| Strata-Dome | |
|---|---|
 Strata-Dome Moonlight Dome | |
 Interior of one of the Pullman-built Strata-Domes. Note the instrument panel at the front. | |
| In service | 1949–1981 |
| Manufacturer | Pullman-Standard Budd Company |
| Number built | 5 |
| Operators | Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (1949-1971) Seaboard Coast Line Railroad (1969-1971) |
TheStrata-Domes were a fleet of fivestreamlineddome cars operated by theBaltimore and Ohio Railroad ("B&O"). The term referred both to a pair of dome cars constructed byPullman-Standard and threeBudd Company domes the B&O acquired from theChesapeake and Ohio Railway ("C&O"). They were the first dome cars operated in theEastern United States, following on the success of theChicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad's "Vista-Domes" in the west. The cars entered service in 1949 and were all out of regular service by 1981. Several have been preserved.
Pullman-Standard built the two original Strata-Domes. The dome area seated 24, while the lower level contained two lounges and coach seating for 42. To accommodate the lower clearances on railroads in theEastern United States the dome sat lower on the Strata Dome than on other dome cars, 21 inches (530 mm) instead of the standard 28 inches (710 mm).[1]: 39 These cars were numbered 5550 and 5551 and given the namesHigh Dome andSky Dome.[2]: 54 At the front of the car the B&O installed aspeedometer,clock,altimeter, andbarometer.[3]: 145
In December 1950 the B&O acquired three dome-sleepers from the C&O. TheBudd Company had built these cars for theChessie, aWashington, D.C.–Cincinnati, Ohio luxury streamliner which was cancelled before it entered service. Each of these had 24 dome seats, with 3 drawing rooms, 5 roomettes, 1 bedroom in the lower level. The B&O numbered these 7600–7602, with the namesMoonlight Dome,Starlight Dome, andSunlight Dome.[2]: 55
In 1952 the B&O mountedfloodlights on the Strata-Domes to enable viewing the passing scenery at night.[4]
The two original Strata-Domes entered service on the newColumbian, which debuted on May 5, 1949.[1]: 39 They were the first domes in regular service on the East Coast.[5]: 199 The B&O placed the acquired C&O dome-sleepers on theCapitol Limited andShenandoah.[2]: 55 Contemporary advertising referred to "Strata-Dome" service on all three services, despite the mixed origin of the equipment.[6]: 56
In the 1960s the B&O would occasionally lease the three Budd-built dome-sleepers to other railroads, including theAtlantic Coast Line Railroad,Canadian National Railway, andSeaboard Coast Line Railroad.[7] The Atlantic Coast Line used the domes on itsFlorida Special, although operation was limited toRichmond, Virginia–Miami, Florida because of tunnel clearances in Washington. They were the first domes to operate on the Florida route.[8] The Seaboard Coast Line, successor to the Atlantic Coast Line, purchased the three domes from the B&O (along with eight conventional sleeping cars) in September 1969. The domes returned to theFlorida Special.[2]: 83
The B&O modified the two dome coaches to include a snack bar in one of the lower-level lounges. The two cars also operated on other B&O trains such as theCincinnatian. TheHigh Dome, painted blue and lettered "American Railroads 1869–1969", was part of the 1969Golden Spike Centennial Limited to mark the centennial of the first transcontinental railroad in the U.S. Both cars later ran on the finalCapitol Limited run April 30, 1971 when the train was discontinued at the start of Amtrak.
Amtrak acquired all five domes and operated them on various services in the 1970s.High Dome was wrecked in 1975 and scrapped in 1980. Amtrak retired its last,Starlight Dome, in October 1981. The four surviving domes are privately owned.[9][7][10]: 159–162
Rolling stock manufactured by theBudd Company | ||
|---|---|---|
| Streamliners |  | |
| Multiple units | ||
| Passenger stock | ||
Rolling stock manufactured by thePullman Company andPullman-Standard | ||
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| Streamliners |  | |
| Multiple units | ||
| Passenger stock | ||
