Great Dome Car Spotted in ALB

[Sam]

Heading west out of Albany Rensselaer on the Maple Leaf today I noticed a full length dome car hooked up to an Amtrak locomotive in the yard. Only got a quick glimpse but I assume it was Amtrak's great dome. Will it be on the Adirondack any time this winter?! If not any idea what it's doing in ALB?

 

[MikefromCrete]

It was used on a Toys for Tots special in upstate New York in December. Probably just has been hanging around Albany until its next assignment.

 

[Alex]

It's been on the east coast since August(ish) when they moved it to Boston for the Downeaster (Cool video on youtube about the move-

), then mid-September it was moved to Albany for the Adirondack (If I'm not mistaken) and has been chilling in Albany since then.... Of course like MikefromCrete said, it was used for the Toys for Tots mission, but it's probably going to stay idle in Albany until some other route requests it. I remember the windows being filthy, almost speckled with tar and somewhat hazy. I think it would be great if they really tried to clean it up while it sits idle.

 

[Sam]

Cool thanks for the update on the great dome! Sounds like it's had more frequent use over the past year. I only remember it being a few weeks on the Adirondack back when I rode it a few years ago. With the new CEO I could see the car being used as a premium class area to get some extra revenue. I think they have some sort of parlor car like that on one of the sleeping car routes.

 

[the_traveler]

That Dome (Ocean View) could only be used north and east/west of ALB or south of WAS. The passage between cars only aligns with single level trains (not Superliners), and it does not fit in the NYP tunnels.

 

[tim49424]

I rode in it when it was on the Pere Marquette in July. It was a pretty cool experience!

 

[Triley]

Cool thanks for the update on the great dome! Sounds like it's had more frequent use over the past year. I only remember it being a few weeks on the Adirondack back when I rode it a few years ago. With the new CEO I could see the car being used as a premium class area to get some extra revenue. I think they have some sort of parlor car like that on one of the sleeping car routes.

The problem is since this car is literally the only one of it's kind belonging to Amtrak, it would be really hard to sell seats in it. It's one thing to market this as being available on a specific train, versus selling seats on it. If it's marketed as an car available first come first serve on a train, and the car has to be shopped, at most you'll have disappointed people. However if you're selling seats in there and the car has to be shopped, now you'll have to refund all those passengers, in addition to having them be extremely disappointed.