Ex-Amtrak 'Ocean View' Dome Car Parked in West Virginia (as of 3/17/21)

[rtabern]

As of this morning (3/17/21), ex-Amtrak Great Dome "Ocean View" is parked in the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad Yards in Ridgely, West Virginia (just across the Potomac River from Cumberland, MD).

It was purchased by Paxrail and is on loan to the WMSRR.

I do not think a formal announcement has been made yet about this.

I first was alerted to this because a friend who owns some cars -- also on lease to the WMSRR -- posted a video of his cars a few months back... and the Great Dome was sitting in the background. As soon as I commented about the dome car bring out there and being in the background of his video, he quickly took it down. Others who were out there for a special event kept saying "no comment" when asked about the dome car being out there. All of that raised suspicions. We were a few hours away this morning -- but I decided to make the drive over there to see what I can see. It was hard to see the way it was parked too... but you could see it attached to a caboose and a baggage car from the public highway.

http://www.rtabern.com/20210315_140425.jpg

 

[TC_NYC]

I'm glad I was able to ride this car on one of its last runs on the Downeaster, which I could have been on it from Albany-Montreal, but it's better than having never ridden it.

 

[tim49424]

I rode in the Ocean View when it was on the Pere Marquette.

 

[crescent-zephyr]

I never managed to get a ride in the ocean view when it was on Amtrak. Oh well, I’ve ridden in other full length domes and I got several rides in PPC’s so I won’t cry too much.

Odd that it ended up at WMSR. That place has made some of the strangest decisions...

 

[Railroad Bill]

Rode it on one of its last Adirondack trips a few years ago.

 

[fdaley]

I'll miss riding it on the Adirondack and Downeaster. On the Adirondack, we planned several trips over the years that were mainly excuses to ride it during foliage season. Selling it was another Anderson-era decision that has helped to make Amtrak travel less special.

 

[Just-Thinking-51]

Plenty of dome cars for sale currently, some with better insides too. No reason for any “No comment” from the railroad.

 

[fdaley]

Here it is on the Adirondack in October 2018.

 

[jiml]

You'd like to think if Amtrak had more than one of these they'd have a purpose and still be running somewhere. Unfortunately given the disposition of the PPC's probably not.

 

[crescent-zephyr]

Didn’t the states pay extra to have the ocean view in the consist seasonally?

 

[MARC Rider]

Here it is on the Adirondack in October 2018.

View attachment 21268

View attachment 21269

You know, I think the view from a Sightseer lounge is better.

 

[fdaley]

You know, I think the view from a Sightseer lounge is better.

Well, the Sightseer Lounge has a lot more window per area of wall, so it's nicer in that way. But of course it's not an option on the Adirondack or most of the other eastern routes. It also doesn't allow a view forward or back, so you can't get a perspective like this (sorry, it was raining that day):

 

[crescent-zephyr]

You know, I think the view from a Sightseer lounge is better.

The SSL cars don’t get the credit they deserve. They are a fantastic design.

 

[joelkfla]

The SSL cars don’t get the credit they deserve. They are a fantastic design.

If only they would dim those darn lights!

 

[crescent-zephyr]

If only they would dim those darn lights!

They used to for movie nights. Oh how I wish I could still watch Free Willy 3 on Amtrak.

 

[MARC Rider]

The SSL cars don’t get the credit they deserve. They are a fantastic design.

I seems like it's a design they could adapt for single level cars, too. This would allow SSL's to operate out of New York Penn, which might be an attraction for the Lake Shore Limited and Cardinal, at least, plus the Vermonter, Adirondack, Ethan Allen, and Pennsylvanian also traverse some pretty scenic territory.

 

[Dakota 400]

The SSL cars don’t get the credit they deserve. They are a fantastic design.

They used to for movie nights. Oh how I wish I could still watch Free Willy 3 on Amtrak.

And use the bar area on the upper level as it once was used for beverage service.

 

[Cal]

I seems like it's a design they could adapt for single level cars, too. This would allow SSL's to operate out of New York Penn, which might be an attraction for the Lake Shore Limited and Cardinal, at least, plus the Vermonter, Adirondack, Ethan Allen, and Pennsylvanian also traverse some pretty scenic territory.

That would be quite interesting to see.

 

[crescent-zephyr]

I seems like it's a design they could adapt for single level cars, too. This would allow SSL's to operate out of New York Penn, which might be an attraction for the Lake Shore Limited and Cardinal, at least, plus the Vermonter, Adirondack, Ethan Allen, and Pennsylvanian also traverse some pretty scenic territory.

That would be quite interesting to see.

They should have ordered single level domes from Colorado Railcar while they were still in business....

(Photo from Wikipedia)

 

[railiner]

I seems like it's a design they could adapt for single level cars, too. This would allow SSL's to operate out of New York Penn, which might be an attraction for the Lake Shore Limited and Cardinal, at least, plus the Vermonter, Adirondack, Ethan Allen, and Pennsylvanian also traverse some pretty scenic territory.

You mean like this?
https://www.google.com/search?q=via...AgSEAE&biw=2400&bih=1171#imgrc=FngotSXDDIYWiM
Oh, I see crescent - zephyr already posted...

 

[Ryan]

WMSR has some real issues. The county has taken over track maintenance from them, as the FRA has come in and told them they have to replace a butt-ton of ties before they can turn a wheel in passenger service. Between that and COVID, we'll see if they get in any revenue service this year...