full length domes were the "Great Domes". I must consult one of Mr. Straus's books on the Empire Builder for more information.
I worked a messenger job at Northtown that took me around the Twin Cities Terminal. When I was a Bridal Veil (X-GN) passenger car shop in far southeast Minneapolis, I saw the Glacier View up on blocks as it was being converted to HEP.
OG entries for the Builder had Great Dome coaches as well as the Great Dome lounge. CB&Q owned three of the coaches and one of the lounges. One of the ex-GN lounges (Ocean View) is still active in Amtrak service today, in short term assignments to trains like the Adirondack.
RCDDRYE:
You are correct. I owe you an apology--all GN domes were "Great Domes".
It is interesting to see how long the many Budd built domes have been in service. The "Glacier View" rides very well.
The Great Dome lounge Ocean View is now 57 years old.
It's been two weeks since there was any activity on this thread so I'll throw out a question to keep it alive.
In the period following WW2 this railroad ran two trains whose names would have been especially appealing to outdoors sportsmen. The name of its other named train would lead you to think it went to a place far removed from its actual destination. What were the names of these trains, their routes, and the railroad that operated them?
Badger, Gopher, and Sunset Limited, SP
daveklepper Badger, Gopher, and Sunset Limited, SP
Nope, but good thinking. The railroad was quite a bit smaller than the mighty SP.
An interurban, perchance?
C&EI:
Whippoorwill: Chicago-Evansville
Meadowlark: Chicago-Cypress
Dixie Flagler: Chicago-Miami
The Badger and Gopher were Great Northern trains.
NYC: Wolverine & New England Wolverine--New York/ Boston-Chicago/Michigan points(though the eb cars for Boston were carried in the Paul Revere east of Albany. Southwest Limited (it did carry through cars for the SLSF and the MP) NY-St. Louis.
Johnny
The railroad was not an interurban and it was not the C&EI. Two of the three trains are listed in the 1946 OG's as "Motors".
Johnny, the railroad was much smaller than the mighty NYC and the route of the three trains was much shorter than that of the Wolverines and Southwest Ltd.
Here's the hint of the day. The railroad was a Class I but it qualified only by a slim margin.
Another hint. The two trains whose names would appeal to sportsmen ran in one direction only. In the opposite direction they had entirely different names.
Some additional hints. Earlier replies suggested the trains might carry the name of an animal or bird but this was not the case. It was somewhat uncommon for trains headed by Motors running on routes of less than 125 miles to be named.
My original question suggested this railroad had only three named trains which was incorrect. The road ran a fourth train which was named the Sunset.
I'm running out of hints but here's one more. The railroad was nicknamed the Turtle Line which might have referred to the speed of its trains.
I don't have the 1946 reference materials but I'm thinking the original Norfolk Southern fills at least some of the bill. It did use motor cars and ended passenger service in the mid 1940s and was just barely a class I.
Not the NS Rob. The road whose trains I'm looking for operated entirely within a north central state.
Detroit and Mackinac. I had forgotten the "Turtle Line" nickname. It was only a class I briefly in the mid 1940s, but was the first class I to eliminate steam with Alco RS2s. D&M's 1949 annual report listed two gas-electric "Motors".
The rather obscure D&M is the right one Rob. But you still need to name the trains and their route.
IIRC the road engines on its steam roster were ancient slide valve moguls and 4-6-0's which was the reason for its early dieselization.
From the materials I can get my hands on...
1 Mackinaw Island Express
Detroit (MC) Bay City (D&M) Cheboygan - some through cars with MC
3 Northern Michigan Express
Bay City (D&M) Alpena - connection from Detroit (MC)
Motor
4 Detroit Mail and Express
Alpena (D&M) Bay City - connection to Detroit (MC)
12 Detroit Express
Cheboygan (D&M) Bay City (MC) Detroit
1 and 12 were conventional trains, including sleepers, though maybe not by 1946
2 and 3 were "Motors" using the D&M's only Gas-Electric in 1946.
Rob is to be commended for finding the Detroit and Mackinac; I was looking farther west.. Since he confesses to having no information for the necessary period, I will supply to him, free of charge, the following, from the November 1945 Guide:
#1-Fisherman's Special (morning train out of Bay City)--Coaches, Bay City to Alpena & Motor, Alpena to Cheboygan. #3-Hunter's Special (afternoon train out of Bay City)--Motor, Bay City to Alpena. #4-New Yorker (morning train out of Alpena)--Motor, Alpena to Bay City. #12-Sunset (afternoon train out of Cheboygan)--Motor, Cheboygan to Alpena & Coaches Alpena to Bay City. This required the use of two motor cars.
That was good hunting, Rob; did you fish along the way? There was a song in the thirties "From the Indies to the Andes in His Undies," and one couplet declared, "From the Indies to the Andes was his mission, and he stopped now and then to do some fishin'."
Deggesty #1-Fisherman's Special (morning train out of Bay City)--Coaches, Bay City to Alpena & Motor, Alpena to Cheboygan. #3-Hunter's Special (afternoon train out of Bay City)--Motor, Bay City to Alpena. #4-New Yorker (morning train out of Alpena)--Motor, Alpena to Bay City. #12-Sunset (afternoon train out of Cheboygan)--Motor, Cheboygan to Alpena & Coaches Alpena to Bay City. This required the use of two motor cars.
Johnny, while Rob got the D&M, you've correctly identified the trains and their routes. As far as I'm concerned we have a tie so I'll let the two of you work out who gets to post the next question.
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