| Built in 1954 by Budd in Lot #9646-129 as AT&SF full dome #511, with 57 coach seats and 18 lounge seats in the dome; and a 28 seat lounge and nurse's room on the lower level. The #511 was 1 of 8 such full domes built in that Lot, which was ordered in September 1952; cars were delivered between January and March 1954. In 1971, these cars were not acquired by Amtrak, as Santa Fe's asking price was too high. Instead, 7 of the 8 cars were sold to the Auto Train Corporation as #520-#524 and #540-#541, #511 as #523, with 51 coach seats in the dome and a 28 seat club lounge in the lower level. AT&SF retained #506, which was renumbered in 1974 to #60, and is now BNSF #31 BAY VIEW. When the Auto Train Corp. folded, #523 was sold at auction to Dick Reynolds, one of the partners in Great Western Tours. The #523, with the name REDWOOD COAST, saw use on Sierra Western's NORTH COAST DAYLIGHT excursions on the NWP. In 1986, the #523 was sold to Holland America Westours, 1 of 10 ex-AT&SF full domes that were acquired for operation in Alaska. The car was outshopped in 1987 as #800124 NENANA. Westours sold the car in 2007 to Iowa Pacific as SLRG #511 SCENIC VIEW. For more info, see Phil Dohmen's website: http://www.trainweb.org/web_lurker/WebLurkersDOMEmain/. 1 of 3 Iowa Pacific cars parked at King Street Station. EXIF: 9:41 AM, f/3 @ 1/200, ISO-100 |