"OUR" PLACE - SEE NEW THREAD!

[siberianmo]

G’day All!

PASSENGER TRAIN NOSTALGIA #63

Here’s something to enjoy regarding the Budd Company from a 1949 advertisement in my personal collection.


Cars For Proud Trains

Without exception, the stainless steel railway passenger cars built by The Budd Company go into their owners’ finest trains. On the Pennsylvania, for example, you may ride in them on the Broadway Limited, The General, The Red Arrow, the “Spirit of St. Louis” and others of its blue ribbon fleet.

Where quality is a consideration, either in appeal to the public or in dependable, economical operation, the things Budd makes have achieved a unique and strengthening position.

In 1934 Budd built its first] train, the Pioneer Zephyr, first lightweight streamliner of all. It revolutionized railway car construction. Budd is now the world’s second largest builder of railway passenger cars.

In 1912 Budd invented the steel automobile body. Today Budd is the world’s largest independent builder of automobile body components.

In 1919 Budd introduced the steel disc automobile wheel. During the past twenty-seven years, in addition to producing millions of automobile wheels, Budd has placed more wheels on trucks, buses and highway trailers than all other makes in the world combined.

The great complex of Budd industrial facilities, producing a quarter of a billion dollars worth of goods annually, has sprung from one basic philosophy- build better products through the use of superior materials and challenging design.

The Budd Company, Phila., Detroit.

Budd


Enjoy! [tup]

Tom[4:-)][oX)]

[LoveDomes]

Good Day Tom and Gentlemen at the bar,

I’m hungry enough to eat the south end of a northbound skunk running through a black turnip and sleaze bean patch!

So, how about one of those Italian hero sandwiches (hold the onions) and a pint of Bathams!

Not very much to comment on this day, aside from passengerfan Al’s latest “everything one needs to know and more” Post.[wow] Fantastic effort and overwhelming content.[tup]

Where is everyone this fine day[?] Haven’t seen trolleyboy Rob for several days; wanswheel Mike is outta sight and perhaps, uptight [swg]; along with many of the guys who normally check in during the morning hours. Is there something going on that I’m unware of[?] A party, a shindig, something going on that I’m missing[?]

Okay, enough of that; here’s a bit of basic info on my favorite rail cars, the domes: From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.



A dome car owned by the Santa Fe Railroad in the 1950s.from: www.trainweb.org

A dome car is a type of railroad passenger car that can include features of a lounge car, dining car and an observation. Its primary feature is a glass dome on the top of the car where passengers can ride and see in all directions around the train.

Configuration
A portion of the car, usually in the center of the car, is split between two levels, with stairs leading both up and down from the train's regular passenger car floor level. The lower level of the dome usually consisted of a small lounge area, while the upper portion was usually coach or lounge seating within a "bubble" of glass on the car's roof. Passengers in the upper portion of the dome were able to see in all directions from a vantage point above the train's roofline.
On some dome cars, the lower portion was built as a galley, where car attendants used dumbwaiters to transfer items between the galley and a dining area in the dome portion of the car.

History
The popular story is that the first dome cars in North America were conceived by Western Pacific's President Harry Mitchell. Mr. Mitchell was riding in the cab of one of his railroad's diesel locomotives through the Rockies when he thought that every passenger should be able to see the scenery that is passing by on his railroad's passenger trains. His idea was to provide a full 360-degree view from above the train in newly built "vista-dome" cars. The idea really wasn't too radical as railroad cabooses were often built with a cupola above the car's roofline so the train crew could get a better view of the train, and the Canadian Pacific Railway had used 'tourist cars' with raised, glass-sided viewing cupolas on their trains through the Canadian Rocky Mountains in the 1920s. Modern Vista-dome cars were introduced on the California Zephyr inauguration in 1949.



Auto-Train Dome Car 510 began life on the Sante Fe Railroad. from: www.TrainWeb.com

As dome cars became more common on North American passenger trains, some western railroads purchased or built "superdomes". These were dome cars where the upper level of the car extended for nearly the entire length of the car. Starting in the 1980s, the use of the dome car has become rarer as Amtrak has introduced new bi-level passenger cars that reach the maximum possible height over the length of the car. Dome cars are very popular on tourist railways and private charter rail services.
***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ****** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** *****

Until the next time!

Lars

[BudKarr]

Hello Captain Tom!

Greetings to all from Finland, Helsinki to be precise. I think before my comments begin, it is time for me to say that I have missed “Our” Place and the friends made over these months. I have not had the time to engage in browsing the pages, but it does seem that many have been added since my last contact with you.

The power here is similar to that of Germany at 230v, 50hz. Fortunately, the hotel has all of the converters necessary for me to make this connection. I doubt that my skills would have enabled me to do so without some help from a young engineering student who has found employment here between studies. Oh yes, the time is 1900 hours – 7 hours “off” from where you are Captain Tom.

I would like one of your steak dinners, but recall that they are not served until Friday and Saturday evenings. So, perhaps I will stick with some liquid refreshment, an Alexander Keiths will do.

I did read several pages previous to the one I am on and it appears that there are some changes taking place at the bar. Certainly hope none of these events will alter the flow or fine exchanges of information taking place at my favorite place to roost, outside of Alberta that is! Speaking of Canada (and I know politics are not appreciated here) – but I must make mention of the newly elected Prime Minister Stephen Harper – my intended is ecstatic. She is a loyal proponent and supporter and in fact we dined with him and his wife before the holidays. (I may have told you that, or some of it – do not fully recall.)

Finland is a marvelous place and most interesting politically as well. I am sure with a bit of web surfing, one can find all kinds of interesting factoids about the country. In just one group gathering, I met with people conversing in Finnish (primary language), Swedish (secondary for many), Russian and of course English. Unbelievable how fluent these folks are and how easy it is to switch from one to another.

Railroads? Nothing in my schedule thus far to permit it. I have had the occasion to walk to a few train stations in the cities I have been in, but that is all. Saw some extremely interesting modern trains, all seemingly moving much fast than what we are accustomed to in North America. Perhaps I will be able to retrieve some photos from the internet once I get settled back in Alberta. For now though, I am without camera (normal practice for me) and playing it strictly business (also normal for me).

It looks as if I may be able to depart Europe for the states before too long. Then wrap up at the home office before heading up to Canada. I will surely keep an eye on this place and hope to connect with all of you sooner rather than later.

Time for another one of my evening sessions, so I must break away. Captain Tom, buy the Gentlemen a round on me. Oh, what is that? That’s a €20 Euro banknote! Drinks on me.


BK

[siberianmo]

G'day Gents!

Just heard from trolleyboy Rob up in Ontario. Seems his 'puter has bitten the dust and he's anticipating being offline for perhaps as long as two weeks. Could be back sooner, but he's not rushing off to purchase a replacement. So, c'mon those of you who like that term REGULAR it's time to belly up to the bar and provide the continuity of Posts needed 'round here![tup][tup]

A few acknowledgments are in order - and I stress "few"!

passengerfan Posted: 24 Jan 2006, 07:01:59

Good Gawd Gertie, are you trying to set a record 'round here[?] That's quite a compilation of Streamlined Coaches, one that when put together with everything else you've provided, is surely a book unto itself. Nice job![tup][tup]

LoveDomes Lars Posted: 24 Jan 2006, 11:51:19

Nicely done on those Domes - always good to get some "grounding" when it comes to the topic we're all interested in. The folks at Wilkpedia do a great job don't they[?]
Nice Pix too![tup] Never get tired looking at those dome cars.[yeah]

Appreciate your stopping by, I need someone to keep me awake![swg] Thanx for the round![tup]

BudKarr BK Posted: 24 Jan 2006, 12:33:39

Helsinki by Gawsh! That's a fer piece from home, wouldn't you agree[?] Hope your return does in fact occur sooner rather than later. It's never easy being away for the last round of trips, knowing that your heart and mind is elsewhere. Been there, done that - but of course, not at all as extensively as what you are into.

No doubt we'd love to see the pix of those trains you mentioned. There's an abundance of sites out there where one can find pretty much anything and everything rolling on tracks. Only problem is the copyright restrictions. I've sent so many emails requesting permission to use this or that, and it seems to be a rarity to get a response. But nothing ventured, nothing gained, so I ask again.[swg]

Can't say that the people in our family on the Canadian side are disappointed about the outcome of the elections. However, as we say down here too, it probably will not really change a thing, at least not in the foreseeable future. Unless and until there's a majority and a significant one at that, it more than likely boils down to business as usual.
I'm all for anything and anyone unafraid to tell these wrist wringing, nay saying - oh never mind! [#offtopic] Boris Ring the bell - drinks on me!

While I'm hardly a student of Finland, I do know of the struggles that country has had over the centuries with their Russian neighbors and others. They seem to be a resiliant bunch and have carved out quite a respectable society from the bits 'n pieces I've assembled. Would like to visit one day.

Thanx for the round and the Euro note. We'll have it deposited over at The Second National Bank of Mentor Village with the day's receipts. I'm sure Vito's international currency teller, Franklin Mint, will love it![swg]

Later!

Tom[4:-)] [oX)]

[Trainnut484]

Good afternoon Tom and gang. I'll have a Miller Lite for now. Nice day here in KC with plenty of sunshine and temps in the mid 50's. I guess Spring wants to get a three month head start.

pwolfe Pete, great to hear from you, and those labels you brought back sure do sound good. I think I'll try a Batham's later after finishing my Miller Lite. Can't wait to see other great stuff you brought back with you.

BK, sounds like you're having a good time in Finland. Hope your trip back to the states is safe.

Ted, sorry that you had to step down as Manager. I know your protege' will do just as great as you did. Don't let your new duties keep you forever away from "Our" Place.

Rob, it's a bad thing your computer went South. Mine is not that far behind as sometimes it crashes in the middle of something. I'll build another system here soon. I'd rather build my own system than buy one from Wal-mart or any discount store.

While blowing off the dust (cough cough) and going thru an old box of memories, I came across a pic of me when I was a wee little train tyke standing next to a miniature train in a park that I loved to ride when visiting my Grandmother.

Me when I was 4 years old standing next to miniature train in Independence, KS


Now, fast foward 30 years. Bigger me, same train, same place.
Still rides good.

Sorry if the pics don't enlarge.

Take care,

Russell

[nickinwestwales]

Evening [4:-)]TOM and gentlemen all-given the number of `rounds for the house` bought recently,I`m sure I must have a drink or two to take care of so thanks gents-dont mind if I do ! [swg]-TOM-my remarks R.E. the Can-Am were very much tongue in cheek-in point of fact my South Ontario Bridge Lines ( The S.O.B Route [:-^] ) is suffering similar traffic density problems to the Can-Am and increased staging will be a high priority once the weather improves-while on the model theme,I may have found a track planning prog. that could be of use-go to www.atlasrr-com and then click on rts download-it took about a half hour to load,is FREE (always a good selling point for me) and includes `footprints` for Walthers, Atlas & Life Like buildings as well as track elements for tru-track (precious little use and frankly weird geometry) code 100 & code 83 ranges as well as their `0` & `N` equivalents-nothing for `S` unfortunately,but the grid sizes are adjustable so once you work out the ratio`s it should be useable.
Not the easiest software I`ve ever used,but I`m making progress and if I can do it any fool can..!!
Right,whose been in this fine day-RUSS-good to see you`ve fulfilled your early potential [swg].....
BK-greetings from a nearby timezone,glad you are enjoying the lifestyle this side of the pond-hope you are putting the drinks on expenses or you may find yourself hitching home......
LARS-The description of your appetite pleased the latent poet within me deeply but be warned-on my days off Boris has the run of the galley-be VERY carefull what you ask for,he is somewhat literal in his interpretations......
Al- Another worthy contribution-I am starting to think that some form of `imagineered` streamliner ( with domes,naturally ) might be in order for my model pike,if only to put some of this info to good use ( note to self-add another staging track to planned extension )
O.K. fellas,I`m beat-another day of digging holes in the garden (they`ll never find the bodies now haha.....) plus a full on band practice (since our erstwhile frontmans desertion I have become the de-facto lead singer,at least until we can press-gang some unsuspecting sucker into signing on the dotted line [}:)] ) have left me rather feeling my years,see you all tomorrow for pikes perspectives and whatever strangeness the day may bring-sleep well,it`s the moonlight mile for me,nick [C=:-)]

[siberianmo]

Good Evenin’!

<yawn> Heard someone come through the door, and it woke me up![swg]

To the acknowledgments:

Trainnut484 Russell
Posted: 24 Jan 2006, 16:59:12

Nice to have you stop by during the week, especially since it appears that our Regulars for the most part have flow the coop! Have a Bathams on me.

You confused me regarding your comment to BK. Suggest you review his Post on page 221, it’s not a pleasure trip. Also, did you find something that I missed regarding Ted’s “protégé”[?] No one has stepped up to assume the Manager’s position that I’m aware of – yet. [%-)][%-)]

If you build a ‘puter system for Rob I’ll ship to him![tup] Sure miss having perhaps the most consistent and supportive Regular missing for so long.

Interesting contrasts in pix, eh[?] Somewhere in my photo archives is a pix of me at the AT&SF station at the Grand Canyon’s south rim in 1953 AND a 1988 pix of me in the same place. Those are great for “keepers.”[tup]

Speaking of pix, I’m pleased with the way those coasters that Pete gave me turned out so well. If you “click” on the image the details are really vivid. This technology is fantastic.[yeah]

nickinwestwales Nick
Posted: 24 Jan 2006, 19:12:07

Once again, “it worked!” I used the “refresh/repost” feature BEFORE Posting this blurb, and there you were! So, I’ll add you to my acknowledgments ….

Those four drinks, right over there, are yours – all in different styles of beer glasses as you can see. Nice touch, eh[?][swg]

Do you have a pix of the train station at Haverfordwest[?] If so, please send it to me by Email.

Thanx for that URL on the Atlas track planning. I tried that a couple of months ago and had a devil of a time with it. I’ve saved it on a disc, so I’ll get to it again. It’s something I’ve wanted to do, then kind of lost interest. NowutImean[?] Appreciate your keeping me in mind – means a lot.[tup]

Did you catch the “word” on Rob[?] He’s offline for perhaps up to two weeks. Not good. Looks like the IC has pretty much dissolved.[tdn]

On a positive note, it’s almost time ‘round here to shut this thing down and catch a flick on the tube with my bride![yeah]


Leon the Night Man has the bar! This man of sartorial splendor is attired in what looks like a wet suit with a mesh overlay. He tells me it is the “latest” in fashion here in Mentor Village.[wow]

Catch y’all in the ‘morrow!


Tom[4:-)] [oX)]


Stick around a few minutes AFTER POSTING - The information you MISS may be for YOU!

Those who acknowledge the other guy, get acknowledged!

[Trainnut484]

Evening Tom and all who haunt this place tonight. Leon, that wet suit rig-a-ma-roe looks good on ya. I'll have a Coca-Cola to go, because I'm just dropping this note for Tom.

Tom, thanks for the Bathams. I kinda got the sense from Bk's post upstream that he was in Finland for something other than for pleasure, but that doesn't mean one can't have fun. I don't know who Ted's replacement is either, and I was speaking in future tense that his protege' will fit the bill [;)]. Hopefully someone will answer the call.

Take care,

Russell

[siberianmo]

WEDNESDAY’s INFO & SUMMARY of POSTS

We open at 6 AM, all time zones. (Don’t ask how we do that!)[swg]

G’day! Here we are again – Wednesday, time to fill up the coffee mugs, check out the menu board for our <traditional> and <light> breakfasts and sample The Mentor Village Bakery pastry case![swg]


Daily Wisdom

I’m as red as a sheet. (Yogi-ism)


Info for the Day:

* Weekly Calendar:

Today Pike Perspective’s Day!
Thursday Fish ‘n Chips Nite!
Friday Pizza Nite! & Steak ‘n Fries Nite!
Saturday Steak ‘n Trimmin’s Nite!

RR Book Relay – First mailing was Monday![tup]


SUMMARY

Name …..…………… Date/Time …..…..………. (Page#) .. Remarks

(1) siberianmo Tom Posted: 24 Jan 2006, 05:33:05 (228) Tuesday’s Info & Summary

(2) passengerfan Al Posted: 24 Jan 2006, 07:01:59 (228) Streamlined Coaches

(3) siberianmo Tom Posted: 24 Jan 2006, 11:05:47 (228) NOSTALGIA #63 Ad, Budd Co. (1949)

(4) LoveDomes Lars Posted: 24 Jan 2006, 11:51:19 (229) Domes, etc.

(5) BudKarr BK Posted: 24 Jan 2006, 12:33:39 (229) from Helsinki!

(6) siberianmo Tom Posted: 24 Jan 2006, 13:59:55 (229) Acknowledgments, etc.

(7) Trainnut484 Russell Posted: 24 Jan 2006, 16:59:12 (229) Inclusive Post & Pix

(8) nickinwestwales Nick Posted: 24 Jan 2006, 19:12:07 (229) Inclusive Post, etc.

(9) siberianmo Tom Posted: 24 Jan 2006, 19:54:30 (229) Acknowledgments, etc.

(10) Trainnut484 Russell Posted: 24 Jan 2006, 20:24:48 (229) etc.


NOW SHOWING at The Mentor Village Emporium Theatre:

. . . January 23rd thru 28th: Denver and Rio Grande (1952) starring Edmond O’Brien, Sterling Hayden & Dean Jagger


That’s it! [tup][;)]

Tom [4:-)] [oX)]
Proprietor of “Our” Place, an adult eating & drinking establishment!

[passengerfan]

Good Morning Tom and the rest of the gang. Time for a coffee and a crumpet from the Mentor Bakery.

PASSENGERFAN AL'S ATREAMLINER CORNER #48

NORTH COAST LIMITED CB&Q – NP – SP&S Trains 25-26 September 9, 1948 Chicago – Seattle/Portland daily 2,318 miles each direction 52 hours each way Although this is the date generally listed for streamlined NORTH COAST LIMITED operation the trains in actual fact heavyweight head end cars and heavyweight sleeping cars were still operated in the trains until 1952.

The NORTH COAST LIMITED oldest named train to the Pacific Northwest dating from April 29, 1900 was owned by the Northern Pacific Railway and was the last of the northwest’s premier trains to be fully streamlined. The September 9, 1948 date is generally accepted as the date the final car of the orders to equip the lightweight streamlined NORTH COAST LIMITED was delivered from Pullman Standard and placed in a consist departing Chicago by the CB&Q. Actually the NORTH COAST LIMITED kind of evolved into a lightweight streamlined train over a period of about 1-1/2 years. Six sets of equipment were required for daily operation of the NORTH COAST LIMITED between Chicago and Seattle and Portland. The NORTH COAST LIMITED when it began service as a lightweight streamlined train was the slowest of the premiere trains between Chicago and the Pacific Northwest. The CB&Q owned one set of equipment of the NORTH COAST LIMITED, as they were the operator between St. Paul and Chicago. For power the CB&Q supplied their own E-Units over their trackage. Between St. Paul and Seattle the NP purchased EMD A-B-B sets of F3 diesels to power the NORTH COAST LIMITED. The NP would soon switch to A-B-A sets of power, as they did not require turning at terminals. Each consist of the NORTH COAST LIMITED carried a through Chicago – Portland Coach and Sleeping car forwarded to and from Portland by the SP&S from Pasco, Washington. The following is the initial six eleven car consists of the NORTH COAST LIMITED between Chicago and Seattle – Portland. The last train set is shown without power as one set was being serviced in Chicago.

