Super Dome #53Became CN 2401 "Athabasca" (1/65), CN 2701 (4/74), VIA 2701 (3/78), retired 6/82 to Great Western Tours thru J Baldwin, rebuilt by Robert Bauman/Milwaukee Rail Car Corp for Rail Travel Associates (RTAX) (2/83) - repainted in full MILW RD colors as # 53 (8/84), Golden Arrow Janesville WI (1985), "donated" to Mid Continent Railway Museum North Freedom WI (never went there), sold thru Milwaukee Rail car in 1985 to C&NW 421 "Powder River", 1995 to UPRR - unused except for "OLS" and excursion use, 1996 to NCDOT 400301 "Mount Mitchell", in service on Amtrak's "Piedmont" (but not rostered by Amtrak) (1999), but was not used in service in 2000. An FRA inspector ruled that if the car derails and goes on its side the passengers in the dome have no emergency exit from the dome. NCDOT is currently trying to retrofit pop-out window emergency exits in the dome. Currently the car is in the fenced-in and secure Capital Yard where NCDOT keeps nearly all their equipment safe and secure from vandals and stone-tossing urchins.
5/2001 report that car has now had emergency exits added and returned to service June 2001. FRA subsequently ruled that lack of vestibules made the car "unsafe" for emergency egress and car was again pulled from service and is for sale. Click here to go to the NCDOT's Rail page. |
