| 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 ordered in September 1952 and delivered between January and March 1954. In 1971 the car was sold to the Auto Train Corporation, renumbered 523 and had the interior rebuilt with 51 coach seats in the dome and a 28 seat club lounge in the lower level. When the Auto Train Corp. folded, #523 was sold at auction to Dick Reynolds of Great Western Tours. The car was named “Redwood Coast” and used on Sierra Western's “North Coast Daylight” excursions on the Northwestern Pacific in California. In 1986 the car was sold to Holland America, 1 of 10 ex-AT&SF full domes that were acquired for operation in Alaska. The car was repainted and outshopped in 1987 as #800124 “Neena”. In 2007 Holland America sold the dome to Iowa Pacific Holdings. The car retained the Alaska service paint scheme but got the original #511 back and was sent to Colorado for service on the Rio Grande Scenic. IPH painted the car in an Illinois Central inspired chocolate and orange in 2011(?) and sent it to the San Luis and Rio Grande named “Scenic View”. Reading and Northern acquired the car at auction in 2022. Weight 180,000 lbs. Information obtained from the website WebLurkersDOMEmain with additions from Ted Brumburg and myself. |