Passenger Trains > VIA Skyline Domes on the Wisconsin & Southern?

VIA leased some Skyline Domes to the Wisconsin & Southern last year for a Polar Express ride. Any word of them going back this year?

If VIA is in the business of finally leasing out some of its surplus equipment, how about a Park Car for the Adirondack year-round - north of Albany. It can be Canada's contribution for bringing passengers north..... There's a way to make the cables work between VIA and Amtrak equipment.....VIA's got more extra Park Cars than Skyline domes. 

I really don’t think VIA is in the business of leasing out equipment long term. The Skylines went to WSOR for the Polar Express for a couple of weeks during one of the slowest times of the year. Also the set of equipment leased to Amtrak for the Adirondack for 4 or 5 days during US Thanksgiving about 5 years ago. Again a slow time of the year for VIA.

I escorted two of the domes from Toronto to Wisconsin last November for Iowa Pacific. Of course, I had to follow the cars by auto as CN was not about to allow riders on the cars. I followed the cars thru Sarnia, then down the GTW to Kirk Yard in Gary, then after a 40 hour rest in Gary, they moved on West and North to Wisconsin. Imagine my embarrassment when the cars were set out at interchange point to WSOR but they had been graffitied some around Chicago! It wasn't possible to stay close to the cars all the time although I tried.

TIOGA PASS

Norman Orfall
Helendale, CA
TIOGA PASS, a private railcar

jp1822 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> If VIA is in the business of finally leasing out
> some of its surplus equipment, how about a Park
> Car for the Adirondack year-round - north of
> Albany. It can be Canada's contribution for
> bringing passengers north..... There's a way to
> make the cables work between VIA and Amtrak
> equipment.....VIA's got more extra Park Cars than
> Skyline domes. 

Why can't AMTRAK go out and buy there own domes?

4489 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> jp1822 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > If VIA is in the business of finally leasing
> out
> > some of its surplus equipment, how about a Park
> > Car for the Adirondack year-round - north of
> > Albany. It can be Canada's contribution for
> > bringing passengers north..... There's a way to
> > make the cables work between VIA and Amtrak
> > equipment.....VIA's got more extra Park Cars
> than
> > Skyline domes. 
>
> Why can't AMTRAK go out and buy there own domes?

Because Amtrak has no money and all the long-distance routes that could use a dome endpoint to endpoint, operate with Superliners.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/22/17 20:37 by TWC.

TWC Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> 4489 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > jp1822 Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > If VIA is in the business of finally leasing
> > out
> > > some of its surplus equipment, how about a
> Park
> > > Car for the Adirondack year-round - north of
> > > Albany. It can be Canada's contribution for
> > > bringing passengers north..... There's a way
> to
> > > make the cables work between VIA and Amtrak
> > > equipment.....VIA's got more extra Park Cars
> > than
> > > Skyline domes. 
> >
> > Why can't AMTRAK go out and buy there own
> domes?
>
> Because Amtrak has no money and all the
> long-distance routes that could use a dome
> endpoint to endpoint, operate with Superliners.

The better answer - Amtrak has no money and desire to go out and buy any domes. Two domes had been suggested for purchase and operation between Washington DC and Chicago on the Cardinal per the PRIIA report for the Cardinal.

With routes and frequencies cut in Canada, VIA has extra Park Cars, two of which could be their contribution to operating the Adirondack to/from Canada. VIA and Amtrak did jointly run the International with each roads' equipment from time to time.

Recommended classic reading is from 1970's or '80s Rails NorthEast magazine where the editor recounts traveling from Pittsburgh to Nebraska escorting a high/wide shipment, riding in Conrail and BN cabooses the whole time. A companion rider's high/wide load derailed in Conway or Elkhart.