I’ve been enjoying those articles [:p] in the special edition of Classic Trains about the Streamliner Pioneers e.g. the Super Chief, 20th Century Limited, Broadway, the Rocket fleet and many others. [:)]
One thing that struck me was the absence of dome cars in the photos. Were they introduced a little later? [;)]
Dave
…Can’t answer with certainity, but GM’s Train Of Tommorow that toured this country about 1947 or 48 had cars on it with domes in the center {not full length}. I’m not saying it was the first but it was one of the early ones with Domes.
Quentin, thanks for that, maybe it was a post-war development to get ridership numbers up?
Dave
…Dave: From the general data I just now looked at it seems domes commercially produced must have been started around 1952 or so…
Kozzie, you are correct. Most of the streamliners you mentioned were from the 1930s, and the domes were of the very late 40s. The Super Chief eventually got a very luxurious Pleasure Dome lounge. The 20th Century and the Broadway never did, because of low bridge clearances in the East.
Dave: But I personally did see the train I mentioned in my first post that did have about 4 dome cars on it…It went on tour all over this country. I saw it on a coal branch {the S&C}, B&O that ran between Johnstown, Pa. to Rockwood…It was a coal hauler and not a route that normally had a passenger train. I was a high school student at the time and the school let us out to walk near by to see “this new train” pass by…Imagine doing that today…
Ifish and Quentin - your comments are appreciated.
I think low bridge and tunnel clearance is one of the reasons we never saw them down here either…
Dave
Dome cars were a product of the 40’s.
Secondly trains such as the 20th Century Limited and the Broadway Limited operated into New York…to enter New York they both had to utilize tunnels, tunnels that were constructed much earlier in the 20th Century and were not constructed to have clearances that would permit the operation of Dome Cars.
While the B&O did utilize Dome Cars on the Columbian and the Capitol Limited, passengers were not permitted to occupy the dome seats between Silver Springs, MD and Washington Union Terminal, account operating underneath the Electric Catenary of the Pennsylvania Railroad in Washington Union Terminal. Whle the domes cleared the cantenary, it was believed the the high voltage nature of the cantenary had the ‘possibility’ of causing a shock to occupants of the dome due to the relatively close proximity of the catenary wire and the top of the dome.
For more information than you may ever care to know about Dome Cars visit the following site.
http://www.trainweb.org/web_lurker/WebLurkersDOMEmain/
The first dome car was home built by the CB&Q in 1945.The rest is history.A railroad official got the idea from a cab ride taken,on FTs through the Royal Gorge.
The California Zephyr, including several Budd-built short domes, started up in 1950.
Thanks guys.
BaltACD, that web site you mentioned is very good. Included graphics of all the makes and color scheme combinations. Very good reference for passenger train nuts [:-,] like me [;)]
Dave
Just like baltACD said, the NYC, PRR, MR,& many other eastern route’s had smaller
tunnel’s. the SP’s daylight, the SF super chief, & the RG&W’s CA zepher had at
least 2 dome cars per train. I do know the Rock island R.R. had observation cars too,
& owned tall tunnel clearences, which also was made for Budd rail cars & 1 level
double deckers.
Pullman Standartd built the TRAIN OF TOMORROW in May 1947. It consisted of four dome cars pulled by a matching EMD E7A. One dome was STAR DUST a Dome Coach, another was SKY VIEW a dome dining car, yet another was DREAM CLOUD a dome sleeper and finally their was MOON GLOW the Dome Observation lounge car. Union Pacific purchased the complete train in 1950 and after repainting added the cars to trains 457-458 operating a daily round trip between Portland and Seattle. The cars art first retained their original names later they were renumbered. The DREAM CLOUD operated as a Dome Parlor car as overnight service was not needed on such a short run.
The first modern dome car was built by the CB&Q in June 1945 when prewar Budd 52-revenue seat coach 4714 SILVER ALCHEMY was rebuilt in the roads Aurora Shops into SILVER DOME.
The CB&Q introduced a pair of Dome Streamliners the Vista Dome Twin Zephyrs on December 19, 1947 between Chicago and the Twin Cities operating two daily ropund trips daily. These ne seven car streamliners had no less than five domes in each consist.
On March 20, 1947 the new Vista Dome CALIFORNIA ZEPHYRS entered service between Chicago and Oakland requiring six train sets for daily operation they operated over the CB&Q, D&RGW and WP. Each eleven car consist had five domes in each consist.
