A friend just told me the dome car will be on the Missouri River Runner in the next couple of days, on its way to California. Here is the schedule (it also ran today I think):
April 7 – Train 314 KCY-STL returning on Train 313 STL-KCY April 8 – Train 314 KCY-STL returning on Train 313 STL-KCY April 9 – Train 314 KCY-STL returning on Train 313 STL-KCY April 10 – Train 314 KCY-STL one way April 11 – Train 311 STL-KCY returning on Train 316 KCY-STL April 12 – Train 311 STL-KCY one way
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
May it be safely presumed that the Dome Car being addressed is AMTK 10031, Ocean View?
Posted by stlboomer (Member # 2028) on :
Presumption not only safe but assured by Amtrak in an April 5 News release.
Posted by sojourner (Member # 3134) on :
Is this not the same Dome Car they have in the fall on the Adirondack and Cardinal? I didn't know there was more than one.
Posted by notelvis (Member # 3071) on :
This is the only one Amtrak still rosters..... though there are others on various scenic railroads or in private car operation.
I would be delighted if Amtrak were to acquire and refurbish four or five dome cars for regular use on the Adirondack and Cardinal.
Posted by dilly (Member # 1427) on :
It's clearly an attempt to boost awareness and ridership on that train.
The drawback: you're staring out the window at Kansas from start to finish. For the most part, the natural and man-made scenery along that route is fairly monotonous and boring.
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Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
Mr. Dilly, I'm not certain "from whence you come" with your immediate posting.
The St Louis-KC "River Runners' operate through Missouri only and offer excellent scenery between St Louis and Jefferson City.
When the Amtrak Dome car is being handled on the Chief to LA, in all likelihood it will be deadhead and placed on the rear. Passengers will not have any access to it.
While I'm unaware of any sale of the three Grand Luxe Domes (or for that matter to what extent they are roadworthy today), it is not likely that Amtrak will add to its fleet. However, it is pleasing to note that they are making good use of this car rather than having it sit to be on call for various "Executrain" assignments.
Posted by dilly (Member # 1427) on :
Ooops. It appears that I was still half asleep when editing the line for length. The original line read something like: "staring out the window at the often less-than-spectacular Midwestern landscape typical of Missouri and Kansas."
Yes, there is a stretch of the route that's okay, I suppose (which is why I said "for the most part"). Perhaps I didn't have enough coffee that day, but my trip on the train didn't blow me away.
While it's nice that Amtrak is briefly putting the car into "regular" service, the dome isn't part of the normal consist -- which could be a bit misleading to the larger, currently non-riding public they're surely hoping to attract.
And as others have suggested, there are other short and medium-distance Amtrak routes blessed with much more noteworthy scenery (particularly in the East and the Pacific Northwest) that are arguably more deserving of a dome car.
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Posted by PullmanCo (Member # 1138) on :
Since I'm local to Kansas City, I will simply say the terrain is far better in Missouri than in Kansas. Of course, all but one of my rides in Kansas have been at night, 3-4 and UP 9-10. Only my 1972 run on the one year revival of the Chief, Trains 19-20, had us anywhere near daytime in KS.
Posted by palmland (Member # 4344) on :
My wife has relatives in western Kansas, a small town that used to be a division point on UP's, KP line from KC to Denver.
Even though I was an 'easterner', over the years, I've really grown to like the 'amber waves of grain' and endless skies. I wish I had been there when the likes of the Portland Rose and City of St. Louis made stops. I did have a chance to see the 'Rose' make a stop at Salina in the mid 60's - UP was a class act even on its secondary trains.
Closest we can get now is the SWC in Garden City. Of course, if it ever gets rerouted, the closest then is Denver.
Five minutes after writing the above note, there was this on Trains.com:
"GARDEN CITY, Kan. – BNSF and Amtrak officials will meet here Tuesday with representatives from communities in Kansas, Colorado, and New Mexico to discuss possible short and long term funding solutions to preserve service along the route of Amtrak’s Chicago-Los Angeles Southwest Chief."
Posted by sfthunderchief (Member # 7204) on :
quote: I have more information about why the Ocean View is on the River Runner this week. Last Friday FRA's Joe Szabo, Ross Capon, Rick Harnisch from MWHSR, MoDot and KDOT officials, Amtrak, some senators for Kansas, Minnesota, Iowa and about a dozen other Kansas Legislators convened a symposium sponsored by the Northern Flyer Alliance and members of Kansas legislature.
