Dome Car and Caritas on #21/#22

[Bob Dylan]

Today's #21(11/11) out of CHI is Hauling an Ex-Santa Fe Dome Car (Iowa Pacific "SkyView")and the PV Caritas to SAS where it will Picked up by #22 on Wed. 11/13 and taken on the East Texas detour of #22 to Palestine, Tx. There it will be dropped in the Palestine Yard, picked up by a Texas State RR Steamer on Thur 11/14 and taken to Rusk, Tx. where it will Spend the Night1 It will be used on the Polar Express Train that is Running on the TSRR between Palestine and Rusk, then taken back to Palestine via Steamer and Picked up by #22 where it will take the Rest of the EastTex Detour to LVW, then Hauled back to CHI!

The Post on trainorders Indicates that Special Fares will be in effect for the Return Trip to CHI but No Price or Date info is Given! If Interested, Google up the Texas State RR Web Site for Info on the Polar Express and trainorders.com/passenger trains for Caritas/Dome Info!!

 

[Gratt]

Nice! I am in Longview right now having taken the detour and spending the night while waiting for the bus to HOS.

I wonder if I will get to see the dome before my bus leaves? :wub:

If I do I will try to post pictures

 

[jimhudson]

Nice! I am in Longview right now having taken the detour and spending the night while waiting for the bus to HOS.

I wonder if I will get to see the dome before my bus leaves? :wub:

If I do I will try to post pictures

You should be able to, the Shrevport and Houston Buses meet #21 when it Arrives into LVW in the Mornings!

 

[Agent]

Found this video of Sky View and Caritas on the Texas Eagle at Little Rock. Also, here's the official schedule for the cars.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSaTzLlTqww

 

[Bob Dylan]

Nice Video, thanks for Posting! ( I hope to see them when #21 Arrives into Austin on this Cold and Getting Colder Fall Evening!)

I found the Caritas Web Page and the Folks Making the Whole CHI-SAS-CHI RT are Payiong $2,750 Each and a Ride in the Dome Car from Palestine to Texarkana is $950!!! If I was Rich I'd be on it! Does this Qualify for the "You've Got to Be Crazy to Ride the Train" Thread? :lol:

 

[railiner]

The Caritas must be the "rare mileage champ", or close to it.....

I had the privilege to ride aboard that car back in the 1980's a short hop from Limon, Colorado to the UP yard in Denver, thanks to the generosity of its owner at the time, Mr. Clark Johnson.....

Several of us members of the Intermountain Chapter, NRHS, were returning from a Kyle Railroad excursion over former Rock Island trackage from Colorado Springs area to Goodland, Kansas, when the opportunity came along....

We were on the end of a UP freight train on the Caritas, right behind the caboose. We heard the conductor jokingly comment to his engineer over our scanner, that he was hoping our host would "throw them a steak bone, or something"....

 

[Bob Dylan]

Nice get! I just returned from the Austin Amtrak Station on a Cold/Windy Night where #21 Rolled in 1 Hour Late with Skyview and Caritas on the Tail of the Train! Skyview looks like it has been Prepped for Painting in Iowa pacific Colors! (It's All Silver but Rough) Caritas is in "Like New"Condition! Several of the Passengers came out onto the Rear Platform and talked with the Rail Fans !(there were about 10 People out to Meet the Eagle!) They had Just Finished Dinner and were having having Coffee, Desert and Drinks. (But Not Smoking Big Cigars! :lol: ) We Joked with them about Bringing Winter to Texas from CHI and one of them said at Least We didn't bring the Snow! ^_^

#21 will turn in the Morning in SAS @ 7AM as #22 and Run the East Texas Detour to Longview with Caritas and Skyview being Cut out in Palestine so they can Run between Palestine and Rusk on the Texas State RR as Part of a Special Steam Train! They will be Picked up by #22 on Thurs 11/14 in Palestine to Return to Chicago! Rides in the Skyview Dome are Available from Palestine to Longview or Texarkana for $495 and from San Antonio to Palestine or Rusk for $950!!!!

 

[railiner]

It seems that the Caritas is always ready to go at a moments's notice to take advantage of rare mileage opportunities...... Or just a fortunate coincidence....

It must be nice.....