Amtrak Great Dome Schedule Sightings Status

How does the dome car get from trains which terminate in Portland in the evening to ones that originate in Brunswick the next morning? Trains 689 to 692, for example?

For the period that the dome is on this train set, 689 terminates in Brunswick and the one before it that normally goes to Brunswick terminates in Portland. Same way with the weekend trains.

The Dome car has always been expensive to maintain, especially with high heating and cooling costs. Now, since the train is the last of its kind, it is also more difficult to get parts for repairs. Due to these factors, the Great Dome Car’s fall run will probably be its last. The car will run on Amtrak’s Downeaster trains until September 9th when it will relocate to the Adirondack train between Albany, New York and Montréal for leaf-peeping season. The ride originates in Penn Station, but since the Dome Car roof is too high to fit through tunnels south of Albany, it gets attached to the train at the Albany station.

You can book your tickets for Dome Car train on the Downeaster or Adirondack routes here!

https://untappedcities.com/2018/08/21/a ... -new-york/

I guess this will be the last season of the Ocean View in Service unfortunately.

A very sad day it will be when Amtrak retires it’s last big dome car.

If full dome cars cost too much to heat and cool, could they look at building partial dome cars again, like what is still in use on VIA’s Canadian??

Information on the current dome operation on the Downeaster service can be found here:

http://amtrakdowneaster.com/dome-car

I had the experience of riding this dome car on the Amtrak test trip on the Florida East Coast back in the spring of 2010 and what an experience it was. The car was so smooth riding over the excellent FEC roadbed, the AC worked perfectly, it was super comfortable and the viewing was suberb. I sure hope this car has a bright future. They
don't have anything else to equal this car today. Memories and more memories!!
Noel Weaver

In another thread, the mention the end of the Dome. viewtopic.php?f=46&t=168238" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Would be real sad if it was true.

This is sad. Not entirely unexpected. But this is partly why I've argued Amtrak should have splurged (and yes in a sense that's what it would have been) on acquiring as many of the remaining Great Domes. It's never cost effective to have a single car.

Most unfortunate but I can't say I'm surprised given the current leadership's track record.

Will there ever be a modern dome car produced again, either for Amtrak or elsewhere? I don't really count those Alaska cruise line ultra tall bilevels as domes. I suppose Amtrak would want something ADA compliant, 125 mph capable and also capable of meeting NEC clearance requirements, which would preclude an actual dome car. But a Viewliner Sightseer lounge would have been the next best thing. If Amtrak had known that dining service was to be replaced with cold snacks in a box, maybe we could have gotten 25 Sightseer Lounge Viewliners rather than 25 "sleeper lounge" cars with half of the space wasted on an unused kitchen.

I wouldn’t be surprised if this is the last season for the Great Dome. It’s way up there in age and showing many signs that it’s ready to join the retirement club. I’m planning a trip to Albany this Fall but it’s possible that I might go a little beyond sonthat way, I can ride in the dome car one last time.

Frankly, with all the other cuts and restrictions that have been put in place, I'm surprised the car is running even this year.

That’s right about the current management as well. Even with better management, that probably wouldn’t change anything about the car operating forever. Sadly, it’s time to move on.

How badly do you want an actual dome within the NEC loading gauge? The Metroliner provides a pattern — low car, low dome (propulsion? equipment in the Metroliner.) The Viewliner is too tall for a proper dome but would make a good Sightseer.

Sad about the Great Dome too, but in reality it belongs with a historical society.

When a organization wants to do away with something - anything - they will present a wide array of 'reasons' that is must be done away with.

The only real reason is that someone with the authority wants it gone. Any other reason presented is BS.

I read through the entire article I found no source for the claim that it would be retired, only vague speculation. They clearly didn't actually ask anyone at Amtrak for comment. Mind you, retirement wouldn't surprise me either, given the retirement of the Hi-Levels. However, the Ocean View does form part of Amtrak's business car fleet, which the Hi-Levels never did.