6500A EMD F3A 1,500 HP Diesel Passenger Cab Unit

6500B EMD F3B 1,500 HP Diesel Passenger Booster Unit

6500C EMD F3B 1,500 HP Diesel Passenger Booster Unit

400 3,000-Gallon Water Baggage Car

425 30” Railway Post Office 21-Crew Dormitory Car

500 56- Revenue Seat Day Coach

588 56- Revenue Seat Leg Rest Coach

589 56- Revenue Seat Leg Rest Coach (Chicago – Portland)

494 26- Revenue Seat Coach Buffet 20- Seat lounge Car

450 12- Seat Lunch Counter 30- Seat Dining Car

ABERDEEN 6- Roomette 8- Duplex Roomette 1- Compartment 3- Double Bedroom Sleeping Car

BILLINGS 6- Roomette 8- Duplex Roomette 1- Compartment 3- Double Bedroom Sleeping Car

BISMARCK 6- Roomette 8- Duplex Roomette 1- Compartment 3- Double Bedroom Sleeping Car (Chicago – Portland)

RAINIER CLUB 4- Double Bedroom 1- Compartment Buffet 26- Seat Lounge Observation

SECOND CONSIST

6501A EMD F3A 1,500 HP Diesel Passenger Cab Unit

6501B EMD F3B 1,500 HP Diesel Passenger Booster Unit

6501C EMD F3B 1,500 HP Diesel Passenger Booster Unit

401 3,000-Gallon Water Baggage Car

426 30’ Railway Post Office 21 Crew Dormitory Car

501 56- Revenue Seat Day Coach

590 56- Revenue Seat Leg Rest Coach

591 56- Revenue Seat Leg Rest Coach (Chicago – Portland)

495 26- Revenue Seat Coach Buffet 20- Seat Lounge Car

451 12- Seat Lunch Counter 30- Seat Dining Car

BRAINERD 6- Roomette 8- Duplex Roomette 1- Compartment 3- Double Bedroom Sleeping Car

BUTTE 6- Roomette 8- Duplex Roomette 1- Compartment 3- Double Bedroom Sleeping Car

DETROIT LAKES 6- Roomette 8- Duplex Roomette 1- Compartment 3- Double Bedroom Sleeping Car (Chicago – Portland)

SPOKANE CLUB 4- Double Bedroom 1- Compartment Buffet 26- Seat Lounge Observation

THIRD CONSIST

6502A EMD F3A 1,500 HP Diesel Passenger Cab Unit

6502B EMD F3B 1,500 HP Diesel Passenger Booster Unit

6502C EMD F3B 1,500 HP Diesel Passenger Booster Unit

402 3,000-Gallon Water Baggage Car

427 30’ Railway Post Office 21- Crew Dormitory Car

502 56- Revenue Seat Day Coach

592 56- Revenue Seat Leg Rest Coach

593 56- Revenue Seat Leg Rest Coach (Chicago – Portland)

496 26- Revenue Seat Coach Buffet 20- Seat Lounge Car

452 12- Seat Lunch Counter 30- Seat Dining Car

DICKINSON 6- Roomette 8- Duplex Roomette 1- Compartment 3- Double Bedroom Sleeping Car

FARGO 6- Roomette 8- Duplex Roomette 1- Compartment 3- Double Bedroom Sleeping Car

HELENA 6- Roomette 8- Duplex Roomette 1- Compartment 3- Double Bedroom Sleeping Car (Chicago – Portland)

ARLINGTON CLUB 4- Double Bedroom 1- Compartment Buffet 26- Seat Lounge Observation

FOURTH CONSIST

6503A EMD F3A 1,500 HP Diesel Passenger Cab Unit

6503B EMD F3B 1,500 HP Diesel Passenger Booster Unit

6503C EMD F3B 1,500 HP Diesel Passenger Booster Unit

403 3,000-Gallon Water Baggage Car

428 30’ Railway Post Office 21- Crew Dormitory Car

503 56- Revenue Seat Day Coach

594 56- Revenue Seat Leg Rest Coach

595 56- Revenue Seat Leg Rest Coach (Chicago – Portland)

497 26- Revenue seat Coach Buffet 20- Seat Lounge Car

453 12- Seat Lunch Counter 30- Seat Dining Car

JAMESTOWN 6- Roomette 8- Duplex Roomette 1- Compartment 3- Double Bedroom Sleeping Car

MISSOULA 6- Roomette 8- Duplex Roomette 1- Compartment 3- Double Bedroom Sleeping Car

PASCO 6- Roomette 8- Duplex Roomette 1- Compartment 3- Double Bedroom Sleeping Car (Chicago – Portland)

MONTANA CLUB 4- Double Bedroom 1- Compartment Buffet 26- Seat Lounge Observation

FIFTH CONSIST

6504A EMD F3A 1,500 HP Diesel Passenger Cab Unit

6504B EMD F3B 1,500 HP Diesel Passenger Booster Unit

6504C EMD F3B 1,500 HP Diesel Passenger Booster Unit

404 3,000-Gallon Water Baggage Car

429 30’ Railway Post Office 21- Crew Dormitory Car

504 56- Revenue Seat Day Coach

596 56 Revenue seat Leg Rest Coach

300 (SP&S) 56- Revenue Seat Leg Rest Coach (Chicago – Portland)

498 26- Revenue Seat Coach Buffet 20- Seat Lounge car

454 12- Seat Lunch Counter 30- Seat Dining Car

VALLEY CITY 6- Roomette 8- Duplex Roomette 1- Compartment 3- Double Bedroom Sleeping Car

WALLA WALLA 6- Roomette 8- Duplex Roomette 1- Compartment 3- Double Bedroom Sleeping Car

PORTLAND (SP&S) 6- Roomette 8- Duplex Roomette 1- Compartment 3- Double Bedroom Sleeping Car

TACOMA CLUB 4- Double Bedroom 1- Compartment Buffet 26- Seat Lounge Observation

SIXTH CONSIST

405 3,000-Gallon Water Baggage Car

430 30’ Railway Post Office 21 Crew Dormitory Car

505 56- Revenue Seat Day Coach

598 (CB&Q) 56- Revenue Seat Leg Rest Coach

599 (CB&Q) 56- Revenue Seat Leg Rest Coach (Chicago – Portland)

499 26- Revenue Seat Coach Buffet 20- Seat Lounge Car

455 (CB&Q) 12- Seat Lunch Counter 30- Seat Dining Car

CHICAGO (CB&Q) 6- Roomette 8- Duplex Roomette 1- Compartment 3- Double Bedroom Sleeping Car

DUBUQUE (CB&Q) 6- Roomette 8- Duplex Roomette 1- Compartment 3- Double Bedroom Sleeping Car

SAVANNA (CB&Q) 6- Roomette 8- Duplex Roomette 1- Compartment 3- Double Bedroom Sleeping Car (Chicago – Portland)

MINNEAPOLIS CLUB (CB&Q) 4- Double Bedroom 1- Compartment Buffet 26- Seat Lounge Car

In 1954 The NORTH COAST LIMITED became the VISTA-DOME NORTH COAST LIMITED and became one of the premier trains of North America. Each of the five consists received two Vista Dome 46-leg-rest seat coaches replacing two of the 56 seat flat top coaches. The other two Vista-Domes were Sleeping cars and were assigned two per consist replacing flat top sleeping cars. The NP operated the Vista Domes with a flat top car between so passengers had an unobstructed view. The NP VISTA-DOME NORTH COAST LIMITED was a faster train matching the timekeeping of the EMPIRE BUILDER by that time and had introduced the Raymond Loewy two-tone green paint scheme with white separation stripe.
In 1958 the VISTA-DOME NORTH COAST LIMITED received new 48-seat Dining cars from Budd the last new Dining cars ever built before Amtrak.
In 1959 the VISTA-DOME NORTH COAST LIMITED added a single unpainted stainless steel car a Slumbercoach to each consist. The reason this car was unpainted was due to the fact they operated in a pool with the VISTA-DOME DENVER ZEPHYR Slumbercoaches and that train was all stainless steel. The NCL lasted until Amtrak and many feel that this route should have been retained rather than the more northerly GN EMPIRE BUILDER route. The reason for the more northerly route was simply that no Interstate paralleled that route like the one that followed the NP across Montana.

TTFN AL

[passengerfan]

Good Morning Tom once again just transferring the sleeping car introduction over here.

