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Reply to "How-To guide for building a new dome structure on your passenger car"

richs09 posted:

Really great job and a good writeup on what you did and your perseverance -- not to mention your 'obsession' with the fidelity to the prototype.  At some point in the late '50s/early 60's I rode in one of UP's blunt end observation cars -- don't think it was the dome version.  It was on the connecting train UP ran between Seattle and Portland, timed to meet the out-bound City of Portland.  I don't recall UP having boat-tail observation cars -- at least not on the two City of (Portland and SF) trains on which I rode.  My recollection is that the last car in the consist was typically a sleeper that had a 'portable' Mars light stuck in the vestibule before the diaphragm, along with a waist-high 'gate' to prevent someone from falling out of the car should they have managed to get by the disabled pneumatic door at the end of the car.

I have in mind a similar project -- the CA zephyr at one point sported a dome - observation car (a 'boat tail' version), in fact I think one of those cars still exists.  American Flyer (S gauge) made a four-car Aluminum passenger set -- combine, coach, dome and observation car.  I have extras of the dome and observation cars purchased with the idea of removing the boat tail on one and attaching it to the dome car.  In this case, its gonna require some cutting of the end of the dome car to get the truck position correct.  The only way I can see to do that - since I don't have a milling machine and I'm certain I can't make a straight enough cut with a hand saw - is to fire up my radial arm saw with a non-ferrous metal cutting blade and see if I can get a straight and square cut that way.  I've seen a picture of someone else's attempt at this - which was well done - but no details on how they did it.  Since these are 'generic' passenger cars, there are few true prototype details, so this will be, at best, a "if you squint your eyes, it looks pretty good" effort.

Thank you Richs09 for the support.  I have read the Union Pacific stopped using the Sun Valley boat tail observation car in April 1955 for the City of Los Angeles train when they got there dome cars.  I have not researched when the UP stopped using the Nob Hill (City of San Francisco) or the Ogallal (City of Denver).

Also, since I'm only modeling the City of Los Angeles train I have not tracked down the history of the other City trains that used flat end observation cars.  I know the Union Pacific still had flat end cars like the Baldy Mountain, Russian Hill (aka Hoover Dam) that got used well into the 1950's.

The California Zephyr observation dome car you are looking for is named the "Silver Solarium".  Yes, it's a great car an still exists today.

Thanks,

Last edited by T.Albers

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