--- In BRHSlist@yahoogroups.com, James McKeever <james.mckeever@u...>
wrote:
>
> Bob and all,
>
> This is the first I heard the Walthers Budd dome matches a Q dome!
>
>
>
>
> So a reason for a dome car on a night train!! Can anyone pin down what
> years they ran in the Blackhawk?
As I stated in the previous post, when I rode them in the years 1965
(IIRC) and later, they served beverages out of Chicago (I only rode
them between Chicago and Prairie du Chien)and the waiter said they had
the capability to serve a light breakfast prior to arrival in St. Paul
and Minneapolis. I never saw or experienced what type of meal that
was, but I believe they had a small kitchen/buffet under the dome next
to the short end lounge area. The believe the Walthers car interiors
are correct in this regard.
And yes, the dome passengers rode facing the long end and facing down
the stairs to the coach section. This always bothered me a bit until
the attendant dimmed the lights down a bit once people settled in
departing Chicago. It was my understanding at the time that Silver
Garden and/or Patio were not regular equipment, but would show up
often enough that I experienced at least four trips in them. Also,
riding domes at night along the Mississippi river was interesting.
One was away from most lights for much of the time after Savanna and
you only would see the block signals, lights from towboats in the
navigational channel and then the oscilating light coming on as you
flew through a small river town. If the downstairs lights were dimmed,
you could see the stars from the dome and if there was moonlight, it
was etherial.
As an anecdote: The Blackhawk was an interesting train for me. One
would leave Union Station with sometimes as many as four E units and
several mail and storage cars, some Q coaches and sleepers, some NP
and GN coaches and GN sleeper (never saw any NP sleeping cars the
trips I rode). Once clear of the grade at Halstad St., we would fly
out to Aurora. After a brief station stop, there was more very hot
running along the line only to endure long station stops for mail
unloading at Savanna, East Dubuque and Prairie du Chien. I certainly
learned that running speeds (track speeds) and total running times
were not necessarily the same thing and that mail trains were not
always slowpokes running down the line. Ahhh years ago.
Bob
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