STREAMLINED SLEEPING CARS
OF THE
UNITED STATES & CANADA
By Alan L. Pettet

INTRODUCTION







The first lightweight streamlined sleeping car to enter service in the United States was the Pullman Pool car GEORGE M. PULLMAN named for the founder of the Pullman Company. This car was a true lightweight being constructed mainly of Aluminum by Pullman in May 1933.
The car was never repeated but certainly was innovative in many ways being of lightweight Aluminum construction it was the first successful railway application of this metal to a passenger car. The trucks under the car were experimental four wheel trucks with aluminum side frames of a new design built for smooth riding qualities at high speeds, but never repeated as they required a great deal of maintenance. The experimental trucks the Sleeper observation GEORGE M. PULLMAN was delivered with were never repeated under any other car and were replaced by standard 6 wheel trucks within the first two years of operation. The experimental trucks were never seen again. Rumors persist that one of the trucks developed a serious crack and that was the reason for their removal. The interior of the GEORGE M. PULLMAN consisted of 3 Double Bedrooms, 1 Compartment, 1 Drawing Room, with Buffet and Lounge Observation area. The car ran on several different trains over the years before being sold to the C&GW for use as a Business car and Charter car. The GEORGE M. PULLMAN despite its historical significance was retired and scrapped.
Since the first streamlined sleeping cars were direct descendants of the older Pullman heavyweight sleeping cars it is interesting to note that the interiors were basically similar to the heavyweights they replaced except for the clerestory roofs. Many of the heavyweight cars were becoming all room cars by this time as many trains began offering more and more of this type accommodations.
Since the government being far more frugal with taxpayer money during that period in history than in more recent years the person traveling at government expense was only permitted lower berth space. Therefore the demand for lower berth space in Sections continued throughout most of the streamlined Railroad era up until this order was rescinded in 1956. After that time government employees were reimbursed for Roomettes if traveling alone and in some cases where it could be shown that Roomette space was sold out they would reimburse for a Bedroom or even a Compartment. When pairs of Government employees of the same sex were traveling together they would be asked to share a double bedroom or could travel in two separate Roomettes. By the mid 1960’s the Government was reimbursing for any and all sleeping car space on trains including Drawing Rooms and in the case of some high ranking military brass they were even permitted Master Room space on the BROAWAY LIMITED and CRESCENT.
In North America there were four major manufacturers of lightweight streamlined sleeping cars Pullman Standard, Budd Company, American Car & Foundry and Canadian Car & Foundry. Only two Railroads in North America built there own lightweight streamlined sleeping cars the Milwaukee Road who built a number of Touralux sleeping cars for operation in that roads OLYMPIAN HIAWATHA following WW II. These were 14-section sleeping cars and were considered to be Tourist Sleeping Cars. The other Railroad to build sleeping cars in North America was the Canadian Pacific who built the GROVE series of 10 Roomette 5 Double Bedroom Sleeping cars in there own Montreal shops. These GROVE series cars ended their days operating on the NdeM.
During the streamlined era of sleeping car construction the following sleeping car space was available from the car manufacturers Open Sections with upper and lower berths, Duplex Roomettes, Roomettes, Duplex Single Rooms, Double Bedrooms, Compartments, Drawing Rooms and the ultimate in Sleeping car space the Master Room.
The Master Room was only found on three Railroads the New York Central, Pennsylvania, and the Southern and then they were only found in those roads finest trains the PRR BROADWAY LIMITED, LIBERTY LIMITED, NYC TWENTIETH CENTURY LIMITED, COMMODORE VANDERBILT, and SOU CRESCENT. The Master Room provided the largest sleeping car space available for a couple with their own private shower and bathroom annex.
Trains with Drawing Rooms operated in every region of the United States and Canada, and on most of the railroads. This second largest space available to the sleeping car passenger was quite spacious and very popular with families of three and four traveling together. The Drawing Room also came with a separate Bathroom annex but no shower on most trains they operated in. The one exception that comes to mind is the Drawing Room of the CALIFORNIA ZEPHYR Vista Dome Sleepier Lounge Observations; they were equipped with showers in the Bathroom Annex after a 1951 refit. One of these cars 378 SILVER LOOKOUT a CB&Q car delivered in December 1952 was equipped with the annex shower when delivered new from the factory.
The Compartment was next in space and space charges with accommodations for two. The postwar Compartments were built with a separate bathroom annex while those built prior to the war provided a toilet in the Compartment itself offering no privacy.
The Bedroom provided the most popular type of sleeping car accommodation for two people with the postwar cars having Double Bedrooms providing separate bathroom annex and the prewar cars provided the toilet in the bedroom. Many railroads offered two Double Bedrooms that opened up in suite to provide space for families traveling together, this was sold at Drawing Room rates and gave passengers two full size bedrooms and two bathrooms. This was probably the reason for the decline in cars purchased new with Drawing Rooms in the final years of railroad owned streamlined sleeping cars purchases. The two Bedrooms were far easier to sell year round while Drawing Rooms were most popular during the summers when children were out of school and families traveled together. The final cars built new with Drawing Rooms were all constructed in 1956 and the number was quite small. In January 1956 Pullman Standard delivered three 2 Compartment 2 Drawing Room 5 Double Bedroom Sleeping Cars to the Seaboard Air Line 60 BOCA GRANDE, 61 FORT LAUDERDALE, and 62 CLEARWATER. These three cars were assigned one per consist to the SILVER METEOR trains between New York and Miami. In May-June 1956 the Union Pacific received three 2 Compartment 2 Drawing Room 5 Double Bedroom Sleeping cars that joined two previously built cars from 1954 that comprised the OCEAN series. The cars were named 1303 OCEAN MIST, 1304 OCEAN SCENE, and 1305 OCEAN SUNSET while the two earlier cars of this type were 1301 OCEAN SANDS and 1302 OCEAN VIEW. Union Pacific bought the cars for assignment to the CITY OF LOS ANGELES.
Most popular prewar streamlined sleeping car types were the 10-Roomette 5-Double Bedroom sleepers with original owners Pullman Pool, B&O, AT&SF, NYC and PRR. Postwar only the CNR, Erie and CPR would own cars of this configuration and the CPR cars were built by the railroad itself. Other popular prewar types of sleeping cars were the 6-Section 6 -Roomette 4-Double Bedroom Sleeping cars owned by the AT&SF, CRI&P, C&NW, ERIE, IC, MP, SP, and UP. Postwar 6-Section 6-Roomette 4-Double Bedroom Sleeping car owners were B&A, B&M, CNR, CB&Q, L&N, NC&STL, NYNH&H, and WABASH.
Those roads purchasing prewar 4-Compartment 2-Drawing Room 4-Double Bedroom Sleeping cars were AT&SF, CRI&P, ERIE, C&NW, IC, NYC, PRR, Pullman Pool, SP and UP. Only AT&SF, CRI&P, PRR and SP would purchase 4-Compartment 2-Drawing Room 4-Double Bedroom Sleeping cars in the postwar period. Other railroads that purchased cars with Drawing Rooms were ACL, CNR, CPR, FEC, GN, M-K-T, MP, RF&P, SAL, SOU, and T&P.
Most popular interior postwar type of sleeping car was the 10-Roomette 6-Double Bedroom sleeping cars built new for the AT&SF (40), ACL (25), A&WP (1), B&O (10), C&O (56), CB&Q (23), CMSTP&P (10), CNOT&P (4), D&RGW (9), FEC (12), IC (5), L&N (5), MP (12), NKP (13), NYC (137), N&W (23), NP (2), PRR (81), RF&P (10), SAL (19), SOU (25), SP (57), UP (50), and WP (7).
Similar in capacity were the 14-Roomette 4-Double Bedroom Sleeping Cars purchased new by B&O (8), KCS (8), MKT (7), MP (22), NYNH&H (27), SL-SF (17), SOU (11), and T&P (16).
The B&O, MP and SOU were the only roads that purchased both 10-Roomette 6-Double Bedroom Sleeping cars and 14-Roomette 4 Double Bedroom Sleeping cars new.
All Bedroom Sleeping cars were built in three versions 11 Double Bedroom, 12 Double Bedroom, and 13 Double Bedroom. The 11 Double Bedroom was purchased new by C&O, IC, SAL, and UP. Twelve Double Bedroom Sleeping cars were built new for the CRI&P, NYC, and SP. And the 13 Double Bedroom Sleeping cars were built new for the NYC, PRR and SP. The operators of the CALIFORNIA ZEPHYR CB&Q, D&RGW, and WP received a half dozen 6 Double Bedroom 5 Compartment sleeping cars in July - August 1952 from Budd. Pleased with the acceptance by the public of these all room cars the CB&Q ordered two additional cars for 1956 delivery for the new DENVER ZEPHYRS. Union Pacific owned articulated 7 Double Bedroom 2 Compartment sleeping cars. The ACL rebuilt six 14 Roomette 2 Drawing Room sleeping cars in 1961 to 7 Double Bedroom 2 Drawing Room Sleeping cars. The ACL also purchased six NYC 4 Compartment 2 Drawing Room 4 Double Bedroom Sleeping cars in October 1962 and rebuilt them to 4 Compartment 4 Drawing Room cars before entering service in the FLORIDA SPECIAL.
Common on many roads were the 5 or 6 Double Bedroom Buffet Lounge cars. Rare were streamlined sleeping cars that featured sleeping accommodations and complete meal service. Trains that come to mind were the GN WINNIPEG LIMITED, UP BUTTE SPECIAL, NYNH&H FEDERAL, WASHINGTONIAN, MONTREALER, SP&S STREAMLINER and the SP OAKLAND LARK observations. In the case of the GN WINNIPEG LIMITED and UP BUTTE SPECIAL these cars were rebuilt from lightweight streamlined Sleeping cars for these specific train assignments. Even more rare were the 5 Double Bedroom Soda Fountain Lounge cars of the T&P and MP. The total of three of these cars were a product of Texas liquor laws, they operated in the TEXAS EAGLES between St. Louis and Fort Worth.
The Canadian National purchased new streamlined cars that featured Sections combined with complete kitchen facilities for some of their so-called remote region services.
One other postwar streamlined sleeping car type reaching 86 in new cars built the 22 Roomette sleeping car was owned by CRI&P (1), NYC (78) and SP (7).
Other Roomette Sleeping cars came in 17 Roomette versions for the AT&SF, and NYC. Eighteen Roomette streamlined sleeping cars were built for the IC, NYC, PRR, UP, and Pullman Pool; the latter two were transferred to the NKP. Twenty-one Roomette lightweight streamlined sleeping cars were ordered by ACL, FEC, PRR, and RF&P for assignment to the CHAMPIONS, several prewar PRR cars of this type ran in the BROADWAY LIMITED.
Next in size for sleeping car space was the Duplex Single Room operated by the PRR, SP and NP. The Roomette was just about the same size with the Duplex Single Room providing a bed crossways of the train while the Roomette provided a bed length ways of the train. The two SP cars of this type were originally built for prewar CITY OF SAN FRANCISCO trains. After they became SP property in 1945 they continued in two of the CITY OF SAN FRANCISCO consists until about 1952. They were than transferred to the STARLIGHT between San Francisco and Los Angeles. The NP - CB&Q - SP&S cars with Duplex single rooms were all Dome sleeping cars and operated in the NORTH COAST LIMITED. The NP transferred several of these cars to the IC in winter for operation in the CITY OF MIAMI. They were repainted IC colors for this service.
Several railroads ordered Duplex Roomettes that provided the same amenities as a basic Roomette in less space than provided by a standard Roomette, definitely not for the claustrophobic. They were easily spotted from outside a sleeping car by their staggered window arrangement. The Duplex Roomette was popular with the AT&SF, B&O, CB&Q, CNR, CPR, CRI&P, CMSTP&P, C&NW, GN, NP, Pullman Pool and SP&S. Only the AT&SF and CNR purchased 24 Duplex Roomette Sleeping cars the only accommodations in those cars. The twenty CNR cars rode on six wheel trucks and were built by Canadian Car & Foundry to plans provided by Pullman Standard. The CNR in later years assigned these cars as Crew Dormitory cars and later rebuilt several to Baggage Crew dormitory cars with the Dormitory space remaining the Duplex Roomettes. The twelve AT&SF 24 Duplex Roomette Sleeping cars rode on four-wheel trucks and like the CNR they became disillusioned with the cars by the 1960's. The Santa Fe instead of assigning the cars to non-revenue service like the CNR rebuilt the cars in March - April 1964 to 11 Double Bedroom Sleeping cars and assigned them to the SUPER CHIEF retaining their INDIAN prefix names. It is interesting to note that both the Santa Fe and Canadian National 24-Duplex Roomette Sleeping cars both carried names beginning with the letter I. The Santa Fe cars were given INDIAN prefix names while the CN cars carried names of towns and cities in Canada beginning with the letter I.
After the Duplex Roomette the lower berth and upper berth spaces known as Sections was at the bottom of the pecking order for Pullman space. The lower berth cost more than an upper but surprisingly both were very comfortable. Several railroads purchased all Section streamlined sleeping cars before WW II such as AT&SF 14 Section Sleepers for the CHIEF. The Union Pacific purchased articulated 12 section and 11 section open and enclosed Section sleepers for use in the CITY fleet. The CB&Q purchased articulated 12 Section sleeping cars for the DENVER ZEPHYRS. Only four railroads purchased all section streamlined sleeping cars following WW II these were the CB&Q, D&RGW, UP and WP. The CB&Q-D&RGW-WP cars of this type were 16-Section cars purchased for operation in the jointly owned and operated CALIFORNIA ZEPHYR. Six cars were initially purchased with each road owning two apiece. In 1952 one additional 16-Section sleeping car was delivered to the CB&Q for operation in both the CALIFORNIA ZEPHYR and AK-SAR-BEN ZEPHYR. The UP purchased fourteen 14-Section Sleeping cars that were delivered in 1954 for assignment to the CITY fleet. Both railroads had trouble filling these Section cars in the early 1960's and began looking for other uses for the cars. The 16-Section Sleeping cars of the CB&Q-D&RGW-WP were rebuilt to 48-revenue seat Leg-rest Coaches for the CALIFORNIA ZEPHYR beginning in November 1963. The UP rebuilt the 16-Section ALPINE series cars in 1965 to 44 revenue Leg-rest seat coaches. Many of the major railroads never owned a lightweight streamlined sleeping car with Section space like the PRR, NYC, N&W, NP, SL-SF, C&O, CMSTP&P, RF&P, SOU, and T&P. A quick review of Sleeping car space found in lightweight streamlined sleeping cars at the top the Master Room, followed by the Drawing Room, Compartment, Duplex Single Room, Roomette, Duplex Roomette, Lower Berth and Upper Berth.
Streamlined sleeping car oddities were prewar CRI&P 10 Section 4 Roomette sleeping cars 650 ODESSA LAKE and 651 LAWN LAKE built for the ROCKY MOUNTAIN ROCKET. A series of postwar streamlined twelve 8 Roomette 6 Double Bedroom Sleeping cars built in 1954 for the TWIN STAR ROCKET, ROCKY MOUNTAIN ROCKET, and GOLDEN STATES.
Other configurations that were only popular on certain roads were the 8 Section 2 Compartment 2 Double Bedroom sleeping cars of the AT&SF operated in the prewar CHIEF and SUPER CHIEF. The 14 Roomette 1 Drawing Room 2 Double Bedroom streamlined sleeping cars of the MP and T&P assigned to the TEXAS EAGLES.
Cars with Duplex Single Room accommodations included a pair of 12 Duplex Single Room 5 Double Bedroom Sleeping cars operated in prewar streamlined CITY trains that became SP owned following the war. The PRR purchased nineteen 12 Duplex Single Room 5 Double Bedroom Sleeping cars before WW II and received twenty-four 12 Duplex Single Room 4 Double Bedroom Sleeping cars following WW II. Northern Pacific purchased eleven Vista-Dome Sleeping cars that featured 4 Roomettes 4 Double Bedrooms and 4 Duplex Single Rooms beneath the dome. The NP, CB&Q, and SP&S owned the cars for service in the NORTH COAST LIMITED. In the winter months these cars could be found operating in the PRR SOUTH WIND and IC CITY OF MIAMI.
Up until 1947 Tourist Sleeping cars had been quite popular particularly on long distance Western trains. Many of these cars older heavyweight 14 and 16 section sleeping cars were operated in several trains and the space was sold for a space charge only above the price of a regular coach ticket. There was no need to buy an upgrade to first class, and then buy the sleeping car space supplement as well.
The only postwar trains after 1947 to operate with streamlined Tourist Sleeping cars in the U. S. were the OLYMPIAN HIAWATHA and COLUMBIAN the two Milwaukee Road trains between Chicago and Seattle-Tacoma. The Milwaukee Road initially constructed twelve 14 Section Touralux cars in the MT. series for operation in pairs in the new postwar OLYMPIAN HIAWATHA train sets with two extra as spares and six 32 revenue seat Coach 8 Section Touralux cars for the same train in the FALLS series. It was soon found this was too much tourist sleeping space so the 32 seat Coach 8 Section cars were withdrawn before their first year of operation was complete. Three of these FALL series cars were later rebuilt to MT. series 14 section Touralux cars and along with the second MT. series from the OLYMPIAN HIAWATHA they became the sole sleeping car space on the secondary COLUMBIAN train.
The only other railroads to venture into the Tourist sleeping car business after 1948 were the two Canadian roads both of whom continued operating heavyweight 14-Section Sleeping cars in their transcontinental trains uninterrupted until both considered purchasing lightweight streamlined cars. Instead CPR remodeled a series of heavyweight 14 section sleeping cars as tourist sleeping cars for operation in the CANADIAN of 1955. These cars were anything but streamlined but the CPR did dress them up with fluted stainless steel panels to match the rest of the all Budd built stainless steel car trains. The CPR carried these cars directly behind the Baggage Crew Dormitory cars ahead of the coaches for the passengers of these tourist sleeping cars.
Rival CN rebuilt and fully streamlined a series of heavyweight 14-section tourist Sleeping cars into 14 section tourist sleeping cars for operation in the SUPER CONTINENTAL between Montreal –Toronto and Vancouver, B.C.
At that time Canada was experiencing a period of rapid population growth. Large numbers of European immigrants were landing by ship and plane in Montreal and Toronto, this kept the Tourist Sleeping cars in both the CANADIAN and SUPER CONTINENTAL carrying large numbers of new immigrants to the Western Provinces for a number of years.
The big breakthrough in sleeping car space for coach travelers came in October 1956 with the introduction by Budd of the Slumbercoach in the new CB&Q DENVER ZEPHYRS. These cars provided forty Coach passengers with private rooms for the overnight trip between Chicago and Denver-Colorado Springs in each direction. Each Slumbercoach provided 24 Single Rooms for single occupancy and 8 Double Rooms for double occupancy. For single rooms the charge between Chicago and Denver was $7.50 plus coach fare and for double rooms the charge was $13.50 plus coach fare. Unfortunately these cars could have probably saved some of the nations passenger trains if they had made their debut a few years earlier, when some railroads were still interested in buying new passenger cars. For certain railroads the Slumbercoach became a very important part of their passenger operations. The Northern Pacific not only operated a Slumbercoach in the premier NORTH COAST LIMITED between Chicago and Seattle. Later they would assign Slumbercoaches to the secondary MAINSTREETER between St. Paul and Seattle; this would become the only sleeping car assigned to this train replacing the first class sleeping car and the crew Dormitory space as well.
The NYC returned ten 22 Roomette sleeping cars to Budd between August and October 1961 to be rebuilt to 16 single room 10 double room Sleepercoaches (NYC name for Slumbercoaches) for service in the TWENTIETH CENTURY LIMITED CLEVELAND LIMITED, NEW ENGLAND STATES and OHIO STATE LIMITED.
Many railroads operated streamlined sleeping cars but the largest owners of these cars was NYC (400) and PRR (347) in the United States whose combined lightweight streamlined sleeping car fleet totaled nearly 750 cars. The Canadian National owned a total of 413 new, used and remodeled streamlined Sleeping Cars. At the other end of the scale there was Atlanta & West Point with one, Western of Alabama with two, Bangor and Aroostook with two and Boston & Maine with four. Railroads such as the Lehigh Valley, Delaware & Hudson, Jersey Central, Reading, CGW, MeC, M&STL, CofG, and Monon owned none.
Streamlined sleeping cars served some very out of the way destinations in North America. Such destinations as Churchill, Manitoba on Hudson Bay, St. John’s, Newfoundland was served by narrow gauge semi-streamlined sleeping cars. Butte, Montana the richest city in America at one time with it’s mining activity was served by four different railroads and three of those provided sleeping car routes one the UP route a final destination on the line running north from Salt Lake City. The other two railroads that served Butte with streamlined Sleeping cars were the Northern Pacific and the Milwaukee Road with through routes. Prince Rupert, British Columbia always the little city with the big ambition to become a major West Coast port city was served by a streamlined train that carried a sleeping car, at one time this train was named SKEENA. Walla Walla, Washington the town that liked the sound of its name so much it repeated it was served briefly by a streamlined sleeping car operating over the NP between Seattle and the southeastern Washington city nightly traveling to and from Seattle from Pasco in the NORTH COAST LIMITED.
Streamlined sleeping cars served such famous resorts and National Parks as Hot Springs, Arkansas (MP), Greenbrier (C&O), Yellowstone National Park (UP & NP), Glacier National Park (GN), Sun Valley (UP), and to the rim of the Grand Canyon on the Santa Fe. In summer months the GN WESTERN STAR often departed Chicago with both PRR and NYC sleeping cars leased to tour groups en route to Glacier National Park where they were set out and served as the passengers hotel rooms while they visited the park. When the cars returned east an eastbound WESTERN STAR picked them up at Glacier for Chicago. From Portland the SP&S WESTERN STAR connection forwarded leased to tour group SP sleeping cars to Spokane where they joined the WESTERN STAR for the trip to Glacier National Park. The GN owned hotels in Glacier National Park that were outstanding for summer visitors.
North of the border Canadian Pacific served that countries western national parks Banff and Lake Louis owning hotels in both parks as well. Not only did the Canadian Pacific own Hotels and trains they also owned Steamships and there own Airline. Before WW II it was possible to board a Canadian Pacific Empress Steamship in Hong Kong and travel to Vancouver where you could board a CP train such as the DOMINION for the trip to Montreal where you could board another Empress Ship for the trip to England or France.
Canadian National served Jasper National Park in the Canadian Rockies and owned a hotel in that park as well.
Throughout the 1950’s and 1960’s the PRR brought train loads of passengers to the famous Army – Navy football game held each fall in Philadelphia with the sleeping cars serving as overnight hotel rooms for the annual event. And every May for many years Louisville, Kentucky was home to dozens of sleeping cars there for Kentucky Derby week some from as far away as California. Not all of these cars were streamlined sleeping cars but in the final years that the event brought passengers by rail most were brought by streamlined sleeping car and again it served as their hotel throughout the weeks celebrations. It should also be mentioned that many of the previously mentioned events and places brought many private railroad cars as well.
In winter months it was not unusual to see sleeping cars from many western roads operating in such winter trains between New York and Florida as the FLORIDA SPECIAL. It fact most winters it was rare to see many ACL or in later years SCL sleeping cars in the FLORIDA SPECIAL at all. With traffic between the Northeast and Florida busiest during the winter season the railroads operated all of their regular streamlined sleeping cars in such streamliners as the SILVER METEOR, SILVER STAR and CHAMPIONS. Demand for sleeping car space brought many off line sleeping cars from other roads to the routes to and from Florida. On the PRR SOUTHWIND NP Vista-Dome sleeping cars operated between Chicago and Miami in the winter months. The same was true for the IC CITY OF MIAMI but one had to be more astute as the IC repainted NP Vista Dome Sleepers each winter into the IC Chocolate, Orange and Yellow scheme returning them to the NP freshly repainted in NP colors each spring. The flexibility of the Pullman operated fleet among the railroads made sure that when necessary for peak travel demand or seasonal travel demands the cars from railroads where the demand was less were available to those railroads that needed them. Only at Christmas did the sleeping cars of most railroads remain on the rails of the owning road.
For years the CALIFORNIA ZEPHYR carried a through-streamlined 10 Roomette 6 Double Bedroom sleeping car east of Chicago via PRR one day and the NYC the next. The PRR owned CALIFORNIA ZEPHYR 10 Roomette 6 Double Bedroom Sleeping car 8449 SILVER RAPIDS, while the NYC leased one of the D&RGW cars of this type. The integrity of the stainless steel train was not to be broken with off line sleeping cars. But in the final years of this famous streamliner it was not unusual to see foreign sleeping cars such as B&O or even UP operating in the CALIFORNIA ZEPHYR.
The PRR PENN TEXAS at one time carried through sleeping cars from New York and Washington to St. Louis. These through sleeping cars were destined beyond to Houston, El Paso, and San Antonio by way of the MP TEXAS EAGLES as well as a second sleeping car to San Antonio via the MKT-SLSF TEXAS SPECIAL.
Other through streamlined sleeping cars operated in the Santa Fe CHIEF west of Chicago traveled east of Chicago to and from New York in the PRR BROADWAY LIMITED and NYC TWENTIETH CENTURY LIMITED. One other car in the CHIEF was a through car between Washington and San Diego traveling in the B&O CAPITOL LIMITED between Washington and Chicago, the CHIEF between Chicago and Los Angeles, and the SAN DIEGAN between Los Angeles and San Diego.
The SP/CRI&P GOLDEN STATE carried a through streamlined sleeping car from Minneapolis to Los Angeles. It traveled between Minneapolis and Kansas City in the TWIN STAR ROCKET and was transferred to the GOLDEN STATE at that point. At one time the Southern Pacific SUNSET LIMITED had been a through train between New Orleans and San Francisco by way of Los Angeles. After this was discontinued the MP and Santa Fe operated a through New Orleans - San Francisco Sleeping car via the MP to and from Houston and the AT&SF beyond traveling in the southern section of the GRAND CANYON from Clovis to Bakersfield and the GOLDEN GATE beyond.
Amtrak even operated a through 10 Roomette 6 Double Bedroom sleeping car between New York and Los Angeles that traveled by the SOU SOUTHERN CRESCENT and Amtrak former SP SUNSET beyond New Orleans to Los Angeles.
The All-Pullman trains were fewer in number during the streamline era than during the era the heavyweight sleeper reigned supreme. The all-Pullman streamlined trains were the following:

NYC

TWENTIETH CENTURY LIMITED

DETROITER

CLEVELAND LIMITED

ADVANCE COMMODORE VANDERBILT

COMMODORE VANDERBILT

GENESEE

PRR

BROADWAY LIMITED

PITTSBURGHER

GENERAL

SPIRIT OF ST. LOUIS

LIBERTY LIMITED

AT&SF

SUPER CHIEF

CHIEF

SP

LARK

CASCADE

OVERLAND LIMITED

B&O

CAPITOL LIMITED

C&O

GEORGE WASHINGTON

ACL

FLORIDA
SPECIAL

MIAMIAN

PULLMAN

TREASURE ISLAND SPECIAL

FORTY-NINER

ARIZONA LIMITED

IC

PANAMA LIMITED

NYNH&H

FEDERAL

B&M

BAR HARBOR EXPRESS

UP

CITY OF LOS ANGELES

Only five of the above trains the TREASURE ISLAND SPECIAL, FORTY-NINER, PANAMA LIMITED, BAR HARBOR EXPRESS and MIAMIAN carried sleepers with upper and lower Berth sections. The other trains would achieve all-Room status with several introduced as all room streamliners. One of the most famous heavyweight All-Pullman trains the SAL ORANGE BLOSSOM SPECIAL never became streamlined and operated as a heavyweight for all of its years of service.
Many Railroads purchased used lightweight streamlined sleeping cars from other railroads when those railroads ended sleeping car services or even passenger train services. The NdeM became the largest purchaser of used streamlined sleeping cars with the Canadian National next. Few U. S. roads purchased used sleeping cars from other roads. Among those that did was the Milwaukee Road who purchased five PACIFIC series 10 Roomette 6 Double Bedroom Sleeping cars from Union Pacific. Other U. S. roads that purchased used sleeping cars were AT&SF, ACL, B&O, IC, NKP, and SCL.
The streamlined sleeping cars came with either stainless steel finish, or painted to match the rest of the train. In some cases where smooth side steel sleeping cars operated in otherwise stainless steel consists they were painted with shadow line striping to simulate the fluted stainless steel panels of the trains other cars. From a distance it was difficult to spot one of these cars in an otherwise stainless steel streamliners consist.
Many railroads owned streamlined sleeper lounge observations that brought up the markers of the roads premier trains. The streamlined Observations were either Skytop (Milwaukee Road), taper ended, round ended, and blunt or square ended. Most of these cars were combined with sleeping and Buffet Lounge facilities. Several railroads had Buffet and lounge seating only in their Observations while others combined lounge seating with sleeping car space and no Buffet or bar so the revenue from this source would not have to be shared with Pullman.
The old heavyweight Pullman workhorse had been the 12-1 containing 12 sections and 1 Drawing Room. During the Streamline era the workhorse was the 10-6 with 10 Roomettes and 6 Double Bedrooms.
Many of the older heavyweight sleeping cars offered rooms besides sections such as the following:
LAKE prefix
FORT prefix
CAMP prefix
10 Sections
1 Drawing Room
2 Compartments

CHIEF prefix
ISLAND prefix
10 Sections
1 Drawing Room
1 Compartment

VILLA prefix
10 Sections
3 Double Bedrooms

STAR prefix
LITTLE prefix
PRAIRIE prefix
14 Sections

GLEN prefix
6 Compartments
3 Drawing Rooms

CLOVER prefix
8 Sections
5 Double Bedrooms

WILLOW prefix
7 Drawing Rooms

POINT prefix
10 Sections
2 Drawing Rooms

FIR prefix
6 Sections
4 Roomettes
4 Double Bedrooms

Pullman streamlined or semi streamlined over 130 heavyweight sleeping cars prior to WW II for the following railroads:

Streamlined

Baltimore & Ohio

CAPITOL LIMITED

NATIONAL LIMITED

Gulf Mobile & Ohio

GULF COAST REBEL

Pennsylvania

GENERAL

LIBERTY LIMITED

PITTSBURGHER

SPIRIT OF ST. LOUIS

Pullman

FORTY NINER

Semi-Streamlined

Chicago Burlington & Quincy - Chicago Rock Island & Pacific

ZEPHYR - ROCKET

Colorado & Southern
Fort Worth & Denver

TEXAS ZEPHYR

Kansas City Southern

SOUTHERN BELLE

Missouri Pacific

COLORADO EAGLE

Southern

TENNESSEAN

Lightweight streamlined sleeping cars for the most part were named but roads such as SP preferred numbers and other than SP sleeping cars operating for a time in the GOLDEN STATE, SAN FRANCISCO OVERLAND and CITY OF SAN FRANCISCO they were numbered. The cars assigned to the previously mentioned trains were numbered by the mid-1950s losing their names at that time. The NP streamlined sleeping cars delivered in 1948 were initially named only. All were numbered in 1954-55 and future deliveries of NP cars were delivered with numbers only. I can still recall the young man catching the NORTH COAST LIMITED insisting the Dome sleeper he was boarding was named VISTA-DOME NORTH COAST LIMITED.
Many Railroads supplemented their car names with numbers for the accounting departments. But many of these numbers were never actually painted on the cars themselves. In those cases the accounting department used a cross-reference guide to match car names to numbers.
After the breakup by the Government of Pullman and Pullman Standard the operating arm Pullman sold many heavyweight sleeping cars to the railroads. Pullman named most of the prewar lightweight streamlined sleeping cars, while the postwar sleeping cars were named by the railroads that purchased them. The following are examples of the most popular named sleeping cars.

