Passenger Trains > Goodbye 'Silver Solarium'

The very last time I rode in CB&Q 377 'Silver Solarium' was in October 2015 when it brought up the markers of the Shasta Explorer on which I was a car host. I shot this goodbye photo as the special left Sacramento for Emeryville after three days on the road. Date is October 12, 2015.

 The Shasta Explorer's consist was 100% private cars - I was assigned to 'Silver Splendor.' Most of the cars on this train have scattered to the winds in the Midwest and East.

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That was a beautiful dome car!

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Silver Solarium is one of five California Zephyr cars in Cleveland (Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad).
It still gets to ride the rails with friends ... and occasionally behind a steam engine.

https://www.cvsr.org/our-fleet/

While the car and her sisters have a great place to run, it is a denizen of the West and we miss her (along with many other PVs that were sold off ...)

Many memorable and epic trips in that car.   New friends and old memories that last forever.   Priceless experiences.

 

rattenne Wrote:
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> While the car and her sisters have a great place
> to run, it is a denizen of the West and we miss
> her (along with many other PVs that were sold off
> ...)

The Silver Solarium (or one of its sister domes) should be in the CA State Railroad Museum (CSRM) --- a dome observation car that ran on the 50s CA Zephyr is so emblematic of mid century passenger railroading in CA. 

I have been critical of the folks at CSRM for over 40 years for failing to work hard to acquire relevant cars like Silver Solarium (yes it will cost some big bucks). My impression is they sit around until some organization chooses to donate cars that have may have no connection to the state -- Why is a heavyweight CN sleeper named St Hyacinthe in the CSRM instead of the CRHA museum in Montreal where it belongs.

WP17

WP17 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> rattenne Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > While the car and her sisters have a great
> place
> > to run, it is a denizen of the West and we miss
> > her (along with many other PVs that were sold
> off
> > ...)
>
> The Silver Solarium (or one of its sister domes)
> should be in the CA State Railroad Museum (CSRM)


Why?  While it did traverse California, why there as opposed to any of the other states that the CZ traveled through?   I would argue, that since it is a CB&Q car, it would belong at IRM or the Colorado Railroad Museum.  

I would have to disagree with you. At least the car has a chance to operate and show folks back east what a premier passenger train experience was like. I'm a long time member of CSRM and have visited their backshop area (the old SP shop complex) twice and can tell you that the museum has little room to store a dome obs. They have a lot of equipment stored in the shops that have yet to be restored. CB&Q 377 would just be another piece collecting dust. IMHO,
d

THE COLO RAILROAD MUSEUM WAS OFFERED THE JOLLY RANCHER CARS BUT AT THE TIME THEY WERE NARROW MINDED

The car that is at Miami Museum

Typhoon Wrote in part:

> > The Silver Solarium (or one of its sister
> domes)
> > should be in the CA State Railroad Museum
> (CSRM)
>
>
> Why?  While it did traverse California, why there
> as opposed to any of the other states that the CZ
> traveled through?   I would argue, that since it
> is a CB&Q car, it would belong at IRM or the
> Colorado Railroad Museum.  

Maybe because the train was called the CALIFORNIA Zephyr and not the Colorado or Illinois Zephyr. 
Seriously I would be happy to see the car saved at any relevant rail museum since the car is a historic passenger car.
 

It IS preserved on a Ohio museuam railroad according to sources. I believe sister car Silver Lariat and a few other former west coast-based cars are back there.

rattenne Wrote:
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> It IS preserved on a Ohio museuam railroad
> according to sources. I believe sister car Silver
> Lariat and a few other former west coast-based
> cars are back there.

Ken, I will grant you that the car is preserved at a museum, but that "museum" is in Cleveland a city the CZ never served. My point is a somewhat more general. -- museums need to actively search for, acquire, and run/display equipment that is relevant to their mission and location. SInce CSRM is supposedly CA focussed, acquiring and displaying (and even operating) CA-related equipment should be a high priority.

Too many museums simply wait until a someone decides to donate something irrespective of how relevant it might be.

WP17

Preserved and running ... as previously mentioned in this thread.

I agree with you - but it is able to operate as intended and as far as  know, there's really no comparable museum railroad on the West Coast.