Single-Level Dome

Type of dome car with a single-level layout

Florida Fun Train (1997–1998)
Alaska Railroad (1999–present)
BC Rail (2000–2002)
Via Rail (2002–present)

SpecificationsCar body constructionCorten steelCar length85 feet (26 m)Height12 feet 11 inches (3.94 m)

The Single-Level Dome, also known as the Panorama Dome, is a type of dome coach manufactured by Colorado Railcar for various operators between 1997–2007. They are similar in concept to the company's bilevel Ultra Domes.

Design

Each window on the Single-Level Dome is 6 feet (180 cm) by 7 feet 8 inches (234 cm); Colorado Railcar claimed they were the "world's largest glass domed windows." In a lounge configuration the cars can seat up to 76 at "four tops" (tables with 2 × 2 seating).^[1] Via Rail's three cars can seat 71–74 in a standard coach configuration.^[2] The interior color scheme for the Florida cars was "aquas, pinks and light green." The windows begin at "thigh level" and curve at the top, constituting "most of the ceiling." The Peninsula Clarion described the view as "panoramic".^[3]

Operation

The first five cars were built for the Florida Fun Train, a short-lived service between South Florida and Orlando, Florida. These included four coaches and a lounge car with an open platform. The Florida Fun Train folded in September 1998. The Alaska Railroad acquired all five cars at bankruptcy in 1999.^[4] One of these cars was rebuilt as a business car, the Aurora.^[5] The Alaska Railroad purchased an additional three cars in 2006–2007, bringing their total to eight.^[6]

BC Rail acquired three more of the domes (intended for Florida) in 2000. After BC Rail ceased passenger operations in 2002 they were acquired by Via Rail. Dubbed "Panorama Domes", they remain in service.^[7] As of 2018^[update] two of the cars operate between Edmonton, Alberta, and Vancouver, British Columbia, on the flagship Canadian, while the third runs on the Jasper–Prince Rupert train between Jasper, Alberta, and Prince George, British Columbia.^[8]

Notes

^ "Single-Level Dome Railcars". Colorado Railcar. Archived from the original on 10 February 2008. Retrieved 14 February 2015.
^ "Passenger cars - Panorama Dome car". Via Rail. Retrieved 14 February 2015.
^ "Alaska Railroad's new cars have a tropical look". Peninsula Clarion. 22 May 2000. Archived from the original on 23 January 2005. Retrieved 14 February 2015.
^ Zimmermann 2007, pp. 84–85
^ "The Alaska Railroad Meeting and Convention Planner" (PDF). Alaska Railroad. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 October 2006. Retrieved 14 February 2015.
^ "Record-Breaking Year Reflections" (PDF). Community Ties. 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 October 2007.
^ Zimmermann 2007, p. 91
^ Johnston 2018, p. 24

References

Johnston, Bob (May 2018). "Prince Rupert beckons". Trains. Vol. 78, no. 5. pp. 24–25. ISSN 0041-0934.
Zimmermann, Karl R. (2007). The GrandLuxe Express: Traveling in High Style. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press. ISBN 978-0-253-34947-7. OCLC 123136805.