ALPINE prefix
14 Section

UP

AMERICAN prefix
6 Section 6 Roomette
4 Double Bedroom

UP
C&NW
SP
ERIE

BAY suffix
22 Roomette

NYC

BEACH suffix
6 Section
6Roomette
4 Double Bedroom

NYNH&H

BLUE prefix
10 Roomette
3 Double Bedroom
2 Compartment

AT&SF

12 Roomette
4 Double Bedroom

WABASH

BROOK suffix
12 Duplex Single Room
5 Double Bedroom

PRR

CAPE prefix
2 Compartment
2 Double Bedroom
Buffet Lounge

CNR

CASCADE prefix
10 Roomette
5 Double Bedroom
AT&SF
B&O
CRI&P
NYC
PRR
PULLMAN POOL

CHATEAU prefix
8 Duplex Roomette
1 Drawing Room
3 Double Bedroom
4 Section

CPR

CITY prefix
17 Roomette
1 Section

NYC

18 Roomette

NYC
NKP
PRR

5 Double Bedroom
Café Lounge

NKP

10 Roomette
6 Double Bedroom

C&O
NKP

CLUB suffix
1 Compartment
4 Double Bedroom
Buffet Lounge
Observation

CB&Q
NP

5 Double Bedroom
Buffet Lounge
Observation

C&O

COLONIAL prefix
1 Drawing Room
3 Double Bedroom
Bar Lounge

PRR

COUNTY suffix
10 Roomette 6 Double Bedroom

ACL
PRR
RF&P

13 Double Bedroom

NYC
PRR

CREEK suffix
12 Duplex Single Bedroom
4 Double Bedroom

PRR

8 Double Bedroom
Skytop Lounge
Observation
CMSTP&P

CRESCENT prefix
1 Master Room
2 Drawing Room
Buffet Lounge

SOU

EAGLE prefix

All MP and T&P Sleeping cars
PRR sleeping cars assigned as through cars in MP and T&P trains

FALLS suffix
6 Double Bedroom
Buffet Lounge

NYC
PRR

14 Roomette
4 Double Bedroom

CNR

GLACIER suffix
16 Duplex Roomette
4 Double Bedroom

CB&Q
GN
SP&S

GOLDEN prefix
Most often associated with SP and CRI&P cars operating in GOLDEN STATE

GREEN prefix
6 Section
4 Double Bedroom
6 Roomette

CNR

GROVE suffix
10 Roomette
5 Double Bedroom

CPR

HARBOR suffix
22 Roomette

NYC

IMPERIAL prefix
4 Double Bedroom
4 Compartment
2 Drawing Room

C&NW
NYC
PRR
SP
UP
Pullman Pool

INDIAN prefix
24 Duplex Roomette
Later
11 Double Bedroom

AT&SF

INN suffix
21 Roomette
PRR

ISLAND suffix
1 Double Bedroom
1 Master Room
Buffet Lounge
Observation

NYC

LAKE prefix
10 Roomette
6 Double Bedroom

CMSTP&P

LAKE suffix
6 Double Bedroom
Buffet Lounge

NYC

LOCH prefix
24 Single Room
8 Double Room

NP
CB&Q

MANOR suffix
4 Roomette
5 Double Bedroom
1 Compartment
4 Sections

CPR

MT. prefix
14 Section

CMSTP&P

NARROWS suffix
2 Drawing Room
1 Double Bedroom
1 Compartment
Buffet Lounge
Observation

PRR

NATIONAL prefix
6 Section
6 Roomette
4 Double Bedroom

UP
WABASH

NORTHERN prefix
16 Duplex Roomette
1 Compartment
2 Double Bedroom

C&NW

OCEAN prefix
2 Compartment
2 Drawing Room
5 Double Bedroom

UP

PACIFIC prefix
10 Roomette
6 Double Bedroom

UP
CMSTP&P

PALM prefix
10 Roomette
6 Double Bedroom

AT&SF

PARK suffix
3 Double Bedroom
1 Drawing Room
Dome
Lounge Bar
Lounge Observation

CPR

PASS suffix
4 Section
8 Duplex Roomette
4 Double Bedroom

CB&Q
GN
SP&S

6 Roomette
5 Double Bedroom
2 Compartment

CB&Q
GN
SP&S

PINE prefix
10 Roomette
6 Double Bedroom

AT&SF

PINE suffix
6 Section
6 Roomette
4 Double Bedroom

C&EI
L&N
NC&STL

PLACID prefix
11 Double Bedroom

UP

POINT suffix
14 Roomette
4 Double Bedroom

NYNH&H

PORT prefix
12 Double Bedroom

NYC

RAPIDS suffix
10 Roomette
6 Double Bedroom

PRR

REGAL prefix
4 Double Bedroom
4 Compartment
2 Drawing Room
AT&SF

RIVER suffix
10 Roomette
6 Double Bedroom

A&WP
CNR
FEC
L&N
NYC
PRR
SOU
WofA

14 Roomette
4 Double Bedroom

SL-SF

4 Section
1 Compartment
7 Duplex Roomette
3 Double Bedroom

CB&Q
GN
SP&S

RIVIERE prefix
10 Roomette
6 Double Bedroom

CNR

ROYAL prefix
5 Double Bedroom
Buffet Lounge
Observation

L&N
NYC
SOU
WofA

SILVER prefix

All CB&Q, WP Sleepers and those D&RGW sleepers assigned to California Zephyr

SOUTH prefix
18 Roomette

CNR

STAR prefix
11 Double Bedroom

UP

STREAM suffix
6 Double Bedroom
Buffet Lounge

NYC

SUN prefix
11 Double Bedroom

UP

VAL prefix
22 Roomette

CNR

VALLEY suffix
6 Section
6 Roomette
4 Double Bedroom

AT&SF

10 Roomette
6 Double Bedroom

NYC

14 Roomette
4 Double Bedroom

SOU

VISTA prefix
1 Double Bedroom
4 Drawing Room
Lounge Observation

AT&SF

Both Canadian National and Illinois Central identified some of their sleeping cars by the first letter the car name began with.
B series
11 Double Bedroom

IC

C series
10 Roomette
6 Double Bedroom

IC

D series
10 Roomette
5 Double Bedroom

IC

E series
8 Duplex Roomette
4 Section
4 Double Bedroom

CNR

F series
22 Roomette

IC

G series
4 Compartment
2 Drawing Room
4 Double Bedroom

IC

I series
24 Duplex Roomette

CNR

NdeM and FCP purchased most of their lightweight streamlined sleeping cars used from U. S. and Canadian roads. They were renamed with the following prefixes, these prefixes did not necessarily identify specific interior configurations as the U.S. and Canadian roads did. The following prefixes were some of those assigned to NdeM and FCP sleeping cars.

CLUB prefix
6 Double Bedroom
Buffet Lounge

NdeM

4 Double Bedroom
Buffet Lounge
Observation

NdeM

DR. prefix
18 Roomette

NdeM

GOLFO DE prefix
4 Double Bedroom
4 Compartment
2 Drawing Room

NdeM

LAGO prefix
16 Duplex Roomette
1 Compartment
3 Double Bedroom

NdeM

10 Roomette
6 Double Bedroom

FCP

6 Double Bedroom
5 Compartment

FCP

MAR
MAR DEL prefix
10 Roomette
5 Double Bedroom

NdeM

MONTE prefix
6 Section
6 Roomette
4 Double Bedroom

NdeM

8 Section
3 Compartment

NdeM

PRESA prefix
22 Roomette

NdeM

3 Double Bedroom
1 Drawing Room
Bar Lounge

FCP

2 Drawing Room
1 Compartment
1 Double Bedroom
Buffet Lounge
Observation

FCP

2 Master Rooms
1 Double Bedroom
Buffet Lounge
Observation

FCP

RIO prefix
14 Roomette
4 Double Bedroom

FCP

10 Roomette
6 Double Bedroom

FCP

SIERRA -SIERRA DE prefix
13 Double Bedroom

NdeM

The NdeM also assigned the names of countries of the world to a large number of former NYC 10 Roomette 6 Double Bedrooms sleeping cars purchased for Mexican service. Next to the NdeM the Canadian National was the largest purchaser of used lightweight streamlined Sleeping cars. The Canadian National purchased large numbers of used cars from U.S. roads in the late 1960's for services throughout the country. During EXPO 67 in Montreal the Canadian National leased Sleeping cars from a number of U.S. roads.
The majority of streamlined sleeping cars were purchased by the railroads with specific train assignments in mind. Several sleeping car lines were never streamlined while in other cases streamlined sleeping cars were the only lightweight cars in an otherwise heavyweight train.

TTFN AL

[coalminer3]

Good Morning Barkeep and all Present - coffee, for me (in an insulated cup given the wind, cold and snow here this a.m.; round for the house, and $ for the jukebox. Let's play two old favorites - "How Can I Miss You If You Won't Go Away," and "I Changed Her Oil, She Changed My Life."

Pls. excuse the silence from here, but things have been a bit crazy at work. 'Nuff said.

I went back throught the recent postings.

To ftwNSengineer. If you don't have Lynch's book on the New Haven, I think you'd enjoy it. He just did another one on New Haven passenger trains which has a lot of good information as well. BTW, I thought his PC book was well done, too

Again my compliments to all who are providing car histories, information, streamlined consists and all - I do have a pretty good sized folder of that material now.

The Welsh Highland history was most interesting. I am guessing that the Vulcan locomotives were manufactured on your side of the great divide, Nick. There was a Vulcan Company here as well.

The Budd ads brought back a lot of memories as they used to run lovely color ads in publications such as the National Geographic.

I got my R&LHS Newsletter in the mail the other day. Inside is an article abt. the Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History (two in one, yet!) in Kennesaw, GA. Not only does this place house the "General," it also has an extensive collection of machinery and artifacts from the Glover Machine Works (Marietta, GA) - a company closely associated with various facets of logging operations in the southeastern U.S. Now that might be a possibility for a rendezvous sometime as Kennesaw is right close to Atlanta.

In line with what all that has been provided regarding Pullman cars, etc. recently, here's something from the PRR files in my collection. This is from the period when the transiton to all room cars was occurring, even though it was interrupted by the war. The copy included illustration (wonderful drawings) of the different types of Pullman space.

"The Pennsylvania Railroad offers you a selection of Modern Pullman Room Accommodations on Its Great Fleet...

Roomette - In daytime service with bed folding into wall, providing passengers plenty of space. Roomette in night-time service. A luxurious bed affording all the comforts of home. This accommodation affords complete privacy, including individual toilet and lavatory.

Duplex - Upstairs and downstairs "Duplex" single rooms, complete with individual toilet facilities. Roomy sofa becomes a comfortable bed at night.

Double Bedroom - As with all private room accommodations, individual toilet and lavatory are included. The sofa becomes a bed at night, over which there is a comfortable berth.

Compartment - Thje Compartment sofa makes down into a bed with an upper berth above it. It, too, has its own individual toilet facilities.

Drawing room - Complete with every personal facilitiy, the spacious Darwing Room affords a living room atmosphere in day service. Folding bed is let down at night. The sofa becomes a bed, and the upper bed, easy of access, is equally inviting. Private toilet facilities.

Master Room - Four arm chairs for day service. Connecting room has private shower and lavatory facilities. At night, two roomy 6'4" beds. Roomy locker privides ample space for clothes.

The roomette is for 1 person
Duplex is for 1 person
Double bedroom - 1 or 2 persons
Compartment - 1 or 2 persons
Drawing rrooom - 1, 2, or 3 persons
Master room - 1 or 2 persons

PRR - Feb. 1942

work safe

[siberianmo]

G'day Gents!

Rather quiet again - two days in succession. However, thanx to passengerfan Al and his two rather looooooooong Posts, along with CM3's enlightening and inclusive post, we're still "up" on the Forum page.[tup][tup]

I've been working on a new series that will be Posted starting Monday. So, watch for it! These are really labor intensive and involves all kinds of editing in order to make them "work" with the Forums format. For example, the piece I'm working on now was started 3 hours ago and I'm just about half finished with it! [yeah] I know - get a life![swg]

CM3 That PRR Pullman "ad" you quoted looks familiar - wondering whether I've typed it and it's still sitting in my 'archives.' How's that saying go, "So many ads, so little time!"[swg] Anyway, appreciate your taking the time to share it with us![tup][tup]

Al Enjoyed the North Coast Limited Post! As with the dwindlling numbers of people remaining from WWII days (specifically veterans) the same applies to those who can recall traveling on those wonderful RR routes we had criss crossing the continent. Thanx to people such as yourself and a few others 'round here, we'll always have an opportunity to learn and if we were so fortuantate, to reminisce. Thanx![tup]

CM3 While I concur that some parts of Georgia would be "cool" for a Rendezvous my guess is that we'd need someone in the area to coordinate it. Kind of the way our approach has been with Rob in Toronto. While it is a bit early to tell, the feedback I've gotten leans toward St. Louis for the next. But nothing is cast in stone ... the guys who attend the Rendezvous in Toronto get first crack at making that 'awesome' decision![swg]

Quarters are very much appreciated and so is the round![tup] Where in the world do you find those song titles![?]![?][swg]

Later as it's time for a break for this keyboard!<groan>

Tom[4:-)] [oX)]

[LoveDomes]

Hello Tom and whoever else is here!

How about one of those frosty cold Rheingolds in a bottle if you please! (Remember those Miss Rheingold contests[?]) While it is a bit close to dinner time at my house, I can handle a half sandwich. A ham, swiss and roast beef on a hard roll will do just fine. And, throw in one of those large pickles from the barrel, okay[?]

What a lot of reading there is on the past several pages. Good stuff, informative stuff, educational stuff, but far too much, way too much, too darned much! So, I have a suggestion for any and all who are so inclined to fill up a single forum page with your submission: put them into parts, like part one, part two, etc. Sure would be a lot easier to handle. Just my [2c] - and I'm one of the guys who reads these things! So gimme a break![swg] Seriously, just scrolling through 'em is hard enough .....

Nick You are correct - I was a wee bit over the top with my comments. But you see, we New Yorkers are guilty of being overly blunt, so I'm told![swg] I'll keep an eye on that creature called Boris now that I've been forewarned.

BK We haven't met, but I've read your posts from day one. Sounds to me as if you are more than ready for the cozy environs of a good home with a good woman. [yeah] Man - works for me! Safe journey home.[tup]

The Santa Fe guy seems to be trying to tell us something with his Chiefs and the RR. Well, that's fine - I guess. Those pix were rather interesting too. Don't know the guy, so I'll refrain from the word, "cute."[:O] I'm really NOT that kind of guy. [swg]

So, what's the deal[?] Nothing from the supporting cast for awhile,huh[?] Seems like when the Manager left, so did a bunch of others. Ok, ok, no connection - just happenstance and all of that. But it just looks rather glum these days. Maybe that isn't all so bad though. Really. I recall reading your comments about trying to get the guys to pick a time of day for their Posts and stick to it. Of course, they haven't really done so, but it is still a good idea. I'll try to help out as best I can. Unless something out of the ordinary comes up, I probably can stick to the timeframe of mid afternoon. That may help to fill a void of sorts and rerlieve Tom of having to make a post just to keep things moving.

That was a terrific bit of info you provided CM3[tup] I've been down to where those "good ole boys live" and have seen several of the historic railroads. Georgia has quite a history for railroading. I think Tom is right on the mark though when it comes to planning a get together in a location where there isn't a point man.

Oh, almost forgot - those beer coasters are something else when enlarged! Nice work, Tom. What kind of equipment are you using to do that sort of thing[?]

So, are you going to keep us in suspense about this new venture of yours, Tom[?] Monday, huh[?] That's a long way off![tdn] What's it going to be[?] Hooters Gals riding the rails[?][swg][:-,][}:)] Now there's a thought! Maybe I'll look into that myself.[swg]

Ok, this is going no where fast. So, I'll take my leave, Sir. One more and then I'm gone. Here's a ten spot for the next round - whenever the guys show up that is.

Until the next time,

Lars

[siberianmo]

G’day All!

PASSENGER TRAIN NOSTALGIA #64

Here’s something to enjoy regarding the Pullman Company from a 1949 advertisement in my personal collection.


How to pack more pleasure into your vacation

1. Step into the cool comfort of your Pullman car. Your vacation has started! Because going Pullman turns travel time into vacation time, whether your destination is 300 or 3000 miles away.

2. Relax deep down, like an uncoiled spring. You’re mere miles out of town, but years away from the tension of your job. You’re enjoying a cool drink, the conversation and companionship of interesting people in the Pullman lounge car.

3. Dream by the miles. You’ll never sleep more soundly. Your mind is uncluttered. Your frame’s limber in that deep-mattressed, big-pillowed Pullman bed.

4. Arrive ready for the rest of the fun. And – had you noticed? – you’re looking forward to your return trip. Because going or returning, going Pullman packs more pleasure into any vacation!


See the Chicago Railroad Fair in ’49 – June 25th thru October 2nd

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GO PULLMAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
THE SAFEST, MOST COMFORTABLE WAY TO GET THERE!


Enjoy!