I found a copy of the program in Union Station where I work and learned that Amtrak brought their one and only full dome car and two other standard intercity coaches for participants to tour in conjunction with the lunch that was provided by the Northern Flyer Alliance. There were over 100 attendees from the business community, some mayors, city council members and others. Apparently, anyone who wanted to could attend. There is also an article:
It seems that Ocean View had a week to kill before moving on, and Amtrak says that this gives Missouri riders a chance to enjoy the dome car on a route it rarely travels over. Maybe it's also a small reward to Missouri for their drastic improvement of on-time service.
I rode the Ocean View on Saturday, it was great. The last time I was on one of those was in 1990 when I road in CNW's Cedar Rapids to Abilene on special trains run for the Eisenhower Centennial.
Some of the speakers and an Amtrak official were in the dome car discussing planning for the Kansas City-Fort Worth service.
Posted by PullmanCo (Member # 1138) on :
Palmland,
Actually, Newton is far closer than Garden City to Salina.
(Mom hailed from Abilene) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Money talks. If BNSF and Amtrak cannot come to an agreement, I see a point where Dodge, Garden, and Lamar, CO come off the line as 3-4 shift to the Transcon.
I see the day where Mr Buffett's railroad will spin off the historic Santa Fe west of Newton to a shortline. How much freight moves on that line now? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Finally,
One last question: As late as 1967 UP had 3 daily trains into Salina: 9-10, 17-18, and "The Plug". Remember the Plug (I think 75-76 were the train numbers, I'll have to check an old PTT/ETT)?
Posted by Ocala Mike (Member # 4657) on :
PullmanCo, my 11/56 Official Guide shows something called "The Kansan" operating as 39-40 covering Kansas City to Salina as a morning run in each direction. Was that "The Plug"?
Posted by palmland (Member # 4344) on :
Mike, I think you are correct. In addition there was an all stops local that continued west (at least in the 50's).
Pullman Co, - I sent you a PM
Posted by PullmanCo (Member # 1138) on :
I was doing Boy Scout fundraising last night, and I have District Roundtable tonight, so it'll be Friday before I can check train numbers.
I know this: Grandma wrapped up her weekly letter to Mom Tuesday about 10 AM. Grandpa would deliver it to the RPO outbound bag at the Abilene UP station by lunchtime, and it was on a train before the end of naptime!
We would get the letters Thursday in LA.
Try that kind of service today.
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
From Crowne Plaza Atlanta Ravinia, Dunwoody GA--
Mr. Pullman, the FedEx of its day had to be The Century, for which both at GCT and La Salle, there was a mailbox that was emptied some fifteen minutes prior to departure. At NY, there was a Post Office adjacent to GCT and anything handled aboad The Century was available for a messenger pickup within a half hour or arrival (which was 99.44% OT).
And, sixty years ago, all of this for a 3 cent stamp (match that Fedex - adjusted for inflation, of course).
Posted by Ocala Mike (Member # 4657) on :
Gil, as long as we're talking about 60 years ago, I would like to recommend a book that I read in the 50's that dates back to 1946. If you haven't read it, I think you will like it:
"Grand Central" by David Marshall
I revisited this book by purchasing a used copy on-line (Amazon). Lots of stuff in the book that ought to ring a bell for you.
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
From Crowne Plaza Dunwoody GA--
Mike, I've read that book, and agree.
Especially enjoyable was the chapter "Departure of The Century".
Posted by PullmanCo (Member # 1138) on :
From a 1962 UP PTT:
The train numbers were 69-369 WB and 70-370 EB. In 1962 it was daily KC to Salina as a passenger, then Salina to Denver as a mixed.
Posted by chrisg (Member # 2488) on :
The Dome Car is now back in Los Angeles.
Chris
Posted by notelvis (Member # 3071) on :
On the topic of Dome Cars, I received an email today from the Rio Grande Scenic in Alamosa, CO today.
They are offering a special event May 6 - the itinerary is BUS Alamosa - Trinidad; ride over Raton Pass and down to Albuquerque in one of the Iowa Pacific Domes tacked on to the end of the Southwest Chief, and then bus back to Alamosa but with a nice dinner stop in Santa Fe.
All transportation and meals at $199 per person. Were I in the area, I would find this a very tempting daytrip.
Posted by palmland (Member # 4344) on :
Interesting, but I would be more tempted if the dome made the trip starting in Alamosa than Rio Greande Scenic's route over LaVeta pass, Walsenburg and then to the SWC in Trinidad. Now that would be a trip worthy of a special trip to CO.
Posted by sbalax (Member # 2801) on :
I believe this car was part of the Starlight consist that hit a car and killed a man and an infant in Guadalupe a week or so ago.
It now appears, based partly on video from the train (I didn't know they had cameras...) that the man intentionally backed onto the tracks. Very sad for all concerned.