Surfliner Dome Alert

[WhoozOn1st]

Returning Monday afternoon from the Team Whooz Pacific Northwest Incursion (Opening Soon in a trip report forum near you!), Coast Starlight train 11 was running about 30 minutes early into Santa Barbara. After running really nicely for most of the trip from PDX, we began crawling the last several miles into SBA, and I speculated that we might be holding off for a Pacific Surfliner departure from SBA.

Yup, and in passing 775 we saw that its consist included Amtrak's sole remaining dome, ex-Great Northern full length, Budd-built No. 10031. The remainder of the consist is the single-level set usually employed for Surfliners 799/798 between LAX and SLO.

Likely the trainset will run as 774 (SLO-SAN) Tuesday, but it can't return to SLO as 775, so what happens next will be something to watch. At any rate, the great dome is running around SoCal right now, and updates on sightings would be helpful. We're gonna try to railfan it southbound Tuesday morning. Nice to see it back where it belongs!

 

[Spokker]

Is it this one?




I stumbled onto this one last year.

 

[l]

Returning Monday afternoon from the Team Whooz Pacific Northwest Incursion (Opening Soon in a trip report forum near you!), Coast Starlight train 11 was running about 30 minutes early into Santa Barbara. After running really nicely for most of the trip from PDX, we began crawling the last several miles into SBA, and I speculated that we might be holding off for a Pacific Surfliner departure from SBA.

Yup, and in passing 775 we saw that its consist included Amtrak's sole remaining dome, ex-Great Northern full length, Budd-built No. 10031. The remainder of the consist is the single-level set usually employed for Surfliners 799/798 between LAX and SLO.

Likely the trainset will run as 774 (SLO-SAN) Tuesday, but it can't return to SLO as 775, so what happens next will be something to watch. At any rate, the great dome is running around SoCal right now, and updates on sightings would be helpful. We're gonna try to railfan it southbound Tuesday morning. Nice to see it back where it belongs!

Yes, it is the only back-up consist available for the Surfliner when a whole consist either goes down for the count or is taken out for required safety maintenance

Usually you see the "dome train" in August and September. It's a real treat if you get it! And because of the way the Surfliner schedule is set up, it can run SAN-SLO on one round-trip, then subsequently SLO-SAN-SBA-SAN-LAX and so forth. It's possible to figure out the sequence over several days using a detailed schedule but the easier way is to just cross your fingers and hope!

 

[LA Resident]

Is it this one?




I stumbled onto this one last year.

Hey, that's the one!

But gee whiz, you had to post the video of going through the dregs of the scenery along the line in industrial southeast LA instead of the beautiful vistas along the Pacific Coast!

I'd say you are in cahoots with The Traveler who posits that the NEC trains offer better scenery!! :lol:

 

[the_traveler]

As long as the Great Dome returns to the Adirondack on Oct 18 & 19, you folks in shaky town can borrow it!

 

[LA Resident]

As long as the Great Dome returns to the Adirondack on Oct 18 & 19, you folks in shaky town can borrow it!

Agreed!

We make shake but our tracks no longer rattle and roll!!! :lol:

 

[WhoozOn1st]

No place like dome: Running with Surfliner 774 this morning, video and a pic...

Amtrak's Great Dome At Ventura

Vid kinda shaky at end - camera had too much coffee.

 

[rrdude]

No place like dome: Running with Surfliner 774 this morning, video and a pic...

Amtrak's Great Dome At Ventura

Vid kinda shaky at end - camera had too much coffee.

Geeze Whooz, what took you so long to post it?

Nice, two different engines, I actually liked the look of the consist.

I'll be out there from the 13th to the 18th of August, taking the Surfliners in to LAX from Irvine each day, then on the 19th, taking the CS-EB-CL home.

 

[la]

No place like dome: Running with Surfliner 774 this morning, video and a pic...

Amtrak's Great Dome At Ventura

Vid kinda shaky at end - camera had too much coffee.