Tom [4:-)][oX)]

[nickinwestwales]

Well happy halfway there day fellow tipplers,I trust we are all in good fettle ?
[4:-)][oX)]TOM-Set `em up for yourself and the chaps-always find the best solution with a quiet bar is to drink loads & make enough noise for a crowd,so lets wind up the Wurlitzer,line up the various glasses ( nice touch by the way[^] ) and kick back for a bit.....
O.K-Tom,have pix of various D.M.U`s ( R.D.C`s ) in H/W stn but none of the station itself-easily arranged however-do you want the buildings or a general view from the overbridge at the N. end ?.
Regardless,will be sent with w/end pix-consider it done[tup]-E-Mail received,will reply directly.-Caught a glimpse of Leon just as I was leaving last night-looked like a Hells Angel at a Gay Pride rally-a truly disturbing sight given his size and general disposition....
Right,lets see whose been through the door this fine day:-
AL-another beauty,lordy you must be some typist-that would take me a week at least,fine effort my man !!!!
CM3-You are obviously a true devotee of all thats best in country music in it`s many forms-I bet you even know the difference between the Nashville & Bakersfield stylings-hows your taste in Kentucky Bluegrass ?
Glad you enjoyed the trip along the W.H.R-a delightful little line,The Vulcan Foundry is (or was) indeed a Brit outfit,will have pix of `Snowdon Ranger`,`Moel Tryfan` and the others on sun-the only `Yankee` on the line was the war dept. Baldwin 4-6-0 #590
The Pullman ads make rather depressing reading-public transport thats better equipped than my cottage..........hey ho
LARS-my comments were entirely genuine-the mental picture of someone tucking into a skunks a**e sandwich tickled me mightily-my brother in law is married to a New Yorker ( one of the Soprano`s judging from the wedding photo`s ) and you are quite right-not people given to wasting words-must be that 24-hour lifestyle you are all supposed to live.......[swg].
Right,as its Pikes Perspectives day `round these parts I shall follow our steamed proprieters lead from last week and give you a run down on the loco roster from my South Ontario Bridge lines pike ( The S.O.B route ) and as LARS has very sensibly suggested,break off here whilst I type it up and give someone else a chance to pitch in.
Another beer plese Boss man & I`ll be back in a bit,nick[C=:-)]

[nickinwestwales]

Right ,here we are again-better kick off with another beer please [4:-)][oX)] TOM-how come I ALWAYS get the glass with the hole in ?
I`m gonna start with a couple of disclaimers here-the list you are about to see consists of a mish-mash of locos that will no doubt have you all rolling in the aisles,clutching your sides and weeping,however my purchasing has been done with price and availability as the principal criteria and it`s only in the last year or so-since we`ve aquired this computer,that I`ve realised what an odd selection I have.
That said,they do the job they were built for and when all`s said and done,they do it under rule #1 ( it`s MY train set ).
So then:-

LOCO........MAKER.................LIVERY...........................NORMAL DUTY TURN

F40ph........Walthers..............GO Transit.....................Toronto-Bradford commuter
F40ph........Walthers...............VIA (grey)......................`Canadian` (representative consist)
F9a.............Bachmann...........VIA (blue).......................To.-Kapuskasing sleeper
F7b.............Athearn (dmy)......VIA (blue)..............................as above
FP7a..........Atlas/Roco............O.N.R (chevron)............`Northlander`(To.-Cochrane)

FP7a...........Atlas/Roco............O.N.R (gn/yellow)........ freight #450/1 N.Bay-To.
F7a..............Athearn (dmy).......as above.........................as above
GP35..........Bachmann.............C.N Zebra......................freight #410 Gravenhurst-To.
RS11..........Model Power.........G.T.W (blue/red)............#491 Detroit-Capreol thru working
F3a..............Model Power........G.T.W (Zebra)................Extra Detroit-To.
F7a..............Life-Like................C.N (Zebra)....................Extra Burlington-Gravenhurst
F7a..............as above..................as above......................G.F.X-Bradford-Don Valley

F2a..............Model Power.........C.N.(Zebra)....................Allendale-To. local
GP9...............as above..............C.N (Noodle)..................Don Valley-Rutherford transfer
RS2...............as above...............(works grey)...................Collingwood branch turn

SW1..............as above................C.N.(Noodle)................. Allendale switcher
GP9...............as above...................as above......................Rutherford yard switcher
F9a...............Bachmann..............C.N (Zebra)................... Pilot for the `big hill`

Right,thats my toys out on display-I would do the same for my Brit trains but it would be completely meaningless to everybody except PETE,who will no doubt see them in the summer anyway,all things being equal.
Time for yet more of that lovely beer and let someone else have a go ,see you in a bit,nick[C=:-)]

[West Coast S]

Afternoon Tom and the crew, round of the good ale if you please, Nick can choose..

Well, i'll do my part and step up to the plate this afternoon, even though I have nothing prepared for presentation, Al you continue to amaze me with your talent, Rob, can relate to the puter issue, here's to a quick return...

I've become fascinated with the little known, Lake Tahoe Railway And Navigation Company, a fifteen mile narrow guage line built from Reno to the north shore of Lake Tahoe. Built in 1881 to convey summer tourist to the grand bathouse and inn located there, the company shops and headquarters were built on the east shore three miles south of the inn, requiring all trains to wye before departing. It was unique in the fact that freight business was not a factor and no attempts were made to attract online freight customers, operated only during the summer months, the line was allowed to snow over in the winter months, thus the cost of snowfighting equiptment could be avoided. Four Standard wood-burning Baldwin narrow guage 2-6-0's and half a dozen Jackson & Sharp passenger coaches were the order of the day along with several flats and three boxcars that served as baggage cars. It is interesting to note that the 2-6-0's were never converted to oil, remaining as wood burners to the end.

Family owned and built, and under constant scrutnity from the ICC and several river steamer companies as to their accounting practices and long-term business intentions, the railway expanded east along the northern shore of Lake Tahoe to tap several lumber lines, thus providing some interchange revenue to contest ongoing legal action, in this matter they were unsucessfull and the dimuntive line was ceded by court action to the Southern Pacific in 1926 which quickly standard guaged the line and constructed new facalities at Lake Tahoe to replace the outdated narrow guage track arraignment. In a stunning defeat to the SP, the connecting lumber lines were ceded to the Western Pacifc who subsquently abandoned them within months of obtaining ownership,once again the line was tourist only with no interchange partners and thus became a fiscal drain to the cash strapped SP.

The cost of snow removal,the automobile and lingering effects of the depression doomed the tiny line, SP filed for abandoment in 1940 but was disallowed to cease service due to the lumber industry preparing for possible involvement in the affairs occuring in Europe. By 1942 SP, WP and Virgina & Truckee had reached a agreement as to moving lumber over the restored lumber lines without using the Lake Tahoe branch, SP once again petitioned for abandoment, this time the rails were desired for use elsewhere by the military, permission was easily obtained.

Keep well all, until my return

Dave

[siberianmo]

Good Evening Guys,

Nick That is one impressive inventory of model RR motive power![wow] Better keep it all under lock 'n key![swg] Like the way you arranged it, very well done.[tup][tup][tup] Thanx for talking the "heat" off of me for Pike Perspective's Day! Next drink is on me .....[swg]

Any pix that you decide are worthy for Posting is fine with me - just ship 'em off by Email and they'll be up for [red[Sunday Photo Posting Day![/red] Now, I do have a request for the station pix - I'd like a view of it if possible. Thanx![tup]

Just checked the time and you're still logged on .... don't people in West Wales ever get to sleep BEFORE midnight[?][swg]

Don't know what's gotten into Leon these days, but the man has really decided that dressing up is "in." Of course, this guy has no perception of what goes with what; oh well - it's good for a laugh or two - BUT not if he sees ya!<grin> The man's a clothes horse, plain 'n simple and he's into the layered look. Latest is: a white silk tank top covered by a beige sleeveless cardigan covered by a red & black checkered flannel shirt. <yikes>

Thanx for keeping the bar hoppin' ...

Tom[4:-)] [oX)]

[siberianmo]

Hey Dave Snuck that one in on me, eh[?] We were doing "syncronized Posting," perhaps a new event for the Olympics![swg]

Good to see your return to the bar on a more frequent basis - we surely can use the business these days. We've taken a bit of a hit lately, as I'm sure you've noted.

It never ceases to amaze me just how much you "California guys" provide to this thread in terms of not only interesting stuff, but from you especially, RR's I've never heard of![wow] Too bad (for me) that I didn't take full advantage of the couple of years I had in SoCal to check out the RR's. Then again, there was lots of work to do and I tried my level best to do it. All work and hardly any play left Tom a very dull boy (well, perhaps not all of the time<grin>)!

Thanx for the round - and my guess is that it will be Alexander Keiths for the gang. Boris Ring it!

Tom[4:-)] [oX)]

[West Coast S]

Tom, I have noticed a strange lull of late, where did everyone go? I too negelected to partake in some of the unique railroading experinces afforded by being a residence of CA, all work no play makes Dave yearn for the good old days in a vain attempt to recapture long lost moments!! To think I once considered first generation diesels so common as to never point a camera in their direction!! Manned stations, paper train orders hooked on the fly...the list goes on....

You know, the Lake Tahoe Railway & Navigation would make a fantastic On30 layout!!..must resist temptation!!!!!

Ok Boris set um'up..

Dave

[nickinwestwales]

Hey Dave-Don`t Bachmann make a mogul and cars in On30 ?-Peco make the track to suit and with them sharp curves & short trains you could have a nice little portable pike that MissisDave need never know about....................[:-^]...now about that drink.....[^]
[4:-)][oX)]Tom-will be on the case with pix in the A.M,no worries[tup]
Thanks for kind words r.e. trains,-security not an issue happily,layout lives in summerhouse (glorified shed) stock lives indoors between operating sessions.
Used to leave it all up there until some mouth-breather jemmied the door one night and helped himself to a cordless drill ( but left the charger ) and a jig saw with a hopelessly warped blade assembly but totally ignored enough trains to keep himself in crack or whatever for a month-as previously noted,can`t fix stupid.
Regarded this as a big hint from above and responded accordingly.
As I generally work in and around the licensed trade I tend to keep `night owl` hours-plus it`s the only time I get any peace & quiet `round here-can always grab a nap after small demon Hannah is delivered to school in the A.M ( something delightfully decadent about getting your head down in that lull after everybody else has gone off to do a bit [^])
Have to admit to a degree of anxiety r.e. Leon-I accept that Boris is a lost cause & has value only for research purposes ( do you think we might be able to swing a grant of some kind ? ) but Leon seemed to be pretty much of a team player-but then,looking at the rest of the team...........Lets hope it`s just a phase.
Any chance of the Mentor Cine-Emporium showing the 1936 Will Hay classic "Oh Mr Porter" -reckon the boys would love it.....
P.S-cracking `header` shot of the VIA F40`s running through the fall foliage [tup][^][tup]
Right,I`ll have a quick jigger of the special reserve rum,pass the bottle `round the crew & yourself and it`s the good old moonlight mile for yours truly-expect mail in the morning,sleep well one and all,nick [C=:-)]

[siberianmo]

Evenin' Again!

Dave Where did they go[?] Well, over the past month or so, we've lost several and for assorted reasons. Then last week one of our more dependable guys took on another pursuit, thereby reducing his time here rather dramatically. Following that, the mainstay lost his computer. Add to that the complete void in participation by the trio of new guys we had and you should be able to see that we are down to the nitty gritty 'round here. In other words, there's just a precious few left. Oh yes, yet another of our regulars dropped me an Email to say that his work load will prevent him from Posting on the frequent basis we had become accustomed to. Get the picture[?]

So, let me see if I can sum it up this way:

earlydiesels Dan - Reserved Stool Member - now in the Legion of the Lost. Last I heard he was into a new job.

Theodorebear Ted - Permanent Stool Member - into a new venture. Expect he'll Post now 'n then.

jdonald Don - jlampke John - wanswheel Mike our non-regular regulars apparently have gone elsewhere.

trolleyboy Rob Permanent Stool Member - computer problems; may keep him away up to 2 weeks.

pwolfe Pete Reserved Stool Member - back, but absent.[?]

barndad Doug Reserved Stool Member - time reduced due to increased workload at work. My guess is we'll see him on weekends.

BudKarr BK is on an extended Eurpean business trip. Has Posted a couple of times.

Thanx to Al - Lars - CM3 & Nick we've had a degree of regularity 'round the place. But a far cry from the way it had been.

Thanx for the round![tup]

Nick I'll check into the availabiity of that flick you mentioned - if our distributor can get it, we'll put it on the schedule - thanx![tup]

Come to think of it, I recall your summerhouse from one of the Pix you included in your Emails. Around here, one would simply never leave anything unlocked - zero, zip, zilch. That's just life in the Land of the Free. I'll say this up front, Lord help the SOB who I catch breaking into something of mine. Rather proficient with my "arsenal."[swg]

Okay Gents - Leon the Night Man has arrived and has the bar! Set 'em up, drinks on me! Boris Ring the bell!

Nite[zzz]

Tom[4:-)][oX)]

[Trainnut484]

Evening Tom and gang. Leon, I'll have a Bathams for now. Yes, I did change brews on ya, but just for tonight. Thanks to Pete for bringing back those great brews.

Tom, another name from the Land of the Lost just came to me, Gunns Kevin. I don't know what ever came of him. Hopefully Rob can find a remedy to his computer woes. Glad you liked my time-travel pics of myself and the miniature train. I also have a pic of me sitting in an old Santa Fe 2-6-2 steam locomotive, located in the same park, back around when I was like 6 or 7. Then, I had another pic of myself sitting in the same locomotive taken the same time as my current pic in front ot the miniature train. Of course the little 2-6-2 is in sad shape being exposed to the weather and not fenced in. I'm surprised there isn't more vandalism to it now. The paint job is shoddy and badly faded and no lettering. It looks more like a shell than anything else [V]. I don't know if there are any plans to restore it. At least it should be restored cosmetically. It's a far cry from the image in the older pic, where the 2-6-2's paint and lettering was in great shape. Ok enough of the sentimental stuff

My end of semester finals are coming up soon, so the amount of time here is up in the air for now.

Nick, that's quite a major stock you've aquired. Are your Life-Like F7a's Proto 2000, or the regular Life-Like line? What is the era you're modeling?

That's about it for now. Take care,

Russell

[siberianmo]

THURSDAY’s INFO & SUMMARY of POSTS

We open at 6 AM, all time zones. (Don’t ask how we do that!)[swg]

G’day! Here we are again – Thursday, time to fill up the coffee mugs, check out the menu board for our <traditional> and <light> breakfasts and sample The Mentor Village Bakery pastry case![swg]


Daily Wisdom

”Dad, the guy is here for the Venetian blinds.” “Look in my pants pocket and give him five bucks.” (Yogi-ism)


Info for the Day:

trolleyboy Rob reports that his computer has died and figures it may be at least two weeks before he’s back. Bad news for us and time for the guys to “step up to the plate!”

* Weekly Calendar:

Today Fish ‘n Chips Nite!
Friday Pizza Nite! & Steak ‘n Fries Nite!
Saturday Steak ‘n Trimmin’s Nite! and ENCORE! Saturday

RR Book Relay – First mailing was Monday![tup]

A new series begins on Monday – watch for it!


SUMMARY

Name …..…………… Date/Time …..…..………. (Page#) .. Remarks

(1) siberianmo Tom Posted: 25 Jan 2006, 05:31:12 (229) Wednesday’s Info & Summary

(2) passengerfan Al Posted: 25 Jan 2006, 06:10:52 (229) Streamliner #48 – North Coast Limited

(3) passengerfan Al Posted: 25 Jan 2006, 06:29:18 (229) Streamlined Sleeping Cars

(4) coalminer3 CM3 Posted: 25 Jan 2006, 08:32:20 (229) Inclusive Post & PRR Pullmans

(5) siberianmo Tom Posted: 25 Jan 2006, 12:13:11 (229) Acknowledgments, etc.

(6) LoveDomes Lars Posted: 25 Jan 2006, 14:56:22 (229) Inclusive Post, etc.

(7) siberianmo Tom Posted: 25 Jan 2006, 16:08:18 (229) NOSTALGIA #64 Ad, Pullman Co.

(8) nickinwestwales Nick Posted: 25 Jan 2006, 17:35:29 (229) Inclusive Post, etc.

(9) nickinwestwales Nick Posted: 25 Jan 2006, 18:59:09 (229) Loco Inventory

(10) West Coast S Dave Posted: 25 Jan 2006, 19:29:15 (229) Lake Tahoe Railway, etc.

(11) siberianmo Tom Posted: 25 Jan 2006, 19:33:52 (229) reply to nickinwestwales

(12) siberianmo Tom Posted: 25 Jan 2006, 19:42:54 (229) reply to West Coast S

(13) West Coast S Dave Posted: 25 Jan 2006, 20:03:46 (229) etc.

(14) nickinwestwales Nick Posted: 25 Jan 2006, 20:42:29 (230) etc.

(15) siberianmo Tom Posted: 25 Jan 2006, 21:50:01 (230) Acknowledgments, etc.

(16) Trainnut484 Russell Posted: 25 Jan 2006, 23:17:29 (230) Chat


NOW SHOWING:

The Mentor Village Emporium Theatre

. . . January 23rd thru 28th: Denver and Rio Grande (1952) starring Edmond O’Brien, Sterling Hayden & Dean Jagger


That’s it! [tup][;)]

Tom [4:-)] [oX)]
Proprietor of “Our” Place, an adult eating & drinking establishment!

[passengerfan]

Good Morning Tom and the rest of the gang. Time for Coffee and a Crumpet from the Mentor Bakery.

Streamlined Dome Cars
Of The
United States & Canada
The following trains began demonstrating or entered service on the dates listed as dome equipped trains. The number of domes listed in parenthesis represents per consist. And the two terminals are shown for each of the dome operated trains.

TRAIN OF TOMORROW May 28, 1947 (4) Demonstrator See UP 457-458 for service.

VISTA DOME TWIN ZEPHYRS CB&Q December 19, 1947 (5) Chicago – Twin Cities twice daily round trips.

COLORADO EAGLE MP- D&RGW June 1948 (1) St. Louis – Denver daily each direction

CHESSIE C&O August 1, 1948 (2) Cincinnati – Washington daily each direction never entered scheduled service.

PERE MARQUETTE C&O October 1948 (1) Chicago – Detroit daily each direction

VISTA DOME CALIFORNIA ZEPHYR CB&Q – D&RGW - WP
March 21, 1949 (4) Chicago – Oakland daily each direction.

COLUMBIAN B&O May 5, 1949 (1) Washington – Chicago Overnight each direction

ROYAL GORGE D&RGW September 1949 (1) Denver – Salt Lake City daily each direction via Pueblo.