In May June 1948 the MP inaugurated three domes to the COLORADO EAGLE between St. Louis and Denver one of these cars would later be assigned to one of the MISSOURI RIVER EAGLES.
In September 1949 the Rio Grande received three dome observatiuons from the C&O originally built for the CHESSIE and assigned them to the ROYAL GORGE trains.
On June 25, 1950 the B&O introduced the new COLUMBIANS between Chicago and Baltimore with a single dome in each eight car consist.
On February 26, 1950 the Wabash introduced the BLUE BIRD round trip daily between Chicago St Louis with four domes later a fith dome would be added to the seven car train.
In December 1950 the B&O introduced
The California Zephyr was inaugurated on Feb.20,1949.The last run was Feb.22 1970.
The Southern Pacific built its 7 domes in the Sacramento shops.They had a lower dome profile to fit through the tunnels.These cars were rebuilt from parlor and lounge cars,in 1954.
Espeefoamer you are correct about the year the CZ entered service must have been a typo on my part the Month my three references show are all March 20, 1949.
[quote]
QUOTE: Originally posted by passengerfan
Pullman Standartd built the TRAIN OF TOMORROW in May 1947. It consisted of four dome cars pulled by a matching EMD E7A. One dome was STAR DUST a Dome Coach, another was SKY VIEW a dome dining car, yet another was DREAM CLOUD a dome sleeper and finally their was MOON GLOW the Dome Observation lounge car. Union Pacific purchased the complete train in 1950 and after repainting added the cars to trains 457-458 operating a daily round trip between Portland and Seattle. The cars art first retained their original names later they were renumbered. The DREAM CLOUD operated as a Dome Parlor car as overnight service was not needed on such a short run.
The first modern dome car was built by the CB&Q in June 1945 when prewar Budd 52-revenue seat coach 4714 SILVER ALCHEMY was rebuilt in the roads Aurora Shops into SILVER DOME.
The CB&Q introduced a pair of Dome Streamliners the Vista Dome Twin Zephyrs on December 19, 1947 between Chicago and the Twin Cities operating two daily ropund trips daily. These ne seven car streamliners had no less than five domes in each consist.
On March 20, 1947 the new Vista Dome CALIFORNIA ZEPHYRS entered service between Chicago and Oakland requiring six train sets for daily operation they operated over the CB&Q, D&RGW and WP. Each eleven car consist had five domes in each consist.
In May June 1948 the MP inaugurated three domes to the COLORADO EAGLE between St. Louis and Denver one of these cars would later be assigned to one of the MISSOURI RIVER EAGLES.
In September 1949 the Rio Grande received three dome observatiuons from the C&O originally built for the CHESSIE and assigned them to the ROYAL GORGE trains.
On June 25, 1950 the B&O introduced the new COLUMBIANS between Chicago and Baltimore with a single dome in each eight car consist.
On February 26, 1950 the Wabash introduced the BLUE BIRD round trip daily between Chicago St Louis with four domes later a fith dome would be added
Kozzie Dream Cloud was a standard short dome with 24 seats in the dome and benmeath the dome was located three Compartments. Forward of the dome on the main level was two Drawing Rooms and to the rear of the dome on the main level was 8 duplex roomettes. I traveled on the car when a young lad as my dad sent me to Portland to a relatives on many weekends from Seattle. He always felt I would be safer in the Duplex Roomette than in a coach or regulkar parlor car and besides it was easier for the car attendant to keep and eye on me. I remeber seeing the car in a Pocatello scrap dealers yard in the 1960’s and eventually it was cut up for scrap the Train of Tomorrow Dome lounge Observation was rebuilt without the observation end and survives to this day in Ogden where it was rescued from the same Pocatello scrap dealer and eventually will be restored. Alan
After travelling in the car as a youngster, it must have been sad to see it junked.
What a shame it’s gone rather than preserved - at least the observation dome was rescued.
I would have loved to see them down here [:)] - if the bridges and tunnels allowed it. We have so much ‘big sky’ country on our transcontinental route - Sydney to Perth…not to mention our new North-South transcon main line right up through the centre to Darwin…it’s on those sort of runs the dome cars would be brilliant!..sigh…[:(]
Dave
Dave…I’m sure you can find actual photos of the Train Of Tomorrow over on Goggle if interested. I know I have.