Nice shots! More like it, with the fog burning off to the coast at Ventura. Looks like the strawberries are all kaput from the fields there.

Have to say, that's one ugly consist, with Amfleet and Horizon cars cobbled together on both sides of the dome. Well, I guess it's fortunate that Amtrak even has a spare set to push into Surfliner service. About 6 years ago, that same set was used for the CS between LA and Oakland because CS 11 ran so late it never made it past the Bay area. There were a LOT of unhappy passengers, especially those who had reserved sleepers out of LA. Many ended up demanding--and getting--refunds and placed instead on the next San Joaquin, getting into SF some 3 hours faster. What's the point of the CS if it's on dingy old cars crowded to the gills?

But as a Surfliner substitute once in a while, why not?

 

[Spokker]

Hey, that's the one!

But gee whiz, you had to post the video of going through the dregs of the scenery along the line in industrial southeast LA instead of the beautiful vistas along the Pacific Coast!

I'd say you are in cahoots with The Traveler who posits that the NEC trains offer better scenery!! :lol:

I liked that it was flying between two freights with a view of either side. I definitely want to ride in it again all the way to San Diego.

 

[Guest]

We rode Surfliner #784 SBA-SAN last Friday (7/30), the Great Dome was in the middle of a very strange consist (a mixture of regular Surfliner cars, TWO business class cars (one was an AMCAN) and while we had Business class seats we elbowed all the women and kids out of the way and snagged seats in the dome for a great trip down the coast to SAN, a beautiful day along the coast and even the ugliness of the LAX industrial nightmare couldnt spoil the joy of riding in the dome!

 

[Spokker]

a beautiful day along the coast and even the ugliness of the LAX industrial nightmare couldnt spoil the joy of riding in the dome!

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Your city doesn't exist without the facility that allows cement mixers to pick up materials to mix cement. Where do you think we should store the cranes that make skyscrapers possible?

LOSSAN may be known for the coast, but the industrial stretches are just as important, and that's what makes the route interesting to some people.

 

[rtabern]

I got to ride the Amtrak Dome ONLY once!!!

I was a car host for the 20th Century RR Club out of Chicago in October 2007 and they were doing an Amtrak special charter from Chicago to Galena, IL and back in a day. Galena is in far NW Illinois -- near Dubuque, IA -- where they are talking about restoring service to.

Anyway, we were supposed to get an all-Amfleet train... however a bunch of the single-level equipment had to be shipped to somewhere else in the country... leaving not enough train cars for the special train. I think it was due to the issues they were having with the Talgos. Anyway, Amtrak almost ended up cancelling the trip for the 20th Century RR Club due to lack of cars.

At the last minute -- they were able to come up with a mixed consist and get the train going. About half of the train was Amfleet -- with a Transition Sleeper in the middle -- and then several Superliner coaches on the back.

To make up for the problems and the near-cancellation of the charter -- Amtrak ended up tacking on the Dome... 10331. My guess it wasnt brought to Chicago just for that -- it was probably in town because it was going down to Beech Grove or something -- but it was put on there as a special "we're sorry" to the 20th Century RR Club.

It was soooooooo amazing!! There was a 5-hour turn-around in Galena where passengers and most of the crew got off the train to look around at all the crafts and shops in the village there... but I stayed on board (which was an option for us crew guys)... and just sat there in the Dome and just marveled at it the whole time!!

I know you can sometimes catch it in Southern California -- but of all my travels there (best friend from high school lives in Santa Monica) -- I have NEVER been able to catch it.

I heard the rumors going around that it could be sold off in 2012 -- so I want to ride it a couple of more times and get some pictures with it and everything. I have tentative plans to visit my friend in Boston in late October and we are planning on doing the run up to Montreal on a day that the car is going to be on there!!!

 

[LA Resident]

a beautiful day along the coast and even the ugliness of the LAX industrial nightmare couldnt spoil the joy of riding in the dome!