BLUE BIRD WAB February 26, 1950 (4) St. Louis – Chicago round trip daily

457-458 UP June 18, 1950 (4) Portland – Seattle round trip daily

SHENANDOAH B&O January 8, 1951 (1) Washington – Chicago every other day

CAPITOL LIMITED B&O January 8, 1951 (1) Washington – Chicago overnight each direction

SUPER CHIEF AT&SF December 1951 (1) Chicago – Los Angeles daily each direction

TEXAS EAGLES MP – T&P 1-2 July 1952 (1) St. Louis – Fort Worth overnight each direction

TEXAS EAGLES MP 21-22 July 1952 (1) St. Louis – San Antonio overnight each direction

MISSOURI RIVER EAGLE MP July 1952 (1) St. Louis –Omaha/Lincoln via Kansas City daily each direction

CITY OF KANSAS CITY WAB August 1952 (1) St. Louis – Kansas City round trip daily

MORNING HIAWATHA CMSTP&P December 1952 (1) Chicago – Twin Cities daily each direction

AFTERNOON HIAWATHA CMSTP&P December 1952 (1) Chicago – Twin Cities daily each direction

OLYMPIAN HIAWATHA CMSTP&P December 1952 (1) Chicago – Seattle/Tacoma daily each direction

VISTA DOME AK-SAR-BEN ZEPHYR CB&Q December 1952 (1) Chicago – Omaha/Lincoln Overnight each direction

VISTA DOME KANSAS CITY ZEPHYR CB&Q February 1, 1953 (2) Chicago – Kansas City daily each direction

VISTA DOME AMERICAN ROYAL ZEPHYR CB&Q February 1, 1953 (2) Chicago – Kansas City Overnight each direction

SAN JOAQUIN DAYLIGHT SP June 24, 1954 (1) Oakland – Los Angeles via San Joaquin Valley daily each direction

CHICAGOAN – KANSAS CITYAN AT&SF 1954 (1) Chicago – Oklahoma City daily each way

SAN FRANCISCO CHIEF AT&SF 1954 (1) Chicago – Oakland daily each direction

EL CAPITAN AT&SF 1954 (1) Chicago – Los Angeles daily each direction

NORTH COAST LIMITED CB&Q – NP August 16, 1954 Coaches (2) October 1954 Sleepers (2) total (4) Chicago – Portland/Seattle daily each direction

CITY OF PORTLAND C&NW - UP 1955 (3) Chicago – Portland daily each direction)

CITY OF LOS ANGELES C&NW - UP 1955 (2) Chicago – Los Angeles daily each direction

CHALLENGER C&NW - UP 1955 (1) Chicago – Los Angeles daily each direction

SAN FRANCISCO OVERLAND SP April 1955 (1) Oakland – Ogden daily each direction

SHASTA DAYLIGHT SP May 1955 (1) Oakland – Portland daily each direction

CANADIAN CPR April 24, 1955 (2) Montreal/Toronto – Vancouver daily each direction

DOMINION CPR April 24, 1955 (2) Montreal/Toronto – Vancouver daily each direction

ATLANTIC LIMITED CPR April 24, 1955 (1) Montreal – St. John Overnight each direction

CITY OF ST. LOUIS WAB - UP (1) St. Louis – Los Angeles daily each direction

EMPIRE BUILDER CB&Q - GN Coaches (3) May 29, 1955 Lounges (1) October 1955 Chicago – Portland/Seattle daily each direction

CHIEF AT&SF July 1956 (1) Chicago – Los Angeles daily each direction

VISTA DOME DENVER ZEPHYRS CB&Q October 28, 1956 (3) Chicago – Denver/Colorado Springs Overnight each direction

CITY OF SAN FRANCISCO (SP) 1956 (1) Ogden – Oakland daily each direction

CITY OF DENVER CMSTP&P - UP January 1958 (1) Chicago – Denver Overnight Each direction

TEXAS CHIEF AT&SF 1958 (1) Chicago – Houston daily each direction

WESTERN STAR GN (1) winter only St. Paul – Seattle daily each direction

YAMPA VALLEY MAIL D&RGW (1) Denver – Craig round trip daily

POCAHONTAS N&W 1969 (1) Cincinnati – Norfolk daily each direction

VIGER CPR 1969 (1) Montreal – Quebec City round trip daily

FRONTENAC CPR 1969 (1) Montreal – Quebec City round trip daily

RIDEAU CPR 1969 (1) Montreal – Ottawa round trip daily

RIO GRANDE ZEPHYR D&RGW (5) Denver – Salt Lake City every other day

SUPER CONTINENTAL CNR (1) Edmonton – Vancouver daily each direction

PANORAMA CNR (1) Winnipeg – Vancouver daily each direction

COAST DAYLIGHT SP (1) San Francisco – Los Angeles daily each direction

AURORA ARR (1) Anchorage – Fairbanks summers daily

POWHATAN ARROW N&W (1) Cincinnati – Newport News daily each direction

CITY OF MIAMI IC - CofG – ACL – FEC (1) Chicago – Miami winters only every other day

SOUTH WIND PRR – L&N – ACL – FEC (1) Chicago – Miami winters only every other day

LE CHATEAU CHAMPLAIN CPR (1) Montreal – Quebec City round trip daily

LOUISIANA EAGLE T&P (1) New Orleans – Fort Worth Overnight each direction

TURBO TRAINS CNR (2) Toronto – Montreal twice daily round trips

PANAMA LIMITED IC (1) Chicago – New Orleans winter only one season only overnight each direction

