From the Railroad Passenger Car Photos facbook group a few weeks back, apparently this car was part of the Golden Gate Railroad Museum collection at one time, I believe it is the same series as the car Canadian Pacific bought (and restored) from Iowa Pacific a few years back, originally a 1937 P-S coach converted into a dome by SP. Not sure what Portland area entity will eventually be receiving it, ORHC is an option. Pasco is out of the way for a trip from CA to OR, unless one is trying to avoid Union Pacific. Anyway, a cautionary tale. https://www.facebook.com/groups/rr.pass.pics

"Richard Olson, Railroad Passenger Car Photos
July 19
For nearly 3 months now, RPLX (ex SP) 3602 has been stranded in Pasco WA while enroute to the Portland OR area from California.
While BNSF did not send it over the hump as specified, rumors indicate it was damaged in the bowl when being assembled into the end of an outgoing manifest. It makes sense as the damaged end was facing the north (RR east) end of the yard.
Work continues to repair the 1/4-end coupler and frame."

"Here's one surviving piece of the coupler pocket. We are fabricating replacement parts and will be installing them when they're ready." Top photo Richard Olson; bottom photo David Cautley.

Technically not a "full dome" but normally termed "3/4 dome", this is one of two survivors in North America (along with a third reported in Panama) of the unique SP design:

http://trainweb.org/web_lurker/SPf/

The other one languishes in equally, if not more derelict, condition on a back track at the Canon City & Royal Gorge operation.

Isn't the one that was at the Royal Gorge operation the one that was purchased by Canadian Pacific a few years ago and restored for their business train?

Right you are, as it turns out. The multitude of online and hard-copy sources I checked for info on the SP 3/4 domes had not been updated to reflect that sale/rebuild, and there was even some number conflict in some later news reports on that car.

That one is reported to have been SP 3605. After rebuilding by CP it was named Selkirk and received the number CP #3605.

#3602 is privately owned, and will be restored to daylight exterior and interior by the Albany & Eastern Railway in Lebanon Oregon. it just arrived there this week. from what I understand, the car is planned to have its 1955 interior recreated & added with the exception of the top level, as the owner doesn't like the way they used to be configured. what the interior of the top level will look like is unknown to me. also he stated that he wants the car to be pulled by SP #4449 sometime in the future. from what I hear, it will hopefully be Amtrak certified, allowing it to be chartered.

she was built not as a coach, but as a 1937 tavern-coffee shop lounge #10311 for the coast daylight. the car was outshopped in 1955 to convert it to a dome lounge. sold to Amtrak in 1972. The car was sold in 1982 to D Redmond in Bozeman Montana. Then in in 1994 the car was purchased by the Golden Gate Railroad Museum. the car started it's long journey from Montana and eventually and made its way to Portland, where it was stored at the Brooklyn Roundhouse(may it rest in peace) until moved by the now UPRR in 1997. the car arrived and was stored at Naval Point in San Francisco in the GGRM's at the time location awaiting rebuild. But in 2005 the GGRM was forced to vacate Hunter's Point. #3602 was sold to John Clark & moved to Commerce CA. Eventually acquired by it's new owner. now the car is in Lebanon to finally be rebuilt and in daylight colors.

sources:

http://www.trainweb.org/web_lurker/SPf/
https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/ ... 11,5655524
as well as a witness to the car's arrival: Zach B.

Please keep us updated on the progress if possible, photos would be great.

And I think back on that Milwaukee Road dome (which seemed to be in halfway decent shape) that got scrapped at Western Junction WA several few years ago...

very interesting. I find all the full domes pretty fascinating.
What was typically on the lower level?

There is another SP 3/4 dome that doesn't seem to have been mentioned. It is the 3604 that was rescued from the IPH Bankruptcy. It was from the former Minnesota Zephyr Dinner Train operation.

The SP 7/8 domes (as some call them) are not bi-level. Legend has it that the overall height was limited to fit through tunnels, but no one really knows. The B end of the car has a bar and lounge at the normal car level. This leads to steps up to the mezzanine. The arrangement of the space up there had at least two different floor plans. The 3605 had/has U shaped couches that face out toward the windows. The plans we have for the 3602 are a mix of tables and love seats up top. The bar end feels like a cathedral with the dome glass high above.

If you have a chance to see the CPKC dome, do it. It is an amazing piece of work; and being an executive service car has interior finish that is really spectacular.

While we are doing some dismantling at the Albany & Eastern in Lebanon, OR, the rebuild project will be located in Independence, OR. We don't know yet when that move will be made. The work will take several years.

The vertical geography of the car is not bad at all; the space under the dome area can hold a lot of HVAC and electrical equipment.

There will be progress reports on a couple of media places, and even here if y'all are interested.

David Cautley
Small Fortune Railcar, LLC

Who owns the car right now?

Per the previous post, owner is Small Fortune Railcar, i.e. myself.

-David

Will you lease it to the Albany & Eastern?