Super Dome on today's Empire Builder

[Trogdor]

I was tipped off that there would be a dome on today's Empire Builder. The "Friends of the 261" purchased the former Super Dome that was sold by North Carolina, and moved it along with another (unidentified) private car on 7(11).

Since I needed a few more trips (thanks to the 100-point minimum) to achieve select status for the year, I decided to head down to MKA (total round-trip fare: $12; total Amtrak Guest Rewards points: 200).

First up was Empire Builder trains 8/28(9), which arrived at MKE just five minutes late. After that, it was down to the train station, where I caught 338(11). Train 335(11) arrived about 13 minutes late due to some freight congestion, apparently caused by some Canadian Pacific track work being done south of the airport.

338's consist:

90208

54527

51001

54523

54521

22

I waited at the airport for a few minutes, expecting 7 to come through at around 15:25-15:30. In the mean time, a freight decided to go by on track 1. It was my fear (before I discovered that track 2 was closed for track work) that the Empire Builder would pass by on track 2 while the long, slow freight went by on 1. Thankfully, the freight was neither long nor slow, and the Empire Builder was still somewhere back there.

When it hadn't shown by 16:00, I called Julie, and discovered that it was running 46 minutes late. Fortunately, this meant that it was still in front of train 337, which I would have to take back downtown so I could get to class.

It finally showed up at 16:20, running about 50 minutes late. As promised, the Super Dome was on the rear, followed by an open-platform car with no exterior markings (that I could see). I suspect a fellow that I know from St. Paul was sitting on the back of the platform, but since the train sped by at 70 mph, and I was too far away from the track to get a good view, I can't be sure (until he e-mails me back and lets me know one way or the other).

Shortly after that, 337(11) pulled in, with:

188

54538

54557

51501

54575

201

I made it all the way back to school on time and everything worked out just fine and dandy.

Photos are online at webshots under the folder "More trains."

 

[AlanB]

Very cool and thanks for the report. I'm glad that dome was saved!

However, since this reads more like a trip report, I'm going to move it over to that section.

 

[Trogdor]

How is it a trip if I didn't really go anywhere?

 

[Bill Haithcoat]

How is it a trip if I didn't really go anywhere?
Also, I mistakenly referred to the car as a "Great Dome," when in fact it is a "Super Dome."  Is there any way to rename the title?

Mistake? Well, sort of. But kind of a coincidental mistake.

You most likely already know all about this, Robert, but in pre-Amtrak days the (almost)full-length dome on the EB was, in fact, called a "Great Dome". You probably already know that and that may be where your slip of the tongue came from.

Various railroads had different names for very siimilar types of equipment. The EB was operated chiefly by the Great Northern R. R. ,( you perhaps already well know) , and thus it called its big dome a "Great Dome".

So far as I remember, the EB's smaller domes (24-seats) were called Vista Domes, the most common name for a short dome.

 

[AlanB]

How is it a trip if I didn't really go anywhere?

Well you did go 16 miles. Besides, I said that it "reads more like a trip report". I didn't say it was a trip.

Also, I mistakenly referred to the car as a "Great Dome," when in fact it is a "Super Dome."  Is there any way to rename the title?

You can't do it, but I can and have fixed it for you.