BANNER BLUE WAB (1) Chicago – St. Louis round trip daily

NEBRASKA ZEPHYR CB&Q (1) Chicago – Omaha – Lincoln round trip daily

NANCY HANKS II CofG (1) Atlanta- Savannah round trip daily

CITY OF NEW ORLEANS IC (1) Chicago – New Orleans daily each direction

SOUTHERN CRESCENT SOU – L&N (1) Atlanta – New Orleans daily each direction

The lightweight streamlined Dome car was a new type car that entered the North American rail scene following WW II.
The modern Dome car made its first appearance in June 1945. The railroad that built the first modern dome car CB&Q was also the railroad that introduced the first streamlined diesel powered streamlined train the Pioneer Zephyr in 1934. Later they would introduce the Gallery car to Chicago commuters, and the Slumbercoach first appeared in the CB&Q 1956 version of the VISTA-DOME DENVER ZEPHYR.
The idea for the modern dome originated with General Motors vice president and Electro-Motive Division general manager Mr. Cyrus R. Osborn. On a trip aboard an A-B-B-A set of the companies new EMD FT diesel units leading a freight train through Glenwood Canyon on the D&RGW.
Sitting in the fireman’s seat he was awe struck by the spectacular view from the sloping windows of the lead diesel unit and the idea for the dome was born. When he returned east Mr. Osborn discussed a dome car with leaders of other railroads. The one railroad leader Mr. Osborn inspired with the idea of a dome car was Mr. Ralph Budd president of the CB&Q. The two men close friends talked for many hours about the feasibility of the yet to be named dome car.
It was from this meeting that 4714 SILVER DOME became reality. Along with Burlington’s Chief Mechanical Officer Mr. H.H. Ulrich, and Budd Companies Colonel E.J. Ragsdale SILVER DOME became the world’s first modern Vista-Dome car.
The first Dome was reconstructed from the flat top 52-revenue seat Budd built coach 4714 SILVER ALCHEMY. This modern lightweight streamlined stainless steel car built new in June 1940 would emerge from the Aurora, Illinois shops of the CB&Q in June 1945 as the world’s first Vista Dome car. The number 4714 would remain but the name was changed to SILVER DOME. The CB&Q and Budd people referred to the completed car as a Vista-Dome. The conversion of the car was accomplished with the help of Budd engineers; the car underwent transformation from an ordinary streamlined coach in less than two weeks to the most talked about coach in postwar history. How was the 4714 SILVER ALCHEMY selected? Believe it or not it was by chance the 4714 SILVER ALCHEMY was in the shop undergoing routine maintenance and inspection, it was simply a case of being in the right place at the right time. Atop the center of the car after shopping was a greenhouse looking affair called the dome. This part raised above the roofline featured windows on the sides, top, front and rear. The standard height of this car when it entered the shops was 13’ 6”. Height to top of dome after reconstruction was 16’ 1-1/2”. This would be the highest short dome car built along with a twin out shopped by the CB&Q in 1949 4709 SILVER CASTLE to the same plan as the earlier 4714 SILVER DOME. Those domes built by the three major car builders never exceeded 15’ 10-1/2” in height.
Here was the passenger car feature that could not only provide passenger’s nearly unobstructed viewing to the sides but forward over the top of other cars or one could turn around and see to the rear over the roofs of the trailing cars. Not to mention the view skyward especially worthwhile in mountainous country or along the banks of the Mississippi with the bluffs rising alongside the tracks or across the river. The dome seated 24 passengers arranged in two rows of paired seats 12 on either side of the center aisle facing forward. Above the dome aisle was a panel with heating and air conditioning vents with lights down the center for night use at stations. At other times in the night these lights were extinguished leaving only the small aisle lights lining the floor similar to those used in darkened theaters, these lights did not interfere with night visibility but were visible enough to see ones way to a seat in the dome, and one could see the headlight of the locomotive cutting a swath through the countryside ahead of the speeding train. Those nights of the full moon the dome seats provided an almost eerie view of the passing countryside.
All future standard or short dome cars from Budd, Pullman Standard, and American Car & Foundry would be constructed with a depressed section below the dome and an aisle running along one side of the car beneath the dome.
In the case of CB&Q 4709 SILVER CASTLE and 4714 SILVER DOME there were two aisles down either side beneath the dome and main floor seating beneath the dome was arranged back to back facing outward to the windows. This arrangement cut the revenue seating capacity of these two dome cars to 34 on the main level from the original 52. The 24 seats in the dome were considered non-revenue and this space was not sold, it was open to any passenger who wished to enjoy the passing scenery.
After completion the CB&Q sent the 4714 SILVER DOME on a system wide tour to test passenger reaction to the Vista-Dome.
The dome seemed to provide something for everyone to see and enjoy. For the railfan he was virtually able to look over the shoulder of the engineer as the train raced through the countryside and witness the trackside signals turn from green too red as the train broke the track circuit. On certain railroads where semaphore signals were the order of the day not only did one see the light turn from red to green but watched the semaphore arm drop from the upright position to the stop position. Or one could watch crossing gates drop as the train approached then turn and see them raise once again and the vehicular traffic start across after the train had passed. Every train meet was witnessed first hand by the railfan sitting in the dome. And what railfan cannot remember riding in a dome when a slower scheduled passenger train or freight was overtaken in double track, or triple track territory.
For most passengers the attraction of the dome was viewing the passing scenery as never seen before from a train. Not even the rounded end observations offered the view provided by the new Vista-Dome. In fact no other type car has appeared on the railway scene to offer the view provided by the Vista-Dome. The short domes from Budd, American Car & Foundry and those UP coach domes built by Pullman Standard in 1958 for the CITY OF ST. LOUIS provided the best overall dome viewing.
The 4714 SILVER DOME did more to influence CB&Q postwar new car purchases than any other car. From this singe homemade conversion the CB&Q would become the largest owner of dome cars in the world. This was prior to the merger with the GN, NP, and SP&S that created Burlington Northern. Only Amtrak would own more domes than the Burlington Northern.
On July 23, 1945 4714 SILVER DOME made its debut, operating to Minneapolis in CB&Q train #45 from Chicago.
At the same time CB&Q train #45 was departing Chicago that morning a press conference was being held by GM Vice-President Mr. Cyrus Osborn in Chicago announcing that GM and Pullman Standard had teamed up and were going to build the TRAIN OF TOMORROW as a demonstration train for the country to see.
General Motors itself was impressed enough with the dome idea it was turned over to there design & styling department and Mr. Harley Earl vice-president (famous for the Buick portholes) of styling turned to his staff and turned the idea into three ten foot models complete with clay passengers and crew members to fill them. Thus was born the GM TRAIN OF TOMORROW. These models went on display in 1945 and were exhibited to many railroad presidents and the reaction of these top Railroad executives led to GM awarding a contract to Pullman Standard for four Astra-Dome cars to be pulled by a new matching General Motors EMD E7A unit. The order called for Pullman Standard to build one each Astra-Dome Cars of four car types.
First was an Astra-Dome Coach with seating for 48 on the main car level with bathrooms located beneath the dome, the dome itself seated 24, this car was named STAR DUST.
The second car in the GM TRAIN OF TOMORROW consist was an Astra-Dome dining car with seating at tables for eighteen in the dome arranged three tables for four on one side and three tables for two on the other. The main floor dining room of SKY VIEW as the Astra-Dome dining car was named seated 24 on the main level. The seating in the main dining room on the main level of the car to the rear of the dome dining room was arranged with four triangular tables for four on one side and four triangular tables for two on the other side. The Kitchen was located at the other end of the cars main floor. Food prepared in the Kitchen located in the cars forward main level area traveled by an electric Dumbwaiter at the front of the dome to the smart waiter (the one who received the tips) in the dome. Beneath the dome in the depressed area of SKY VIEW was located a private dining room for ten passengers. Total dining accommodation was provided for 52.
The third Astra-Dome was a sleeping car, providing 24 seats in the dome, the same as the coach. The sleeping accommodation of DREAM CLOUD as the car was named was unusual providing two three berth Drawing Rooms forward of the dome on the main level, beneath the dome was three compartments. On the main level to the rear of the dome was the location for eight duplex roomettes. Thus as a sleeping car Astra-Dome DREAM CLOUD was built with a maximum sleeping car capacity of twenty. The DREAM CLOUD never operated in revenue service as a sleeping car instead after sale to the Union Pacific along with the other three Astra-Dome cars that comprised the TRAIN OF TOMORROW it served as a parlor car. All space was sold at parlor car rates in DREAM CLOUD on its daily Portland-Seattle round trips.
The fourth Astra-Dome in the GM TRAIN OF TOMORROW was a Lounge Observation, again with 24 seats in the dome. This car MOON GLOW featured 44 lounge seats in singles and sofas on the main level and beneath the dome and two bars served the cocktail lounges ahead of and beneath the dome. The area of the main level to the rear of the dome in the beautifully rounded Observation end was strictly a lounge area.
Honors for the first factory built dome coach, dome diner, dome sleeping car, and dome lounge observation went to Pullman Standard. For it was Pullman Standard who designed and built the entire GM TRAIN OF TOMORROW Astra-Dome ASTRA-LINER and proved the concept of the depressed main level section beneath the dome was feasible and had the necessary strength and robustness for railroad use. Ironically Pullman Standard would never build another dome sleeping car or dome dining car, at least not one with kitchen facilities anyway.
The beautiful blue and stainless steel ASTRA-LINER TRAIN OF TOMORROW was first displayed outside Chicago’s Soldier Field May 28, 1947. Two days prior to its public debut at Soldier Field May 26-27, 1947, the TRAIN OF TOMORROW made its first test sortie operating a 560 mile round trip over the Chicago, Indianapolis and Louisville (Monon) to their famous French Lick resort in Indiana from Chicago and return. Ironically the Monon that hosted the GM TRAIN OF TOMORROW on this test run would never own a dome.
After a week in Chicago on public display the GM TRAIN OF TOMORROW departed on a 65,000-mile exhibition tour of the country visiting every major city in the United States that had the necessary clearances for the extended height cars. The exhibition tour was completed in December 1949 and the train sat outside Pullman Standard in Chicago until March 1950.
In April 1950 the GM TRAIN OF TOMORROW complete with EMD E7A 765 was sold to the Union Pacific. After being repainted into UP Streamliner colors of yellow, gray and red in Omaha the train was prepared for another exhibition tour. This time the tour traveled to Los Angeles as part of a CITY OF LOS ANGELES consist out of Omaha. After display in Los Angeles the former GM TRAIN OF TOMORROW consist departed Los Angeles in another CITY OF LOS ANGELES consist for its new home of Portland, Oregon operating in that train as far as Salt Lake City. From Salt Lake City to Pocatello the cars traveled in the BUTTE SPECIAL. From Pocatello via Boise and La Grande the cars traveled in one of the CITY OF PORTLAND consists before arrival in its new Oregon home base.
On June 18, 1950 the cars of the former TRAIN OF TOMORROW were integrated with the other cars of UP pool train 457 and departed Portland for Seattle becoming the first dome equipped train to enter scheduled service in the Pacific Northwest. Train 457 and 458 would be the shortest scheduled dome route in the United States. Leading 457 that day was UP EMD E7A unit 988 the former TRAIN OF TOMORROW 765. Unfortunately the UP charged a premium to ride in any of the dome cars operated in trains 457-458.
But even before the former GM TRAIN OF TOMORROW entered UP service the CB&Q and three other railroads the MP, D&RGW and WP had debuted new Vista-Dome streamliners of there own to the rail traveling public.
First of the new Vista-Dome streamliners to enter scheduled service was the pair of VISTA-DOME TWIN ZEPHYRS inaugurated December 12, 1947. Each seven car consist featured no less than five Vista-Domes. This was the largest number of dome cars regularly assigned to any day streamliner. The VISTA-DOME TWIN ZEPHYR offered passengers 120 non-revenue seats in the domes and only 244 revenue seats as originally built. Each new VISTA-DOME TWIN ZEPHYR operated a complete daily round trip between Chicago – Minneapolis. In one direction the trains were the VISTA-DOME MORNING TWIN ZEPHYRS and after turning and servicing the trains returned to their respective home terminals operating as the VISTA-DOME AFTERNOON TWIN ZEPHYRS. The route selected for the new trains was the best choice for the CB&Q as the trains paralleled the Mississippi River for the greater part of their journey. The scenery alongside the mighty river with the bluffs on either side was magnificent. The CB&Q would operate Vista-Domes on this route through the BN merger until Amtrak took over the nation’s passenger service in 1971.The two homebuilt domes of the CB&Q often operated in these trains increasing dome seating to 144. The route selected by Amtrak between Chicago and the Twin Cities uses the opposite bank of the Mississippi River for the greater part of its journey.
The Missouri Pacific COLORADO EAGLE added domes to its streamlined consist in June 1948 when Budd delivered three 46-seat leg-rest dome cars with the standard 24 seats in the domes. The MP named them Planetarium Dome cars. The overnight trains between St. Louis and Denver these dome cars were assigned to the COLORADO EAGLE were identical to those built for the VISTA-DOME CALIFORNIA ZEPHYR and were delivered at the same time. The MP cars were painted blue and gray to match the earlier cars and were lettered COLORADO EAGLE. It was originally intended that the COLORADO EAGLE would offer through car service to San Francisco via the VISTA-DOME CALIFORNIA ZEPHYR beyond Denver. This explains the odd number of Planetarium dome cars delivered (three) to the MP for COLORADO EAGLE service.
The other lightweight streamlined Vista-Dome cars that entered service in 1948 were built for the C&O, six cars from Budd all for that roads stillborn CHESSIE. The CHESSIE was to have entered service in late August or early September 1948 but the cars were not actually delivered until October 1948, for service between Washington and Cincinnati with a section of the trains operating from Phoebus (Newport News) to Charlottesville where it would have connected with the Washington –Cincinnati section of the train. The CHESSIE cars originating in Phoebus would have been coupled to the rear of the Washington CHESSIE section and continued to Cincinnati. Eastbound the Phoebus CHESSIE section would have been dropped at Charlottesville and continued as a separate train to Phoebus. Three of the Vista-Dome cars were private room dome cars with the standard 24 seats in the dome and on the main level of these cars at one end was three cabins two doubles and one single beneath the dome was a communications center a car attendants berth and conductor’s office. At the other end of the cars on the main level were six roomettes for train crew. The space in these cars would have been sold at parlor car rates, as the CHESSIE was to have operated on a daytime schedule. These private room dome cars would have operated between Washington and Cincinnati. The other three Vista-Dome cars were carried on the rear from Phoebus to Cincinnati. These three had a coach section forward of the dome that seated twenty. Beneath the dome was a newsstand and pair of restrooms, in the rounded observation end on the cars main level was a spacious 16-seat lounge, once again the dome seated 24. These six cars were built as reduced clearance domes due to the height restrictions in the east with a maximum height of 15’ 5-3/4”. These domes had a forward slant to their penthouses that was never repeated by Budd in any other domes. Even so it is doubtful if they could have operated into Washington Union Station because of the tunnel height at that time
The three Vista-Dome Coach Observations were assigned to the Detroit-Grand Rapids PERE MARQUETTES until sold to the D&RGW September 20, 1949.
The three Vista-Dome sleeping cars were to be assigned to the SPORTSMAN but never entered service in that train instead they were stored from November 1949 until being shopped in Kent, Ohio in October 1950 for conversion to overnight sleeping cars. Before they entered SPORTSMAN service they were sold to the B&O on December 4, 1950 for assignment to their CAPITAL LIMITED one per consist and the extra car was assigned to one of the two SHENANDOAH train sets. The B&O route out of Washington Union Station posed no clearance problems for the domes.
The second Vista-Dome train to enter scheduled service probably became the most famous of all the dome trains the VISTA-DOME CALIFORNIA ZEPHYR operated by the CB&Q between Chicago and Denver, D&RGW between Denver and Salt Lake City and WP between Salt Lake City and Oakland Pier. Here was America’s first lightweight streamlined cruise train. The schedule of the VISTA-DOME CALIFORNIA ZEPHYR was slower than the C&NW-UP-SP CITY OF SAN FRANCISCO. But the VISTA-DOME CALIFORNIA ZEPHYR was scheduled through both the Colorado Rockies and Feather River Canyon in daylight hours in both directions. Again each eleven car consist provided five domes, six sets of equipment were necessary for daily operation. The CB&Q owned 27 cars, D&RGW owned 15, WP owned 24 and the PRR owned a single 10-6 sleeping car for through service to New York. During the years the VISTA-DOME CALIFORNIA ZEPHYR operated it was probably the most talked about train in America. The VISTA-DOME CALIFORNIA ZEPHYR was inaugurated on March 20, 1949. With five domes seating 120 it matched the earlier VISTA-DOME TWIN ZEPHYRS in seats under glass. The three Vista Dome coaches in each consist seated 46 on the main level in leg-rest seats. These three Vista-Domes were for the use of the trains Coach passengers. The fourth dome in each VISTA-DOME CALIFORNIA ZEPHYR featured a 19-seat Coffee shop forward on the main level. Beneath the dome was a lounge seating seven with a service bar and Kitchen. Aft of the depressed center on the main level was Crew Dormitory space for 17 including private rooms for the Zephyrette and dining car steward. Space in this dome was reserved for sleeping car passengers from the trailing cars.
The last dome in the train was also reserved for sleeping car passengers. This Vista Dome featured 3-double bedrooms, 1-drawing room on the main level forward of the dome. Beneath the dome was a bar with lounge seating for 12-passengers. To the rear of the cars depressed center on the main level was an observation lounge seating seventeen and a desk with chair. These Vista-Dome sleeper Lounge Observations with their beautiful rounded end many railroad historians believe were the finest ever built, they were duplicated in 1955 when Canadian Pacific purchased eighteen for operation on the rear of there new transcontinental CANADIAN and secondary transcontinental DOMINION.
The B&O received two reduced clearance Strata-Dome coaches as part of the new postwar COLUMBIAN train sets from Pullman Standard. These two eight car train sets were strikingly beautiful in their matched blue and gray paint scheme. The COLUMBIANS were overnight coach Baltimore – Chicago trains. These domes featured 18- coach seats on the main level forward and 24- coach seats aft of the dome on the main level. There were two lounge areas located beneath the dome, one seating eleven the other six. The height of the COLUMBIANS Pullman Standard built domes for the B&O was only 15’3” lower than any other standard short domes constructed. The new trains entered service in May 1949.
One month later in June 1949 the CB&Q Aurora shops rebuilt 1940 flat top Budd built coach 2709 SILVER CASTLE into a dome coach identical to the 1945 rebuild 4714 SILVER DOME. After completion the two homebuilt domes were often assigned as extra cars to the VISTA-DOME TWIN ZEPHYRS either replacing one of the train’s regular domes for shopping or as an extra car during peak travel periods.
In September 1949 the 3-Vista-Dome coach lounge observations originally built for the C&O CHESSIE and operated in the Detroit-Grand Rapids PERE MARQUETTES were sold to the D&RGW. Before entering D&RGW service the three cars were fitted with an adapter at the observation end complete with diaphragm making them suitable for use mid-train. These three Vista-Domes were assigned to the ROYAL GORGE operating as dome coach lounge observations between Denver and Grand Junction, Colorado via Colorado Springs and Pueblo. Upon arrival in Grand Junction the PROSPECTOR was coupled to the rear of the ROYAL GORGE and the combined train continued to Salt Lake City. Eastbound the PROSPECTOR-ROYAL GORGE split at Grand Junction and continued by their separate routes to Denver. The PROSPECTOR traveling via the more direct Dotsero cutoff via the Moffat tunnel route would arrive in Denver many hours before the ROYAL GORGE operating via the longer route over Tennessee Pass to Pueblo before turning north to Colorado Springs and Denver.
On February 26, 1950 a new Wabash Domeliner entered service between St. Louis and Chicago operating a single round trip daily. This Budd built six-car diesel powered beauty in gleaming stainless steel and Wabash blue featured no less than four Vista-Domes. Three of these were Vista-Dome coaches the fourth was a Vista-Dome parlor observation. The Vista-Dome cars in the Wabash BLUE BIRD were nearly identical to those built for the CB&Q VISTA-DOME TWIN ZEPHYRS. The two flat-topped cars were the first car in the BLUE BIRD consist a baggage-lunch counter-lounge and the fifth car a dining-lounge car.
As previously mentioned in September 1950 UP 457-458 the Portland – Seattle pool trains became that railroads first Domeliner. Unofficially the train was the CITY OF SEATTLE to those who rode the first Astra-Dome equipped train in the Pacific Northwest. In reality it was the former GM TRAIN OF TOMORROW equipment operating with other streamlined and heavyweight cars all painted in the UP colors. This was the only dome train operated by a class one railroad in America that required a surcharge to ride in the train’s domes. This was also the shortest scheduled dome route operated in America by a class one railroad.
In December 1950 the B&O purchased the three Vista-Dome sleeping cars built for the C&O CHESSIE and shipped them to Pullman for upgrading for sleeping car service. The cars entered sleeping car service January 8, 1951 with 3-drawing rooms 1-single bedroom and 5-roomettes. Two of the Strata-Dome sleepers were assigned to operation in the Baltimore & Ohio’ finest the all Pullman CAPITOL LIMITED. One operated in each of this trains two consists. On the same date the third Strata-Dome sleeping car was assigned to one of the two SHENANDOAH consists for service between Washington and Chicago. The dome equipped SHENANDOAH consist operated one day eastbound and the next day westbound.
In December 1950 the Santa Fe’s finest the SUPER CHIEF received new dining cars and Pleasure-Domes. These Pleasure-Domes trainlined immediately behind the diners provided only sixteen seats in the dome of the Pullman Standard built domes. They were arranged with one pair facing forward on either side of the center aisle followed by four single swiveling parlor type seats then two more pairs of seats facing the rear. This provided dome seating for only sixteen in an arrangement that was never repeated in any other dome cars ever built. Ahead of the dome was a private dining room for up to twelve named the Turquoise Room. The room was served from the dining car ahead. When not reserved for a movie star or starlet or private party or group it was used as an overflow dining area for the regular 36-seat dining car ahead. Beneath the dome was a cocktail lounge and in the area to the rear of the dome was a large lounge area.
The year 1951 was quiet for production of new dome cars with not a single example being delivered to the railroads.
Early in 1952 the B&O installed four 250-watt locomotive headlights on the roofs of their five Strata-Dome cars ahead of the dome on the right side only. These lights were angled at 60, 70, 80,and 85 degrees to offer the best lighting of the passing scenery. The lights were extinguished when passing through major cities enroute. The B&O was the only railroad to light the countryside for passengers traveling on the COLUMBIAN, CAPITAL LIMITED and SHENANDOAH on their nocturnal journeys.
In July 1952 Pullman Standard delivered a single Vista-Dome parlor car to the Wabash for assignment to the BLUE BIRD. This car was painted Wabash blue with white and stood out in the otherwise all Budd stainless steel and Wabash blue consist. The car featured parlor seating ahead of and behind the dome on the main floor level. Beneath the dome was located the BLUE BIRD room that could be arranged for dining or as a lounge for eleven, the BLUE BIRD room was served by the Dining –Lounge Car trainlined directly ahead. The new Pullman Standard built car was the sixth in the 7-car consist just ahead of the Vista-Dome parlor observation. The addition of this car to the BLUE BIRD gave the Waba***rain the same number of domes as the TWIN ZEPHYRS, except when the latter operated with the pattern domes in their consists.
In July 1952 the Missouri Pacific and its two subsidiaries International Great Northern and Texas & Pacific received five Pullman Standard built Planetarium-Dome coaches. Three of the new Planetarium-Dome coaches were MP owned and one each was lettered for the subsidiaries International Great Northern and Texas & Pacific. These dome coaches seated 42 in reserved seats ahead of and to the rear of the dome on the main level; the dome seated 24 and beneath the dome was lounge seating for 17. The MP assigned four of them to the TEXAS EAGLES the other was at first held as a spare. The WEST TEXAS EAGLE operated Planetarium-Domes between St. Louis and Fort Worth. The SOUTH TEXAS EAGLE operated domes between St. Louis and San Antonio. The fifth Pullman Standard dome or spare was eventually assigned to one of the MISSOURI RIVER EAGLES operating between St. Louis and Omaha via Kansas City. The other odd Budd built dome from 1948 was assigned to the other MISSOURI RIVER EAGLE.
In November-December 1952 Pullman Standard delivered the first full-length dome cars built to the Milwaukee Road. These ten Super- Domes seated 68 on the dome level in single and paired seats and 28 in a café-lounge beneath the dome. These cars were so heavy at 112 tons they rode on special six-wheel trucks to spread the weight. Even so the height to top of dome was only 15’ 6” lower than the later Budd full-length domes by some 4”. The lower level contained equipment rooms at the ends on either side of the café-lounge for the necessary high capacity air-conditioning system, required for so much space under glass. Even so these Super-Domes could be quite warm in the summer months as they traversed Montana and traveled along the banks of the Mississippi River. The Milwaukee Road assigned one each to the two consists of the MORNING HIAWATHAS, another pair were assigned to the AFTERNOON HIAWATHA train sets for service between Chicago and the Twin Cities. The remaining six were assigned to the OLYMPIAN HIAWATHA train sets one per consist between Chicago and Seattle-Tacoma. The new Super-Domes entered scheduled service in their respective HIAWATHAS January 1, 1953. The words Super Dome appeared in script below the windows of the lower level café lounge.
Budd delivered a single Vista-Dome sleeper lounge observation to the CB&Q in December 1952. This car was identical to those built earlier for the VISTA-DOME CALIFORNIA ZEPHYR except that the shower in the drawing room annex was factory installed not retrofitted as was the case with the earlier VISTA-DOME CALIFORNIA ZEPHYR Sleeper Lounge Observations. This car was built for a pool arrangement where certain VISTA-DOME CALIFORNIA ZEPHYR cars on their Chicago layover were operated in overnight service in the VISTA-DOME AK-SAR-BEN ZEPHYR operating overnight between Chicago and Omaha-Lincoln.
The year 1953 witnessed only four Vista-dome cars being delivered all to the CB&Q. Two of these cars were 24-seat coach with a 3-bunk crew room ahead of the dome. Beneath the dome was a Buffet –Kitchen and 6-seat lounge. To the rear of the depressed center again on the cars main level was the coffee shop seating 17. The dome reached from the coffee shop seated the standard 24 passengers. These two cars served double duty operating in the VISTA DOME KANSAS CITY ZEPHYR consists each way between Chicago and Kansas City daily then returning in the overnight VISTA DOME AMERICAN ROYAL ZEPHYR consists. The daytime VISTA-DOME KANSAS CITY ZEPHYR operated a second Vista Dome in each consist, these cars were twenty-seven seat parlors with a single 5-seat parlor drawing room blunt end observations. The blunt ends still provided windows to the rear but also provided a diaphragm so they could be used mid-train if necessary. The parlor drawing room was located along with a pair of restrooms beneath the dome of these cars.
The years 1954-55 were the banner years for dome car production. During those two years a total of 127 domes came from American Car & Foundry and Budd. In addition SP constructed seven ¾-length domes using frames of older streamlined car types. The work was undertaken in that railroads own Sacramento shops. Budd built the largest number of these dome cars 92. Twenty of these were full-length domes that rode on six wheel trucks and weighed 192,000 lbs. Much lighter than the Pullman Standard built Milwaukee Road Super Domes that topped the scales at 224,000 lbs. The weight difference was attributable to Budd Company’s use of lighter stainless steel throughout in their car construction.
The AT&SF received eight Big-Domes from Budd in the first quarter of 1954. These eight cars featured 57-coach type seats in the forward part of the dome level combined with an 18-seat lounge to the rear on the dome level as well. On the lower level was a single double bedroom for the Courier-Nurse a Bar and 28-seat lounge centered between two equipment lockers that contained the cars air conditioning equipment. The Santa Fe assigned six of these cars to the EL CAPITAN pool one being assigned to each of that trains consists operating between Chicago and Los Angeles. The remaining two of these Big-Domes were assigned one each to the eastbound CHICAGOAN and westbound KANSAS CITYAN daily trains between Chicago and Oklahoma City.
In May 1954 the Santa Fe inaugurated a new streamlined train the SAN FRANCISCO CHIEF between Chicago and its namesake city by way of the panhandle of Texas or Southern transcontinental route. The only new cars built for this train were a series of 48-seat leg-rest coaches and six Big-Domes. These six Big-Domes differed from the earlier ones delivered for the EL CAPITAN and CHICAGOAN-KANSAS CITYAN as they only seated 10 in the lower level bar-lounge area. Instead of a Courier-Nurse room the remaining lower level was occupied by crew dormitory space for twelve. The Dome level of these cars was identical to the earlier Big-Domes delivered to the Santa Fe with 57 coach type seats forward and 18 seat lounge to the rear.
The Northern Pacific introduced new 46-seat leg-rest Vista-Dome coaches to the NORTH COAST LIMITED in July-August 1954 two assigned per consist. These were identical to those built for the VISTA-DOME CALIFORNIA ZEPHYR except they featured flat sides instead of fluted and were painted to match the other cars in the Northern Pacific’s finest in the new Raymond Loewy 2-tone green with white separation stripe scheme. One was a Chicago-Seattle car the other a Chicago-Portland car set out at Pasco and forwarded by the SP&S to and from Portland. Thereafter the train was referred to as the VISTA-DOME NORTH COAST LIMITED. Budd delivered ten Vista-Dome sleeping cars to the NP between September and November 1954. Like the ten Vista-Dome coaches delivered earlier the new Vista-Dome sleepers were assigned in pairs to each consist of the VISTA-DOME NORTH COAST LIMITED between Chicago and Seattle and Chicago – Portland. The Northern Pacific separated the Vista- Dome coaches with a flat top coach in each consist, doing the same with the Vista-Dome sleeping cars, trainlining a flat top sleeping car between the Vista-Dome sleepers. This provided superior viewing from the domes instead of having a train’s domes trainlined together like the VISTA-DOME CALIFORNIA ZEPHYR. The Vista-Dome Sleeping cars featured 24-seats in the dome with four duplex single rooms beneath the dome, four roomettes were located on the main level forward of the dome and aft of the dome on the main level was four double bedrooms. These cars revenue passenger count was only 16 in the cars sleeping space.
The Southern Pacific built seven-¾ length ”Stairway to the Stars” domes in their Sacramento Shops using the frames from older lightweight streamlined cars. The first of the seven was completed in July 1954 and the final car was completed in May 1955. Budd built the dome framework for these cars and shipped them from Philadelphia to Sacramento. These domes extended only 21 inches above the regular car roof. The SP domes did not have enough height for an upper and lower level. Instead the SP domes had six stairs at the one end when coming from the adjoining car leading to the dome level where there were 36 seats. These were arranged as 12 doubles and four singles, also in the raised dome portion of the car were four double and two single lounge sections. After this lounge area one descended six stairs to the main level 28-seat lounge and bar. The dome covered this main level lounge area and ended at the bar. A passageway to the left led to the rear past the bar and to the vestibule leading to the next car. The SP assigned their ¾ length domes to the SHASTA DAYLIGHT between Portland and Oakland, SAN JOAQUIN DAYLIGHT between Oakland and Los Angeles, and SAN FRANCISCO OVERLAND between Oakland and Ogden initially.
Budd began delivering one of their largest postwar orders that for the Canadian Pacific in July 1954. Of this 172-car order 36 were Scenic-Domes divided equally between two types. First there were 18 Skyline domes with 26- leg rest coach seats forward on the main level, beneath the dome was a Kitchen-Bar and a six -seat lounge, on the main level to the rear of the dome was additional buffet-lounge seating area for seventeen. The dome was a standard Budd offering with the usual 24-seats. These cars served meals to coach passengers on the CANADIAN and DOMINION and all passengers of the ATLANTIC LIMITED that train carrying no separate dining car and served as a coach lounge at other times.
The second type of Scenic-Dome car built for the Canadian Pacific was their PARK cars with 3-double bedrooms and 1-drawing room on the main level forward of the dome. Beneath the dome was a bar with twelve seats arranged at tables for two or four. In the rounded observation end on the main level was a desk with chair and thirteen lounge seats. The PARK cars dome area once again was a standard 24-seat arrangement.
The CP ordered these cars for an all-new streamlined transcontinental train the CANADIAN and to upgrade the secondary transcontinental train the DOMINION both Montreal-Toronto to Vancouver trains. The DOMINION operated with not only the Budd built streamlined cars but heavyweights and railroad built streamlined cars. The third train to receive the new Budd equipment was the ATLANTIC LIMITED an overnight train between Montreal and St. John, New Brunswick that operated across the state of Maine nightly. From St. John one could board a CPR steamship for the voyage across the Bay of Fundy to Digby, Nova Scotia. A CPR owned subsidiary the Dominion Atlantic Railway connected with the CP steamship and provided service to Yarmouth at the southern end of Nova Scotia or northbound traveled to Halifax the capital of Nova Scotia operating with Budd built RDC’s.
The Union Pacific began receiving a large order of Astra-Domes in December 1954 starting with coaches. The UP received 10 of these dome coaches from American Car & Foundry in December 1954-January 1955. These cars were quite different then any others constructed as they used mostly aluminum for the body with a steel underbody. Another feature not found on the domes from the other manufacturers was the use of one pane of curved glass for the side and top of the dome glass, only the SUPER DOMES of the Milwaukee Road were similarly equipped. The UP soon found out how expensive they were when they occasionally needed replacement. The UP assigned the dome coaches to the CITY OF PORTLAND between Chicago and Portland and the newly reinstated CHALLENGER between Chicago and Los Angeles. The fifteen Dome Lounge Blunt end observations arrived on the UP between February and April 1955. They were assigned to the CITY OF PORTLAND, CITY OF LOS ANGELES and CHALLENGER initially. Those assigned to the CHALLENGER were soon transferred to the CITY OF ST. LOUIS for operation between St. Louis and Los Angeles via Denver and Kansas City.
In April-May 1955 the UP received 10-Astra-Dome dining cars from ACF. These were based on the original Astra-Dome Dining car from the GM TRAIN OF TOMORROW. The UP assigned five to the CITY OF PORTLAND and the remaining five to the CITY OF LOS ANGELES. The CITY OF PORTLAND was the only UP Domeliner to have all three types of domes initially. Later the CITY OF LOS ANGLES would operate with all three types when it was combined with the CHALLENGERS in the off peak travel periods.
Beginning May 29, 1955 the Great Northern EMPIRE BUILDERS began operating with three Budd built Great-Domes in each consist, two were operated Chicago – Seattle the third operated Chicago – Portland. The Portland Dome coach operated via the SP&S between Spokane and Portland. These were nearly identical to those built the previous year for the NP VISTA-DOME NORTH COAST LIMITED with 46-legrest coach seats on the main floor and the standard 24-seats in the dome. The GN EMPIRE BUILDER cars were smooth sided cars from Budd and were painted in the Pullman Green and Omaha Orange scheme with dulux gold separation stripes and lettering. And if that wasn’t enough dome seating the GN added full- length Budd built Great dome lounge cars to the EMPIRE BUILDER beginning in October 1955. The dome level of these cars was identical to the Santa Fe Big domes with 57 coach seats and 18-seat lounge. The lower level lounge seated 34 with a buffet. The Great Dome Lounge was reserved for the exclusive use of the Pullman passengers. The EMPIRE BUILDER and for a short period the SUPER CONTINENTAL were the only scheduled trains operating with both short domes and a full-length dome assigned to the same consists. The GN received 16 short domes and 6 Great Dome Lounge cars. These domes were the last new cars ever purchased by the Great Northern. The Great Northern referred to both types of domes as Great Domes but also referred to the Budd short domes as Vista-Domes in some company produced literature.
In October 1956 the CB&Q received new cars for the new VISTA-DOME DENVER ZEPHYRS; each of the two consists operated with three Vista-Domes. First was a 46- leg rest seat dome coach with the standard 24 seats in the dome. The second Vista-Dome in each VISTA-DOME DENVER ZEPHYR was an 8-seat lunch counter 23 –seat coffee shop-Lounge 16-crew dormitory car with 24 – seats in the dome. The last Vista-Dome in the VISTA-DOME DENVER ZEPHYR consists was an 11-seat Parlor with a single 5-seat Parlor Drawing Room on the main level forward. Beneath the Vista-Dome was a Bar with 16-seat Lounge. A 12-seat lounge occupied the blunt ended observation end of the main level. The first and third Vista-Dome in each VISTA-DOME DENVER ZEPHYR consist was a Chicago-Denver car. The second Vista-Dome with the coffee shop was a through Colorado Springs car from Chicago. Continuing beyond Denver this dome accompanied by a coach, Slumbercoach and sleeper was coupled to the rear of the D&RGW ROYAL GORGE beyond Denver to Colorado Springs and return.
In December 1957 the NP received one Vista-Dome 46-seat leg rest coach and one Vista-Dome Sleeping car for assignment to the VISTA DOME NORTH COAST LIMITED pool of cars to operate as spares permitting the others to be rotated through the shops.
Pullman Standard constructed the final order of new Dome cars for the Union Pacific and Waba***o plans supplied by American Car & Foundry. These cars were Astra-Dome coaches and they were identical to those built earlier for the Union Pacific. These six Astra-Dome coaches were assigned to the CITY OF ST. LOUIS upon completion in December 1958 for operation by way of Kansas City and Denver before joining the UP Overland route mainline at Cheyenne.
In the period between June 1945 and December 1958 a total of 236 domes were produced. Two were railroad shop rebuilt short domes (CB&Q), 7 railroad rebuilt ¾ domes (SP), 30 new full domes, and 197 short domes were built by the three car manufacturers American Car & Foundry, Budd Company and Pullman Standard. Only six railroads owned both short domes and full domes AT&SF, CB&Q, GN, BN, Amtrak and Auto-Train, although the latter two railroads purchased theirs used from other railroads at the beginning of Amtrak. The BN cars were the result of the merger of the GN, NP, CB&Q and SP&S in 1970. The CB&Q, GN, BN, and Amtrak were the only railroads that operated both full domes and short domes in the same train the EMPIRE BUILDER.
Auto-Train operated short and full-length domes in their Lorton, Virginia – Sanford, Florida trains.
One railroad owned only full domes Milwaukee Road Super Domes.
One railroad owned only ¾ length domes Southern Pacific reconstructed in their own shops from older streamlined car types.
Pullman Standard built 10-full domes all for Milwaukee Road, and 24-short domes for AT&SF, B&O, GM (TRAIN OF TOMORROW), MP (and subsidiaries IGN, T&P), UP and Wabash.
American Car and Foundry built 35 short domes all for a single customer Union Pacific.
The Budd Company constructed the remaining 138-short domes (CPR, C&O, CB&Q, D&RGW, GN, MP, NP, SP&S, Wabash, and WP) and 20-full domes (AT&SF, GN, and CB&Q). Pullman Standard built a single Astra-Dome sleeping car, a single Astra-Dome dining car, a single dome parlor car, and seventeen (10-Super-Domes CMSTP&P) dome lounge cars only one an observation (Train of Tomorrow) six of these were AT&SF Pleasure Domes and lone observation originally GM TRAIN OF TOMORROW later UP. The remaining Pullman Standard built domes were all coaches’ 2-B&O, 1-IGN, 3-MP, 1-T&P, 6-UP and 1-Wabash.
American Car & Foundry built 10-Astra-Dome coaches, 15-Astra-Dome lounge observations and 10-Astra-Dome dining cars all for the Union Pacific.
Budd Company built 20-full length dome cars with lounges on the lower level 14-AT&SF, 5-GN and 1 CB&Q. The Budd Company built 147 short dome cars. Twenty-five of these short domes were sleeper-lounge-observation types, forty-eight were long distance coaches with 46-legrest seats and seven were parlor observations. Twenty-eight Budd built short domes combined food and beverage service with dormitory or coach seating. Eleven were day coach versions. Budd also built fourteen dome sleeping cars. All others were miscellaneous types.
The following passenger trains are known to have operated with dome cars in there consists prior to Amtrak.

