To EricSP
The SP rebuilt a total of seven 3/4 length domes from older lightweight streamlined cars. The first of these was outshopped by Sacramento shops in July 1954 and numbered 3600. It was originally Daylight Parlor Observation 2950 dating to the first streamlined Daylight of March 1937.
The second SP 3/4 lenght dome 3601 was outshopped in March 1955 rebuilt from Texas & New Orleans lightweight streamlined Parlor car 700 built for the September 1937 Sunbeam.
The other five 3/4 domes were completed in April and May 1955 as follows:
April 1955
3602 originally one of the 24-seat Lunch Counter 18-seat Tavern Lounge car of the first Daylights number 10311
3603 originally one of the 24-seat Lunch Counter 18-seat Tavern Lounge car of the first
Daylights number 10310
3606 originally one of the Dining Lounge Observations from the Texas & New Orleans Sunbeam /Hustler of 1937.
May 1955
3604 originally Daylight Parlor car 3000 of 1937
3605 originally Daylight Tavern Car 10312 dating to the Daylight trains of March 1940.
Originally 3600 and 3604 were assigned to the San Joaquin Daylight painted in full Daylight colors.
3605 and 3606 were initially assigned to the Shasta Daylight and also painted in full Daylight dress later assigned to the Coast Daylight after Shasta Daylight discontinued.
3601 - 3603 were assigned to operate between Oakland and Ogden in the San Francisco Overland initially later assigned to the City of San Francisco between the same points and painted in UP streamliner colors.
The bar itself was located at the standard height end of the car and on the lower level under the dome was a lounge seating twenty the one climbed the five steps to the raised dome level itself and their were four tables for four providing additional lounge space and the remainder of the dome level was angled comfortable sofa like seating that seated two for ato
I spent plenty of time on the back platform of Richard Horstmann’s Lehigh Valley 353 (now at Steamtown), Maurey Kliebolt’s Chief Illini, and PRR 120. But most unusual were the Waterloo, Ceder Falls, and Northern heavy wood interurban cars with brass railed back platforms, and I spent a day with one of them in 1952 (with Ray DeGroote and Bill Watson) Waterloo - Cedeer Rapds and return, plus a round trip on the branch line to the north, name of destination not in my memory at this instant.
Also the back platform of gate-car Third Avenue Through Expresses when the full schedule of Third Avenue Elevated was still running when I was a teenager. The ride non-stop from 42nd Street to 106th Street (little over three miles) and 149th to Treemont Avenue brought a teenager a lot of joy. Most of this service was provided by ex-Subway composite cars but there were two regularly scheduled gate-car trains. It was a rush hour only service. Middle reversable direction express track.
Finally, when I rode the Boston and Maine regularly as an MIT student, much of the suburban service was still with wood open platform equipment, and I and my bicycle were freqently on the rear platform.
In the late 1960’s or early 1970’s the CN remodeled a number of old heavyweight Sleeper Lounge Observations into Lounge cars for sleeping car passengers traveling on the Super Continental , Panorama, Ocean ,Scotian and Chaleur. These old heavyweights after rebuilding in CN shops were among the finest modern lounge cars ever to ride the rails. These cars operated next to the diner in the consists and were for the exclusive use of sleeping car passengers only. They rode on six wheel trucks and the windows were all thermopane sealed to keep out the cold and the roofline was streamlined to match the rest of the trains consists The interior lighting was of the tube type and gave a bright look to the lounge area the separate bar lounge area used subdued lighting and at every table was an endless supply of pretzels. They were placed their so passengers would drink more I am convinced. The CN also rebuilt old heavyweights into streamlined tourist sleeping cars that ran for many years on certain transcontinentals such as the Super Continental and Continental. I don’t believe these cars survived into the Black and White Paint scheme era, but were painted in the black green Gold scheme.