Amtrak Great Dome Schedule Sightings Status

Guess I will be moving that crate tonight around the wye. OHH JOYYY

Rockingham Racer wrote:

east point wrote:Just realized that both Siemens and CAF cars just meet clearances on the NEC . No way to make a dome out of those designs.

Who made the Panorama cars for VIA? They're added and dropped regularly at Edmonton, and they run up to Prince Rupert in the summer, as well. Single level "domes" seem to be quite possible.

Colorado Rail Car made them. The ones VIA have were originally built for Florida Fun Train, which entered bankruptcy in 1998, but were delivered to BC Rail in 2000. VIA acquired them in 2002 when BC Rail ceased passenger service.

Just saw the Dome on the Amtrak train this past weekend through Schenectady, NY.

Is the glass tempered glass, safety glass, plexiglas or Lexan?

Ocean View is getting close to the final trip to Beech Grove on train 49,when does Ocean View make the last R/T to Montreal,and
back to Albany??

https://www.amtrak.com/fall-travel-on-t ... t-dome-car" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The above web page says November 2nd is the last day for the dome on the Adirondack.

At least it's not on the current equipment sale list. Maybe there is hope for next years trips.

Took Amtrak 69 this am to ride the dome. I received a text message as I was leaving Penn Station that the dome is out of service. Found out on the train that it has flat wheels from being dragged in Montreal with the handbrake on. I suspect that will be the deathknell for it as it is only scheduled to run two more round trips.

Mackdave

mackdave wrote:Took Amtrak 69 this am to ride the dome. I received a text message as I was leaving Penn Station that the dome is out of service. Found out on the train that it has flat wheels from being dragged in Montreal with the handbrake on. I suspect that will be the deathknell for it as it is only scheduled to run two more round trips.

Mackdave

Rats, thanks for the heads up though! Was gonna do a weekend trip to Montreal but that fell through, and with the weekend storm might be just as well, but was thinking about a day trip up to one of the New York stops just to get aboard it. Might have to just wait to get on a dome on some tourist line somewhere!

Delta Dick may call VIA RAIL and offer them a great bargain price for the Dome. No shipping charges.
Just turn or replace the wheels.

Sad to hear that, was hoping to get out to Port Kent and see it go pass.

I’ve suggested this before and I’m not quite sure about its practicality, but Ocean View seems like a prime candidate for a Friends of Amtrak, LLC. By that I mean a nonprofit equipment trust willing to maintain equipment in good working order for seasonal lease to Amtrak at a nominal cost. It would lease and take responsibility for specialty equipment like the Great Dome (plus any other domes it wished to acquire) as well as turnkey train sets made of semi-retired Amtrak equipment like A-2s. During the off-seasons, the Trust could solicit donations and lease equipment to tourist lines. It’s a way to get elder equipment out of Beech while still keeping it available for surges. Thoughts?

mtuandrew wrote:I’ve suggested this before and I’m not quite sure about its practicality, but Ocean View seems like a prime candidate for a Friends of Amtrak, LLC. By that I mean a nonprofit equipment trust willing to maintain equipment in good working order for seasonal lease to Amtrak at a nominal cost. It would lease and take responsibility for specialty equipment like the Great Dome (plus any other domes it wished to acquire) as well as turnkey train sets made of semi-retired Amtrak equipment like A-2s. During the off-seasons, the Trust could solicit donations and lease equipment to tourist lines. It’s a way to get elder equipment out of Beech while still keeping it available for surges. Thoughts?

Interesting idea but what semi retired equipment are you referring to as “A-2s”? If you mean Amfleet 2s, they are not even close to being retired yet.

Found out on today’s trip that the Great Dome had the bad wheels trued today and it will run tomorrow and finish the schedule.

Mackdave