Passenger Trains > PV Moonlight Dome on Train 5 Denver, CO, 11/6/12

Private varnish (PV) Moonlight Dome based out of Salt Lake City, UT, moving west on Amtrak train 5, the California Zephyr, November 6, 2012. Car in Denver 7:00 AM ready for Colorado Rockies daylight run.

Anybody know if it will be removed at Salt Lake City? or continue west to Emeryville?

Moonlight Dome, ex-Chesapeake & Ohio (C&O). Moonlight Dome was the first of three (1850-53) private room-dome "cabin" cars originally built for the C & O and intended for service on The Chessie, the planned but never-operated Washington-Cincinnati dayliner flagship of Robert Young's fleet of projected post-World War II luxury liners on rails.

The three domes were ordered in 1946, were built by Budd in Lot 9671-017 to Production Drawing Number T42-2355 (Contract Drawing Number SK-19925), and rolled down the Budd production line with Car Shop Numbers 2276-78 chalked on the ends of their buffers. Because they were Pullman-staffed after entering service, they were assigned Pullman Plan Number 9524, Pullman Space Diagram number 295.

All three were delivered to the C & O in August of 1948 and briefly operated as sleepers on the Sportsman (between Clifton Forge and Detroit, MI).

1st image - Amtrak train 5, California Zephyr, passed UP 6711 East on Energy Mine, CO, coal load (C EYCC 05) at Rocky Siding, CO.

2nd image - Warm weather had hang gliders sailing off hill west of Golden, CO, in the 70 degree weather.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/06/12 16:27 by cozephyr.

---

---

cozephyr:
Thanks for your information and the photos. However this dome spent most of its life on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. I am glad that it has been saved and preserved; however I only wish that it operated in B&O colors. Right now there are no B&O cars in service that are in B&O colors and running with Amtrak. The B&O was the first common carrier railroad in the U.S.A. yet no one has any B&O cars out there, a real shame. Oh to win a large jackpot in the Lottery. I can dream though.

John in White Marsh, Maryland

Moonlight Dome must have been cut off somewhere east of Auburn CA. Not on #5 through Auburn today (11-7-12).