Passenger Trains > Hoosier State Amtrak's Pocket Rocket

Great Dome  Ocean View will be removed from The Hoosier State at the end of March. Photos of  todays train taken at Dyer In.
​                                                    PRFRFan

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It needs a Viewliner baggage car to make it a complete mix of cars!
 

The dome car is widely accepted and appreciated by travelers.  From what I have observed, the great dome car coupled to the Hoosier State is nearly full on every trip.  

It is widely noted that VIA can run similar heritage-era dome cars successfully. Many observers feel that Amtrak should do the same.  So what exactly is the reason prompting Amtrak to schedule the great dome's removal from the Hoosier State route?  


 

It truly is a shame Amtrak sold all their other dome cars in the 90's, when the Auto Train and Capitol Limited transitioned to Superliners. IIRC, they had one perhaps two more full length domes and several dome/chair cars used on 29/30. They could have kept just three or so and rotated them on the eastern trains a few times a week. The Great Dome won't stay on the Hoosier State because it runs on other Amtrak routes during other parts of the year - Hiawatha, Adirondack, Maple Leaf, to name a few. Not to mention it's also used on special excursions and sometimes the single-deck Surfliner service out west.

I'm surprised to see the dome at the end of the train behind the business class car (OK half car) -- I'd expect to see the business class section at one of the train to keep coach class passengers from walking through biz class.

Perhaps the dome was out of service on this trip.

WP17

I don't think it ever goes on the Maple Leaf. VIA Rail doesn't want a 6 car train.

WP17. you're putting too much thought into this. 
Easy to pull off when they're through with it !

On my two recent Hoosier State trips, the Amtrak dome has been empty except for me and one or two other people. Most people seem content with their seats for the 5 hour trip.

NYC4096 Wrote:
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> The dome car is widely accepted and appreciated
> by travelers.  From what I have observed, the
> great dome car coupled to the Hoosier State is
> nearly full on every trip.  
>
> It is widely noted that VIA can run similar
> heritage-era dome cars successfully. Many
> observers feel that Amtrak should do the same.
>  So what exactly is the reason prompting Amtrak
> to schedule the great dome's removal from the
> Hoosier State route?  
>
>
>  



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/22/17 19:48 by TWC.

I see the dome is chartered by the Burlington Route Historical Society 
for a trip on April 6 from Chicago to Quincy and return on 381/382.

Use of a Great Dome or any Amtrak car is billed to the state, under the re-structuing of inter city rail service, under the George Bush administration.  Based on availability, if a state chooses not to pay for this car, Amtrak will operate it elsewhere.  That decision to operate a Great Dome in state service is ultimately up to the state.

joemvcnj Wrote:
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> I don't think it ever goes on the Maple Leaf. VIA
> Rail doesn't want a 6 car train.

Why not???

What I have been told is the wye in Toronto (Mimico area) comfortably hold 5 cars and loco. A 6the car means a rear flagman on the wye movement, a tight fit, which they don't want to do.

That's why the Canadian loops all over the metro area to turn.
The longer HEP-II Corridor train from Montreal (with the baggage car) actually heads through to/from Windsor.
I don't know what they do with the longish Ottawa/Montreal "J" trains (I think that's what you call them).