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America was on the move in the 19th century. The invention of the steam engine paved the way for railway transportation and by 1893 five transcontinental rail lines and a web of other railroads linked the country from coast-to-coast. Railroad construction started in Alaska in 1904 and suffered many challenges but the U.S. government stepped in and completed the Alaska Railroad in 1923. This vital new rail belt supplied the gold fields, helped build the Alaska Highway, supported the WWII war effort, and hauled supplies for the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. Later, it helped fuel the burgeoning Alaska tourism industry with its own special brand of Alaska adventure. Designated a National Scenic Byway, the rail belt stretches for 500 miles from Whittier to Fairbanks and is the last full-service railway in the United States. From Silver Streak to Silver Dome (1933-1955) Rail travel reached its zenith in America during the 1930s. The Budd Company of Philadelphia made its mark with the Pioneer Zephyr's record-breaking "Dawn-to-Dusk" run in 1934. Over the next 26 years, the creator of the Silver Streak continued to revolutionize rail travel. Their classic bi-level domed railcars carried passengers aboard the Great Northern's Empire Builder and the Achison, Topeka and Santa Fe's El Capitan, Chicagoan and Chief. "Built to last" and immortalized on the silver screen, these trains were woven into the fabric of American life. Read all about the early life of domed railcar travel in the pages to come. ON THE RIGHT TRACK Cyrus R. Osborn was Vice President of General Motors and General Manager of the GM division that manufactured locomotives. While traveling through the Colorado Rockies by rail, he decided to take in the view from the locomotive cab. What he saw as the train entered dramatic Glenwood Canyon opened his eyes to a brand new concept in railcar engineering-passenger cars featuring a glass roof that would provide inspiring, panoramic "luxury car" vistas for the ordinary traveler. Seeing the opportunity to make railroad travel more appealing, he shared his vision and GM was soon creating conceptual dome car drawings and models. They were presented to railroad executives in the spring of 1945 and the rest is, as they say, history. THE TRAIN OF TOMORROW It didn't take long for the first domed railcar to roll off the assembly line. After seeing the concepts presented by General Motors, Ralph Budd, the President of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad (now Burlington Northern) instructed his Aurora, Illinois shops to modify an existing coach car to create the first-ever domed railcar. The Silver Dome appeared in June of 1945 and met with great success. Meanwhile General Motors worked with Pullman-Standard to build the Train of Tomorrow. It toured the country with four dome cars starting in May 1947. Practically overnight, dome sightseeing trains were making getting there as appealing as being there -a tradition that continues today with Alaska Rail Tours. BUILT TO LAST Railroad companies were ordering "short" domes that included a glass dome over at least 35% of the railcar's roof area. To provide additional passenger capacity and stay ahead of the competition, the Milwaukee Railroad ordered 10 full-length domes from the Pullman-Standard Company and 8 stainless steel full-length domes from the Budd Company. "Built to last" these trains were woven into the fabric of American life. In service by 1954 on the Achison,Topeka &Santa Fe's El Capitan, Chicagoan and Kansas Cityan trains, they boasted 57 full-dome seats, 18 upper-level lounge seats, and a 28-seat lounge on the lower level with a bar and a traveling nurse's room. Domed rail travel as a major transportation industry had arrived. ENDURING CLASSICS Realizing their potential, Achison, Topeka & Santa Fe (AT&SF) ordered six additional fully-domed railcars from the Budd Company in 1953. They were put into service on the San Francisco Chief in May 1954 with 57 full-dome seats and 18 upper-level lounge seats. The lower level had an eight-seat lounge, a bar and a crew dormitory. Then the Great Northern Railway ordered six cars for use on the Chicago to Seattle/Portland Empire Builder starting in 1955. But demand for train travel was starting to decline and after a time the manufacturing of domed railcars ceased. The 10 steel Pullman cars and 20 stainless steel Budd cars were the last of their generation. For a time, it seemed as if the era of glamorous, romantic rail travel was over and that these classic domes would never ride the rails again. |
