Nostalgia & History > The SP dome cars

A thread in the Canadian section about the CP acquiring one the the former SP dome cars to rehabilitate reminded me of these pictures. The first is one of my oldest slides, taken in July 58. I think that is about the time I got my first 35mm camera. This is one of the SP domes on the San Joaquin Daylight somewhere in the Tehachapis. The second is an interior view taken sometime later. In my biased view they were one of the most interesting dome cars because part of the dome covered a low level bar, creating a really spacious effect. The train in the first view looks pretty classy.

JBWX

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I agree a great car. Here's a couple of SP photos of one of the cars when it was new.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/10/18 21:29 by photobob.

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Glad your pix got the bar part, which is what made it unusual. Presumably CP will rehab it for their business train, or perhaps the Royal Canadian Pacific service if that still runs. I suspect it will need a lot of work given both its carbon steel construction, and its rough life since SP days.

JBWX

And for a while they ran behind steam!!
Really nice cars...

Bill Deaver
Tehachapi, CA

just got on them when stopped in Denver but what a lounge!

That's a great interior shot!
Love the old Coke can! That is a lucky kid.

Where's the first pic-- Tunnel 5?
How sure are we the camera is pointed forward?

timz Wrote:
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> Where's the first pic-- Tunnel 5?
> How sure are we the camera is pointed forward?


Can't answer the second question but the shot appears to be somewhere in
the Tunnel 15 area. Just a WAG.

Nick Tharalson,
Marion, IA

timz Wrote:
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> How sure are we the camera is pointed forward?

Coffee Shop Diner was normally placed ahead of the Dome Lounge so it's probable that John was shooting forward.

RL Cabin

I rode both the Coast Starlight and the SF Zephyr a couple of times hoping I'd finally catch a ride on one of these cars I'd seen since I was a 10yr old- but fate was cruel and it was a replacement dome every time!  But once, in Oakland, the crew let me ride one through the wash rack on a just finished #5.   My only trip on the car.
SR

Thanks Bob,

This is a birthday gift come early! My favorite dome, rail car and color scheme, and all in the same post! This was my favorite of all the "classrooms on wheels" I ever narrated and taught from...

Enjoy those nice views of Mt Shasta up there...

Best wishes,

ShastaDaylight

On a family trip in 1978 we had one of these from Seattle to San Jose. I was excited for my first time in a full length dome, as all my previous dome experience was on the Rio Grande Zephyr.
I was disappointed in the lack of forward visibility, which was my favorite part of domes, but did like the tall ceiling in the bar area.

well maybe you'll get a chance to ride CP's!

along the coast it is fine just to look out the side

be neat to see what CP does with it, i never considered this, wonder if it will become a theatre obs?

It's interesting how people would "dress-up" to ride the train in those days. (second photo)

Doc
Henderson NV

timz Wrote:
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> Where's the first pic-- Tunnel 5?
> How sure are we the camera is pointed forward?

I'm fairly sure that's Tunnel 5 with the patch above the West portal after the 1952 earthquake. The sun angle puts it late afternoon which would be right for the Southbound train 52. Northbound would be through here in the mid-morning hours.

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dan Wrote:
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> well maybe you'll get a chance to ride CP's!
>
> along the coast it is fine just to look out the
> side
>
> be neat to see what CP does with it, i never
> considered this, wonder if it will become a
> theatre obs?

CP already has a theatre obs. EHH brought it with him from the CNR.

dan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> well maybe you'll get a chance to ride CP's!
>
> along the coast it is fine just to look out the
> side
>
> be neat to see what CP does with it, i never
> considered this, wonder if it will become a
> theatre obs?

OMG, I hope not!
The AFT came very close to cutting out the end of an SP Triple-Unit Diner to put an observation platform on it in 1974. The idea was indeed interesting, but I fear the historic price was too dear. Best left to model RRers.
SR

The dining car ahead of the dome lounge is either SP 10200 or 10201 from the original 1937 Daylight. The dome lounge is SP 3600, the first dome lounge built by SP.

Great shots, thanks for sharing.

Jeff Cauthen

I rode one of these cars on the San Joaquin Daylight in 1969. I was 7 at the time and I cab relate to the kid with the Coke can - except I do recall the attendant pouring it out into a nice tall glass for me.

Tim

overland28 Wrote:
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> The dining car ahead of the dome lounge is either
> SP 10200 or 10201 from the original 1937 Daylight.
> The dome lounge is SP 3600, the first dome lounge
> built by SP.
>
> Great shots, thanks for sharing.
>
> Jeff Cauthen


This car had a berth for the lounge attendant and was one of the few scrapped, circa 1971; strange that SP used the leaky pre-war Pullman Standard fluting on these cars only to re-sheath them a few years later. I rode them many times in SP days to Reno and SLO: all glass windows, tasteful interiors and functional AC, which consisted of two Waukesha Ice Engines. These were backed up by a Waukesha Engine Generator and a Spicer drive genemotor. Last ride was to Davis on #14 in Amtrak days: the car was a Lexan lounge with outside vision impossible with all systems bad order, as was typical.