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Your city doesn't exist without the facility that allows cement mixers to pick up materials to mix cement. Where do you think we should store the cranes that make skyscrapers possible?

LOSSAN may be known for the coast, but the industrial stretches are just as important, and that's what makes the route interesting to some people.

Yes the industrial stretches of urban landscapes have important historical and visual aspects, but seriously, you don't have a lot of people pining to ride trains in order to see auto disposal and other such sites. And I doubt Amtrak would put a dome car--or a SSL--on any route that didn't offer a lot of natural scenery.

 

[the_traveler]

I heard the rumors going around that it could be sold off in 2012 -- so I want to ride it a couple of more times and get some pictures with it and everything. I have tentative plans to visit my friend in Boston in late October and we are planning on doing the run up to Montreal on a day that the car is going to be on there!!!

It just better be on the Adirondack northbound on Oct 18 and southbound on October 19!

It use to run northbound on Thursday, Saturday and Monday, and then southbound on Friday, Sunday and Tuesday. (Never on Wednesday!) I hope it's the same this year too!

 

[WhoozOn1st]

But gee whiz, you had to post the video of going through the dregs of the scenery along the line in industrial southeast LA instead of the beautiful vistas along the Pacific Coast!

I liked that it was flying between two freights with a view of either side. I definitely want to ride in it again all the way to San Diego.

I like the video too (brief though it is), and that run near Hobart Yard and the intermodal terminal. Notable on the right is the sizable lineup of locomotives idled by the economic downturn. The clip is a prime example of the dome scenic perspective that you just can't get from any other type of equipment.

Another vid and pic from Tuesday, this time Surfliner 785:

Amtrak's Great Dome At Oxnard

 

[printman2000]

My brother is currently visiting San Diego. Any idea what northbound train the dome will be on this week? Is it the same every day?

 

[WhoozOn1st]

Any idea what northbound train the dome will be on this week? Is it the same every day?

Not the same every day; there's a rotation. Working with a timetable and making some not-so-educated guesses would help figure out which Surfliner has the dome. Of course were I in San Diego my preferred method would be to check the timetable for arrivals, then take the light rail over to the depot and see what's what every now and then - but that's just me.

Spotting the dome Sunday with 775 it was easy to figure it'd be with 774 the next morning. Scheduling precluded another run with 775 on Monday, so I guessed (correctly) a 785 return instead, which in turn likely means the dome ran back south with 768 this morning (too lazy to get up that early to go see for sure), and so on...

EDIT: The dome's incompatibility with Surfliner and Superliner cars makes tracking easier, as there are only two single level consists around here that can take the dome, and it's currently not running with the usual 799/798, LAX-SLO. Barring a weird (and fun) lash-up like the one described above by rtabern, find the consist and you'll find the dome.

 

[Guest]

There's a posting on trainorders today that says that the Great Dome will be on the Cardinal to/from WAS and to from CHI @ the end of Oct./1st week of Nov. (both #50 and #51) but no mention if it's a relocation or will be available for revenue pax?? :wub: Wish I could ride the Card with this jewel attached!

 

[leemell]

Any idea what northbound train the dome will be on this week? Is it the same every day?

Not the same every day; there's a rotation. Working with a timetable and making some not-so-educated guesses would help figure out which Surfliner has the dome. Of course were I in San Diego my preferred method would be to check the timetable for arrivals, then take the light rail over to the depot and see what's what every now and then - but that's just me.

Spotting the dome Sunday with 775 it was easy to figure it'd be with 774 the next morning. Scheduling precluded another run with 775 on Monday, so I guessed (correctly) a 785 return instead, which in turn likely means the dome ran back south with 768 this morning (too lazy to get up that early to go see for sure), and so on...

