Passenger Trains > Big Dome

Well, today the big dome should be on 351 from D.C. to Chicago. Return east on 50 Sat/Sun. Any actual sightings appreciated. We have a group counting on it Sunday. Again!

351? That train runs thru Michigan.

OOPS. I mean train 51. Sorry.

So a follow-up historical question about clearances:

B&O's P-S "strata-domes" were not as tall as Budd domes, right?

And B&O bought those domes because of clerance limitations that would not accommodate Budd domes, right?

If the above two statements are true, where were the clearance limitations? And when were they removed?

Thanks in advance,

Rob L.

Don't think it's going to make the train today I think because of mechanical problems

Hot off the presses. Did NOT make 51 out of DC today.

Posted from iPhone

"B&O's P-S "strata-domes" were not as tall as Budd domes, right?

And B&O bought those domes because of clerance limitations that would not accommodate Budd domes, right?

If the above two statements are true, where were the clearance limitations? And when were they removed?"

Rob L. limitations were on the B&O lines in PA, WV, and MD, though I cannot be sure where. This Super Dome is on Cardinal (C&O) route, and that route has even had superliners. So does former B&O, now. Restrictions have been removed over the years as tunnels were daylighted, floors lowered, roofs raised, etc. for double stacks and other larger freight cars.

I know they were all gone by the 1980's, as I rode the Amtrak Capitol Limited with Budd domes during that period.

Hope others can be more specific.

B&OBill



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/09/12 10:21 by bandob.

If I recall correctly, the B&O and C&O domes were 15'10" above top of rail. Budd domes were mostly 16'6". Superliners are 16'2" above top of rail.

For comparison, a double-stack car with two high cube containers reaches 20'6" ATOR.

Thanks for the heads up. Brake and wheel problems!!

Budd dome SILVER SPLENDOR is actually 15'-10". Strata Domes were shorter but I'm not sure by how much.

-john

bandob Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> "B&O's P-S "strata-domes" were not as tall as Budd
> domes, right?
>
> And B&O bought those domes because of clerance
> limitations that would not accommodate Budd domes,
> right?
>
> If the above two statements are true, where were
> the clearance limitations? And when were they
> removed?"
>
> Rob L. limitations were on the B&O lines in PA,
> WV, and MD, though I cannot be sure where. This
> Super Dome is on Cardinal (C&O) route, and that
> route has even had superliners. So does former
> B&O, now. Restrictions have been removed over the
> years as tunnels were daylighted, floors lowered,
> roofs raised, etc. for double stacks and other
> larger freight cars.

B&O did a large clearance improvement program about 1960 since the railroad was losing money in the late 50's and they felt part of the reason was they could not compete for auto and TOFC traffic account their limited clearances. So, part of the mainline was closed and alternate routes used while they did the rebuild in a hurry.

The maximum height for an "A" clearance is 14'8" which is why you can't get dome cars north of Washington DC on the Northeast Corridor. Well, I suppose you could - only once...

The NEC is not nice to radio antennas either. We blew all of the comm antennas off the roof of the control car and obs (205 car) on the American Freedom Train when we entered Penn Station. It was quite the light show for a few 'short' seconds.

I remember riding a special Conrail business train many years ago that had a dome car in its consist. The route was Philly to Harrisburg down the Port Road under overhead and back to Philly on the NEC. Only concession to height was using the freight by-pass around the Wilmington Station area.

Reminds me of not a Big Dome, but a MILW RD Super Dome that we
enjoyed years ago while riding on the Olympian Hiawatha, Minneapols-
Seattle. In the electrified territory, we had a Little Joe for
over the Belt Mountains during daylight...but in darkness descending
Montana Canyon, while in the dome and looking ahead, it was like a
Halloween night with all the arcing from the overhead.

The dome seemed so close to the overhead wire visible from our seats
and the arcing lit up both sides of the canyon...I still the MILW RD
pass, as the I told the Conductor that i was a pass collector, so he
punched it once, handed it back and sez 'Come Ride With us Again'...

Bob Drenk

I think it is really great that at least one of those Milwaukee Road domes has been saved. Here it is in the South Yard, Huntington, WV, after running on this year's New River Train.

B&OB

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Thanks the Friends of the Milwaukee Road 261 for saving that Super Dome.


Chris