UP – C&NW – CMSTP&P – WABASH

CITY OF DENVER(C&NW-CMSTP&P)-Chicago-Denver

CITY OF LOS ANGELES(C&NW-CMSTP&P-UP)-Chicago-Los Angeles

CITY OF PORTLAND(C&NW-CMSTP&P-UP)–Chicago – Portland

CITY OF ST. LOUIS (WABASH-UP)-St. Louis-Los Angeles

CITY OF SAN FRANCISCO(C&NW-
CMSTP&P-UP-SP)–Chicago – San Francisco

CHALLENGER(C&NW-CMSTP&P-UP) - Chicago – Los Angeles

457/458(UP)-Portland - Seattle

CITY OF KANSAS CITY (WABASH)-St. Louis – Kansas City

BLUEBIRD (WABASH) – St. Louis – Chicago

BANNER BLUE (WABASH) - St. Louis – Chicago

MORNING HIAWATHA (CMSTP&P)-Chicago – Minneapolis


AFTERNOON HIAWATHA (CMSTP&P)-Chicago - Minneapolis

OLYMPIAN HIAWATHA (CMSTP&P)-Chicago-Seattle/Tacoma

CB&Q – D&RGW - GN – NP – SP&S – WP

VISTA-DOME AFTERNOON ZEPHYR (CB&Q)-Chicago-St. Paul/Minneapolis

VISTA-DOME AMERICAN ROYAL ZEPHYR (CB&Q)–Chicago – St. Joseph/Kansas City

VISTA-DOME DENVER ZEPHYR (CB&Q)-Chicago – Denver/Colorado Springs

VISTA-DOME CALIFORNIA ZEPHYR (CB&Q – D&RGW – WP)-Chicago – San Francisco

VISTA-DOME KANSAS CITY ZEPHYR (CB&Q)-Chicago – St. Joseph/Kansas City

VISTA-DOME NEBRASKA ZEPHYR (CB&Q)-Chicago – Omaha/Lincoln –

VISTA-DOME AK SAR BEN ZEPHYR (CB&Q) Chicago – Omaha/Lincoln


VISTA-DOME MORNING ZEPHYR (CB&Q)-Chicago – St. Paul/Minneapolis

VISTA-DOME SILVER STREAK ZEPHYR (CB&Q) Lincoln/Omaha – St. Joseph/Kansas City

41/42 (CB&Q)-Lincoln – Billings

EMPIRE BUILDER (CB&Q-SP&S-GN) Chicago – Seattle/Portland

VISTA-DOME NORTH COAST LIMITED (CB&Q-SP&S-NP) Chicago – Seattle/Portland

WESTERN STAR (CB&Q-SP&S-GN)-
St. Paul – Seattle

VISTA-DOME ROYAL GORGE (D&RGW)-Denver – Salt Lake City

VISTA-DOME PROSPECTOR (D&RGW) Denver – Salt Lake City

VISTA-DOME YAMPA VALLEY MAIL (D&RGW)-Denver -Craig



MP – IGN T&P –IC
COLORADO EAGLE (MP-D&RGW) St. Louis - Denver

MISSOURI RIVER EAGLE (MP)-St. Louis – Kansas City - Omaha

TEXAS EAGLE 1/2 (MP-T&P)-St. Louis – Dallas/Fort Worth/El Paso

TEXAS EAGLE 21/22 (MP) St. Louis – San Antonio/Houston/Galveston

LOUISIANA EAGLE (T&P)-New Orleans – Dallas/Fort Worth

CITY OF MIAMI (IC-C of G-ACL-FEC) – Chicago – Miami

PANAMA LIMITED (IC) Chicago – New Orleans

CITY OF NEW ORLEANS (IC)-Chicago-New Orleans
AT&SF – SP

SUPER CHIEF (AT&SF) Chicago – Los Angeles

CHIEF (AT&SF) Chicago – Los Angeles

EL CAPITAN (AT&SF)-Chicago – Los Angeles

TEXAS CHIEF (AT&SF) Chicago – Houston/Galveston

CHICAGOAN (AT&SF) Oklahoma City - Chicago

KANSAS CITYAN (AT&SF)-Chicago – Oklahoma City

SAN FRANCISCO CHIEF (AT&SF)-Chicago – San Francisco

SAN FRANCISCO OVERLAND (SP) – Oakland – Ogden

SAN JOAQUIN DAYLIGHT (SP) – Oakland – Los Angeles

COAST DAYLIGHT (SP) San Francisco – Los Angeles

CITY OF SAN FRANCISCO (SP) - Oakland – Ogden

SHASTA DAYLIGHT (SP) – Oakland - Portland

B&O – C&O – PRR – SCL – C of G – SOU

CAPITOL LIMITED (B&O) – Washington - Chicago

SHENANDOAH (B&O) – Washington - Chicago

COLUMBIAN (B&O) – Washington - Chicago

PERE MARQUETTES (C&O) – Chicago – Grand Rapids

SOUTH WIND (PRR-L&N-ACL-FEC) – Chicago - Miami

FLORIDA SPECIAL (ACL) –Richmond - Miami

SILVER METEOR (SCL) – Richmond - Miami

NANCY HANKS II (CofG) Atlanta – Macon - Savannah

SOUTHERN CRESCENT (Southern) – Atlanta – New Orleans

CNR – CPR

SUPER CONTINENTAL (CNR) – Winnipeg - Vancouver or Edmonton - Vancouver

PANORAMA (CNR) Winnipeg -Vancouver

CANADIAN (CPR) Montreal/Toronto - Vancouver

DOMINION (CPR) – Montreal/Toronto - Vancouver

ATLANTIC LIMITED (CPR) Montreal – St. John

LE CHATEAU CHAMPLAIN (CPR) – Montreal - Ottawa

ROYAL YORK (CPR) Montreal - Toronto

FRONTENAC (CPR) Montreal – Quebec City

VIPER (CPR) – Montreal – Quebec City

233/234 (CPR) Montreal - Ottawa

Chicago was the place to see domes; no less than 52 domes arrived and departed the railroad capitol on certain days during the 1960’s. And that was by seven railroads AT&SF, B&O, CB&Q, CMSTP&P, IC, PRR and WAB.
Other cities having large numbers of domes arriving and departing daily were Minneapolis/St. Paul 8-full domes and 34-short domes, Kansas City with 6-full domes and 12 short domes, Denver with 11 short domes and two full domes (former OLYMPIAN HIAWATHA), Oakland 10-short domes, 6-3/4 domes and 2 –full domes. Los Angeles had 2-short domes, 2-3/4 domes and 2-full domes. Seattle had 16-short domes and 2-full domes arriving and departing daily. Portland another west coast destination saw no less than 14-short domes and 2-3/4 domes arriving and departing daily. St. Louis witnessed the arrival and departure of 24-short domes, daily Miami witnessed the arrival and departure of three domes at one time and some sources list four on certain days in the winter, all short domes. North of the border Vancouver witnessed 8-short domes and 4-full domes arrive and depart daily for a brief period.
Fastest daily dome car ride was on the CB&Q MORNING TWIN ZEPHYR as it raced along the east bank of the Mississippi in Wisconsin. Another fast run was on the Milwaukee Road HIAWATHAS as they raced from Chicago to Milwaukee with their full domes. The Santa Fe ran some very fast segments in Kansas with both the SUPER CHIEF and EL CAPITAN in their 39-hour 45- minute dash between Chicago and Los Angeles. Fastest dome ride over a thousand miles the CB&Q 1956 VISTA-DOME DENVER ZEPHYRS as they raced overnight between the windy city and mile high city nightly in each direction in 16 hours 30 minutes.
The next chapters will take a railroad-by-railroad look at the dome cars. All railroads will be listed that have operated dome cars, except for Amtrak and Via Rail Canada who will have separate chapters.

TTFN AL

[passengerfan]

Good Morning Tom and the rest of the gang. Time for a coffee and another crumpet from the Mentor Bakery.

PASSENGERFAN AL'S STREAMLINER CORNER #49

STARLIGHT SP Trains 94-95 October 2, 1949 San Francisco – Los Angeles coach train daily overnight 11 hours each way 470 miles

The Southern Pacific Railroad NOON DAYLIGHT after being reintroduced following WW II in 1946 never regained the ridership it had enjoyed before the war. The Southern Pacific therefore canceled the NOON DAYLIGHTS at the completion of their runs on October 1, 1949. Another train the COASTER between Los Angeles and San Francisco a heavyweight full service train was discontinued after arrival at opposite terminals on the morning of October 2, 1949. Beginning the evening of October 2, 1949 a new Coach streamlined train named the STARLIGHT began overnight service between Los Angeles and San Francisco in both directions nightly. In actual fact only the train name was new for the cars assigned to the STARLIGHT train sets were mainly prewar DAYLIGHT cars. This gave the STARLIGHT the distinction of being the only overnight train on the Southern Pacific operating in DAYLIGHT colors. Initially the trains were assigned Parlor cars for service between Los Angeles – Santa Barbara and San Francisco – Salinas. The evening Parlor operation lasted less than thirty days.

CONSIST ONE

4448 Streamlined Lima GS-4 4-8-4 Northern Locomotive & Tender

6601 Baggage Mail Car

6055 Heavyweight Baggage Storage Mail Car

6085 Heavyweight Baggage Express Car

2406 Articulated 50- Revenue Seat Coach
2407 Articulated 50- Revenue Seat Coach

2454 Articulated 50- Revenue Seat Coach
2453 Articulated 50- Revenue Seat Coach

10400 56- Seat Coffee Shop Car

10312 68- Seat Tavern Lounge Car

2408 Articulated 50- Revenue Seat Coach
2409 Articulated 50- Revenue Seat Coach

2412 Articulated 50- Revenue Seat Coach
2413 Articulated 50- Revenue Seat Coach

2448 Articulated 46- Revenue Seat Coach
2447 Articulated 46- Revenue Seat Coach

3000 29- Revenue Seat Parlor Car 5- Revenue Seat Parlor Stateroom

CONSIST TWO

4441 Streamlined Lima GS-4 4-8-4 Northern Locomotive & Tender

6602 Baggage Mail Car

6083 Heavyweight Baggage Storage Mail Car

6606 Baggage Express Car

2456 Articulated 50- Revenue Seat Coach
2455 Articulated 50- Revenue Seat Coach

2404 Articulated 50- Revenue Seat Coach
2405 Articulated 50- Revenue Seat Coach

10401 56- Seat Coffee Shop Car

10313 68- Seat Tavern Lounge Car

2402 Articulated 50- Revenue Seat Coach
2403 Articulated 50- Revenue Seat Coach

2410 Articulated 50- Revenue Seat Coach
2411 Articulated 50- Revenue Seat Coach

2446 Articulated 46- Revenue Seat Coach
2445 Articulated 46- Revenue Seat Coach

2951 23- Revenue Seat Parlor 10- Seat Lounge Observation

The STARLIGHT Parlor cars were discontinued October 30, 1949.

Beginning January 10, 1955 the STARLIGHT was dieselized.

The STARLIGHT was combined with the LARK beginning July 15, 1957 and was no longer listed as a separate train.

[siberianmo]

Mornin' Gents!

I see passengerfan Al has "data dumped" this morning![swg] Two more, one a "longie", but both "goodies!" You really need to favorably consider putting these Epistles into parts (a good suggestion by LoveDomes Lars.) Can't speak for anyone other than me, but when I see that much "stuff" so early in the AM - my eyes glaze over!<grin>

Trainnut484 Russell I caught your late night Post and appreciate the business. Hey, whatever happens - happens. I'll still be here until the last man no longer is able to stand![swg]

I recently re-read the first 25 pages of this thread and it's not a bad thing to do in order to keep vivid just where we came from. Things started rather slow, then picked up steam. So, we're in a bit of a lull 'round here, it'll change. New names, new ideas - I look forward to it.[tup]

Okay, Gents, time to get about the day's routine!

Later ...

Tom[4:-)] [oX)]

[coalminer3]

Good Morning Barkeep and All Present; coffee, please, round for the house and $ for the jukebox. How about two songs this a.m. (Nick will enjoy these) "Velcro Arms, Teflon Heart" and "When You Leave Walk Out Backwards, So I'll Think You're Walkin' In." Lovely weather today - snow, high winds, etc., but it's supposed to improve this p.m. The K-9 Korps enjoyed their activities this a.m. - more snow the better.

Also for Nick - This part of WV abounds in old time string bands and bluegrass groups. It's also known for its festivals. I do not know if you get PRI where you are, but if they carry "Mountain Stage - Music From The Heart - Of West Virginia," check it out. I think you'd enjoy it. I know that the program is distributed internationally. Thank also for the Vulcan information - I figured that those locomotives were constucted locally.

As I am an SP devotee, as well as having my interest in things eastern, I appreciated reading abt. the Lake Tahoe area. I always enjoyed trips to Reno (not just for the casinos) as there is a lot of railroading to look at and visit.

There were lots of branch lines that were "saved" during the war for military reasons, and lots of others that were ripped up for scrap. Rogers Whitaker's book, correct me if I'm wrong on the title, Decade of the Trains - The 1940s, had some very interesting stories on this. Many of these lines, of course, led into mining areas, etc. which is how I got interested in them.

For those out there who are into passenger consists and express operations, get a copy of the Winter 2006 SP Trainline. John Signor has a truly encyclopedic article on SP holiday season mail and express trains. These trains handled cars from everywhere. I was especially interested to see all of the NYC cars that ran on these trains, including (in the mid 1960s) Flexi-Vans from New York to west Oakland. Anyway, you could build a model of one of these trains based on the information in the article that would truly be a show stopper.

Well, let's get back to it.

work safe

[siberianmo]

G'day Gents!

Just doing my noon-time check and see that coalminer3 CM3 has stopped in.[tup] And I see a few more song titles that he's somehow managed to have included within Herr Wulitzer's disc inventory.[swg]

Now here's a few even YOU may haven't heard:

Chris Stuart (of the bluegrass band Cornerstone, out of Ithaca NY)
. . . . . Twenty Naked Pentacostals in a Pontiac (*THE* news story of 1993)

Austin Lounge Lizards
. . . . . When Drunks Go Bad

Dr.Joe
. . . . . It's Hard to Find a Napkin in Nashville

and <drumroll>

John Ims
. . . . . When Daddy Cut the Big One[swg]

Ya know, a trip to Reno would be a great Rendezvous idea. Hotels and food costs are certainly within reason, there's lots of railroading interests out that way and the scenery ain't bad![tup][tup] Now, we surely wouldn't need a point man for a place like that, eh[?] But of course, the costs would factor in - always do. Never have made that rail trip and as I've mentioned a few zillion times on these pages, sure would like to! After the Rendezvous I'd board the west bound to see the rest of the scenery then fly home from SFran. Sounds like a plan![yeah]

Stay tuned, CM3, for there's "something on the way" for your SP interests - perhaps in a week or so. Curious[?]

The round and quarters for the Coal Scuttle are most appreciated!

Later ...

Tom[4:-)][oX)]