Nostalgia & History > A dome car with windows that open

Now that I've got your attention with the TV-like news headline "teaser", here's a picture of the former Missouri Pacific Railroad "baby Eagle" passenger train making an appearance in downtown Council Grove, KS, on June 8, 1985, under the sponsorship of the Union Pacific Railroad. Children were allowed to ride the miniature train in a town parade but windows had to be open on the rear dome car on the warm late spring day.

Please note the Hays House restaurant in the background. It is billed as the oldest restaurant west of the Mississippi River and pulls in numerous tourists each and every year. The ex-MoPac/U.P. line (Hoisington Subdivision) is long gone from Council Grove, however, so most railfans will never visit the famed restaurant unless they are cutting across country for other Kansas railroad destinations.

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Makes you wonder if this is the same train......

It's now owned by the Galveston RR museum and is seen here at the George Bush Presidential Library on In March 2006 during the Train exhibit.


Bradley Linda
Waco, Texas

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Sure looks like it to me! I liked it better as Mopac --- --- - --- JLH

This is indeed the same train. Thanks for posting the pictures.

Wow, a Duckwalls!

I gotta ask - what is a Duckwalls?
Clarence

Clarence Wrote:
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> I gotta ask - what is a Duckwalls?
> Clarence


It's kinda like a Woolworths.

Granite Eagle, #2211
The "Granite Eagle", originally built for the Missouri-Pacific Railroad, operating from St. Louis Missouri to San Antonio Texas in the mid 1950's on the "Texas Eagle". She was then acquired by the Illinois RR and run on train #1, "The City of New Orleans". The unusual dome car was purchased in Pittsburgh Kansas in the late fall of 1995. It was brought across the United States by rail and refurbished in the engine house of the Hobo Railroad during the winter of 1996. Leslie, Lance and their two chefs, Doug Trulson and Scott Buckland along with a friend Tom Sabourn, made the impossible happen; taking only six months to rebuild exterior steel, design and restore the interior, install new windows, and give this magnificent car a royal blue and white paint job, then renaming her the "Granite Eagle". Check out the views of the refurbish process here

The above is from the Cafe Lafayette Dinner Train's website.(North Woodstock NH) Your headline was meant to grab the reader's attention but sometimes the truth is stranger than fiction. Today this former Mopac dome does have opening windows. During the above mentioned restoration sliding windows were installed!

Thanks for your post, I really love your parade shot.

Gerry Gaugl
Ottawa ON