Domes on the Pennsy?

Time to open a new topic.

I came across this on Walthers.com(: http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/932-6486) and my question is: Did there ever exisist dome cars owned by the Pennsy?

Depends upon where you get your information. Naturally, under catenary, NO domes. PRR was always afraid that the dome roof would contact the catenary with disasterous results. On the other areas of the PRR, there were domes. I have, in HO gauge, a very nice domeliner consist led by an A-A lashup of F-7A's. I have also, just for the heck of it, placed a GG-1 at the point of this consist, my perogative. However I must admit, my PRR domeliner consist really looks great with an A-B-A lashup of PA/PB's leading.

Ok. So your saying they did exist? But did they look like that and did they have cars painted for the senator(http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/223-778, http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/223-424103)?

The domes did not run on the NorthEast Corridor.
Wire height varied, and at the Hudson Tunnel, the wire was about 1 foot from the top of the normal passenger car.
The domes just couldn't fit there. Any train going into Penn Station couldn't have a dome.

It sure would have been a surprise to anyone sitting in the dome. The new bilevel cars on the NJ Transit lines get close to the wire
in the old tunnels. The new tunnels being dug are much higher.

John

Domes did run under PRR style catenary on the Washington Terminal RR, but they were Baltimore & Ohio RR domes!

To my knowledge the PRR never had any dome cars of their own, nor ever operated any on any of their trains, with the single exception of the leased NP dome/sleeper seasonally for a few years on the SouthWind. These remained in NP colors. The only eastern road to have them was the B&O and those for the stillborn Chessie. The SAL had the solarium single level cars the three "Beach" series, that did operate over the PRR to NYC. These were just roof windowed single level cars, not 'domes'.

You must never assume something produced in model form must have an actual prototype!
model railroad manufacturers are infamous for producing models that have nothing to do with the prototype..
its always been this way..its nothing new..

Probably 90% of all model railroad freight cars, passenger cars, and locomotives ever made have been very innacurate..
at least 50% are pure fiction..

Scot

The PRR never did own any dome cars. And, there were never any dome cars painted in PRR colors. As previously stated, there were NP dome sleepers which ran on the SOUTH WIND during the winter months; but, these ran in NP colors. (Interestingly, the CITY OF MIAMI on the IC also operated these cars, and the IC painted them into their own colors.)

B&O had dome cars which ran into WUS. Some were from the C&O CHESSIE (Budd built); but, they had a few others (PS built, with searchlights mounted on the roof). SCL also owned some of the ex-C&O CHESSIE cars; but, I believe that these only operated as far north as Richmond, VA, never into WUS (although they were originally designed to fit through the Capitol Hill tunnels to operate on the C&O).

The combined AMTRAK BROADWAY LIMITED/CAPITOL LIMITED operated a dome (ex-NP/GN/CB&Q variety) on the Chicago-Pittsburgh PRR for a short while (I rode in one).

Model trains exist for fun, and whatever the manufacturer thinks might sell. However, models and their various paint schemes do no necessarily reflect reality. (Ever see a Penn Central steam engine?) So, take what models you see with a grain (or several grains) of salt.

Ok. Well thanks for all the help. All of you.

It is interesting to note that all of the dome cars that came out of both Hunting Park and Red Lion Budd Plant left UNDER WIRE! Reading served the Red Lion plant on what is now on the Septa R3 West Trenton line and the Chestnut Hill R8 line is a former PRR suburban line serving the Hunting Park plant which built cars until after WWII. The full legnth domes, high level El Capitian, California Zephyr all rolled under wire, if only to be sent to their new owners. The Reading tracks were routinely used as test tracks for RDCs, MUs, Metroliners, even the Pioneer set was tested along those tracks. I have a great photo of two Metroliners next to Wayne Jct. car shop on the Reading between test runs.

I just rememberd: Amtraks superliners run under wire. Arent those higher than the standard dome car and even the full length domes?

Superliners are 16' 2". Domes ran from 15' 3" (B&O) to 16' 2" (CBQ) with many in between. The full length domes MILW, CBQ, GN, ATSF were 15' 6" or 15' 7"
The Superliners ONLY run under wire into Washington Union station (except for some special moves)

Yeah but they will fit.

In WUS they will fit, yes....elsewhere problems.

Oh...