Yes, they pay Amtrak and it is quite pricey. With most private cars, they are on charter trips where someone put together some kind of excursion package, either the car owner or someone else that contracted the car. Of course the car owner can go on their own little excursion, but the costs are excessive. Most car owners are not multi-millionaires, having the car is usually at least partly a labor of love. They need to charter it to make ends meet (or almost meet) and can't normally afford use them a private toys. At least not very often.
Yup, that is its name. the fact that it is a state means it is a Superliner II that was built in the 90's. They have not been updated as recently as the older Superliner I's.
This One?
PV "Moonlight Dome" is one of three sleeper-dome-lounge ordered cars from the Budd Co. by Chesapeake & Ohio RR, for their planned luxury train "The Chessie."
I took this picture about 1955 when it was on a B&O train coming into Chicago. Not the best picture, but gives you the idea.
As do I...just loved the dome cars on the NP North Coast Limited...I miss the old bubble top domes!
As do I. I have very fond memories of the NCL (Four Domes West!) and driving the conductors NUTS as I ran through the dome (as a 5 year old) calling out "TICKETS! TICKETS PLEASE!"As do I...just loved the dome cars on the NP North Coast Limited...I miss the old bubble top domes!
I know it's a little late for this, but I'll leave this video here in case you never saw your train from the outside.
That B&O dome car in this photo, while also a "low-profile" car to fit Eastern clearances, is clearly not the same car--its angular lines tell it's a Pullman-Standard built car....I took this picture about 1955 when it was on a B&O train coming into Chicago. Not the best picture, but gives you the idea.
The B&O Pullman Standard Dome in the lower picture appears to be High Dome, one of the two Dome Coaches Built for the all coach Columbian from Washington to Chicago which were built in 1949. The Budd Company Dome on the California Zephyr was Moonlight Dome which was build as a Cabin Dome Sleeper for the Chessie Streamliner. The cars were ordered by C&O in 1945 and were delivered in 1948. The Chessie was to be a fast daylight train from Washington to Cincinnati via the same route now used by Amtrak's Cardinal. C&O realized that there wasn't a market for such a train so the cars were sold to other railroads. Moonlight Dome and two sisters were sold to the B&O and operated on Chicago to Washington trains. Later they were used on SCL trains to Florida. Amtrak ran the cars for a few years, but I don't think HEP was ever installed. The only other Dome Sleepers were built by the Northern Pacific and Burlington for the North Coast Limited.That B&O dome car in this photo, while also a "low-profile" car to fit Eastern clearances, is clearly not the same car--its angular lines tell it's a Pullman-Standard built car....I took this picture about 1955 when it was on a B&O train coming into Chicago. Not the best picture, but gives you the idea.
Thanks for sharing this video. The private car notwithstanding, I enjoyed it more for the speed at which the train belted past your camera! A lot of videos of western LD trains shot from outside show the train ambling alone at a comfortable pace, such full track-speed blast is rare to find
There was one other dome-sleeper....built by Pullman-Standard was the "Dream Cloud", an 8 Duplex Roomette, 3 Compartment, 2 Drawing Room one-of-a-kind dome car built for General Motors "Train Of Tomorrow", later sold to the Union Pacific....The B&O Pullman Standard Dome in the lower picture appears to be High Dome, one of the two Dome Coaches Built for the all coach Columbian from Washington to Chicago which were built in 1949. The Budd Company Dome on the California Zephyr was Moonlight Dome which was build as a Cabin Dome Sleeper for the Chessie Streamliner. The cars were ordered by C&O in 1945 and were delivered in 1948. The Chessie was to be a fast daylight train from Washington to Cincinnati via the same route now used by Amtrak's Cardinal. C&O realized that there wasn't a market for such a train so the cars were sold to other railroads. Moonlight Dome and two sisters were sold to the B&O and operated on Chicago to Washington trains. Later they were used on SCL trains to Florida. Amtrak ran the cars for a few years, but I don't think HEP was ever installed. The only other Dome Sleepers were built by the Northern Pacific and Burlington for the North Coast Limited.That B&O dome car in this photo, while also a "low-profile" car to fit Eastern clearances, is clearly not the same car--its angular lines tell it's a Pullman-Standard built car....I took this picture about 1955 when it was on a B&O train coming into Chicago. Not the best picture, but gives you the idea.
You're welcome and thank you. If you like Amtrak at speed, there's a lot more where that came from. I'm hoping they will go even faster when PTC is installed.Thanks for sharing this video. The private car notwithstanding, I enjoyed it more for the speed at which the train belted past your camera! A lot of videos of western LD trains shot from outside show the train ambling alone at a comfortable pace, such full track-speed blast is rare to find