EDIT: The dome's incompatibility with Surfliner and Superliner cars makes tracking easier, as there are only two single level consists around here that can take the dome, and it's currently not running with the usual 799/798, LAX-SLO. Barring a weird (and fun) lash-up like the one described above by rtabern, find the consist and you'll find the dome.

OK, here's another for you. The CS 14 consist today was loco, loco, baggage, Silver (something) dome car, Pullman Pacific Sands in Santa Fe colors, trans sleeper, 3 sleepers, PPC, dining, lounge, 4 coaches.

 

[City of Miami]

I'm on 774 SLO-CWT on Sat Aug 28th. Maybe it'll be my lucky day!!

 

[WhoozOn1st]

OK, here's another for you. The CS 14 consist today was loco, loco, baggage, Silver (something) dome car, Pullman Pacific Sands in Santa Fe colors, trans sleeper, 3 sleepers, PPC, dining, lounge, 4 coaches.

That's nothin'!

'Tis the season, I guess: Last night I caught a fair glimpse - from the Ventura County Fair - of Starlight 11, running about 2.5 hours late. The rail line runs right beside the fairgrounds at Ventura, there's also an adjacent Surfliner platform, and with all those fairgoing pedestrians around trains lay on the horn pretty hard as they arrive, depart, and pass. About 9:30 p.m. we heard the horn and figured it was freight, cuz all passenger trains shoulda passed by then (Horn sound from wrong direction to be Surfliner 785 running late). Walking by a point where we could see trains pass we saw 3(!) P42s and a Cascades engine on the nose, baggage, Superliners (didn't notice a PPC, which doesn't mean there wasn't one), and a number of private varnish cars, including a full dome. Couldn't get a great look through a small viewing space as the train passed, but certainly an extraordinary consist.

Off topic regarding the fair, Metrolink will again be running special trains to/from the fairgrounds on weekends, Chatsworth-Ventura; the only times they go beyond the Ventura County Line outer terminus at Montalvo.

 

[hmy1]

I was a regular rider on the Pacific Surfliner for years until recently, commuting weekly between LA and San Diego. (Now I take the route only once or twice a month.) I have ridden the dome car many times not realizing that it was a special car until I found this forum. I enjoy experiencing non-Surfliner equipment since I rarely ride the other Amtrak routes, and the dome car is one of my favorites.

This morning, Monday 8/9, as I was cycling down the coast highway at Torrey Pines, I witnessed the dome car travelling north-bound as part of train 763.

Most of you regular riders probably already know this, but in recent years Amtrak has been adding extra cars to the Pacific Surfliner, especially during the late summer with the seasonal traffic and the Del Mar races. It's nice that they're addressing the standing room only issue since it left a negative impression on infrequent travelers.

 

[l]

I was a regular rider on the Pacific Surfliner for years until recently, commuting weekly between LA and San Diego. (Now I take the route only once or twice a month.) I have ridden the dome car many times not realizing that it was a special car until I found this forum. I enjoy experiencing non-Surfliner equipment since I rarely ride the other Amtrak routes, and the dome car is one of my favorites.

This morning, Monday 8/9, as I was cycling down the coast highway at Torrey Pines, I witnessed the dome car travelling north-bound as part of train 763.

Most of you regular riders probably already know this, but in recent years Amtrak has been adding extra cars to the Pacific Surfliner, especially during the late summer with the seasonal traffic and the Del Mar races. It's nice that they're addressing the standing room only issue since it left a negative impression on infrequent travelers.

Yes, and what's nice is that usually the extra cars are Superliner coaches!

 

[hmy1]

Yes, and what's nice is that usually the extra cars are Superliner coaches!

Yes, the Superliner coaches have been there for a while (and is my favorite car to sit in unless the cafe car gets substituted). But what I'm referring to are the extended trainsets, such as the 10-car train on 785 the other day. They took the front four cars from one train set and stuck it on the back of a regular 6-car set. Two business cars, two cafe cars, and everybody with a seat. With two cafe cars, the beer did not sell out.