Passenger Trains > Santa Fe Big Dome Comes to Santa Cruz

Iowa Pacific promised dome car service for its new excursion operations on the Santa Cruz & Monterey Bay(CA) and they've kept that promise with the arrival on the property of full length dome San Luis & Rio Grande 554. Of the 14 big domes built by Budd in 1954 for the AT&SF(numbered 506-513 and 550-555) eight are now owned by the Iowa Pacific(and all retain their original numbers).

The trainset is now six cars long with the two F7's(both now repainted in IC colors) remaining on each end. Iowa Pacific had the train staged on the Santa Cruz Boardwalk this morning with local employees getting a chance to give the consist a look. The 82 leads the way onto the Boardwalk as seen in the first photo. Later in the afternoon big dome SL&RG 554 is seen in two views out near the old Wrigley plant in Santa Cruz.

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The 82 is fully decked out in Iowa Pacific colors(including some small "SC 1101" markings) but the just repainted 84 is not quite there yet without its IP nose logo or any stenciling. Hopefully they'll take care of that cracked numberboard on the 84 soon.

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The F's were both fueled up on Santa Cruz' west side this afternoon in anticipation of the start of revenue service Friday. Final view show this mornings' train arriving at the Boardwalk having just cleared the San Lorenzo River bridge and ducking under the log ride.

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I don't know about anybody else but I'm amazed at how fast both F units were repainted. Were the units repainted in Watsonville??

Ed Ellis really seems to know how to get things done...



Allen



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/21/12 18:53 by bradleymckay.

bradleymckay Wrote:
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> I don't know about anybody else but I'm amazed at
> how fast both F units were painted. Were the
> units repainted in Watsonville??
>
> Ed Ellis really seems to know how to get things
> done...
>
>
>
> Allen

And I thought it was "too difficult" to paint units in California!

The second word in their name fits for this operation.

Is the tourist train to head north or south and for how many miles?

Were the locomotives painted using acrylic spray paint from spray cans? This seems to be a popular medium for murals and seems to offer quick and solid coverage.

In any case, it made a great impression in a short amount of time.

I'm not generally a fan of painted stainless steel fluting, but that dome actually looks pretty good in IC colors. Glad to see the bridges, trees, etc. along the line will clear a car that size.

Cumbresfan Wrote:
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> Is the tourist train to head north or south and
> for how many miles?

Will head north(toward Davenport) 4 to 5 miles with passengers remaining on the train for the roundtrip--there is no "Christmas Town" at the end of the run. All the promotional tie ins are with attractions at the Boardwalk.
https://www.traintochristmastown.com/faq.html

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shed47 Wrote:
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> Cumbresfan Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
>
> > Is the tourist train to head north or south and
> > for how many miles?
>
> Will head north(toward Davenport) 4 to 5 miles
> with passengers remaining on the train for the
> roundtrip--there is no "Christmas Town" at the end
> of the run. All the promotional tie ins are with
> attractions at the Boardwalk.
> https://www.traintochristmastown.com/faq.html

I guess in California (or at least this part of the state) kids have to make do with faux Christmas trains. I wish this first year promotion success.

As for myself, I'd prefer to take this train:
http://www.durangotrain.com/emvideo/modal/442/425/350/field_youtube/youtube/BJPwV-Zw7kY

Looks beautiful! Will the rest of the cars be repainted also?! That would be mighty pretty :)

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Jarrod DellaChiesa
Oakley, CA

Wow! $35 dollars for 1 adult and $25 for 1 child. That is very expensive for a 5 miles ride to nowhere with cocoa and cookies. I doubt after the initial shock many parents will be shelling out for this ride. They want you also to buy an overpriced booklet and hang out at the arcade. A family of 3 will be shelling out nearly $100 for this. It is nice to see a train in Santa Cruz but I doubt it will last for even one season.

Love the IC colors but is there some reason they can't put the SC&MB logo on the nose instead of the IC style diamond? Half the people that ride the train probably couldn't find Iowa on a map.

Looks like the engineer side board of 84 is busted.

maybe they wrapped the units?

opps can see the overspray



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/23/12 10:48 by dan.

cforssi Wrote:
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> Wow! $35 dollars for 1 adult and $25 for 1 child.
> That is very expensive for a 5 miles ride to
> nowhere with cocoa and cookies. I doubt after the
> initial shock many parents will be shelling out
> for this ride. They want you also to buy an
> overpriced booklet and hang out at the arcade. A
> family of 3 will be shelling out nearly $100 for
> this. It is nice to see a train in Santa Cruz but
> I doubt it will last for even one season.


Actually, that is the about the same as the cost of Monterey Bay Aquarium tickets, although you can apply the purchase to an annual membership which is a good deal if you live in the Bay area. Will be interesting to see if this takes off-----they have certainly done a lot of tv ads here in the Monterey/Salinas/Santa Cruz area as well as full page ads in the papers.
C.

Carol Voss
Bakersfield, CA

I would make one suggestion and that is to put put the dome more toward the center of the train as otherwise the diesel exhaust messes up the dome glass faster and needs more frequent cleaning.
Al - in - Stockton

They are not wrapped. When the first F was painted and used last weekend.....you could literally smell the fresh paint. It looked great.

Bryce

Wish they could restore the F's pilots.

It's ten miles, SC to Davenport, the site of a now-closed cement plant, along veggy fields between PCH 1 and cliffs down to cold water beaches. Why only a five mile ride?