Kato Union Pacific Dome Lounge Mid Train Conversion.

[Nato]

              Just some comments about the very nice conversion Bill did to creat the midtrain lounge version of UP's dome lounge cars. I'am sure he is aware of the unique fins (air deflectors) the railroad installed on their dome car roofs. These ribs are (would be hard to model). All the photographic evidence I have (books) and web sites such as the the Web Lurkers Domeain show the raiload installed these fins before the lounge cars were converted to mid-train use.Several books have a photo of the City Of ST. Louis train in Wyoming showing the last car still an observation rear car with the fins. One photo on the Lurker Web Site shows a car converted to mid-train service photographed on the Chocago & North Western (just before the switch to Milwaukee Road with the tear drop shaped side marker lamps still in place. This confirms what I remember from a 1958 trip East on the COLA  where one of the mid-train dome lounge cars (do not remember if it was Eastbound or Westbound) had the side markers still on the car. Information on the cars says that some were used on the LA Challenger,but I have never seen any photos of a car with a Challenger Tail Sign,only a promotional brocheur on the train a head on view on a curve with a dome obs car on the rear. Several photos however on the Web Lurkers site of rear ends of cars with City Of ST. Louis tail signs,two different versions with the lighted lettering arranged differently also the frame around the signs,leading me to conclude Challenger Tail Signs were quickly removed and St. Louis signs fabricated from the frames of the original signs. Two of the Business/Excursion fleet dome lounge cars  "Harriman" and "Walter Dean" have had extra fins added on what would be the rear roof since these cars are operated in either direction. Also car "City Of San Francisco" re configured back to an obs car lacks the fins, since they were removed when it was  used on a dinner train. In closing, Bill still did a wonderful conversion and his yellow color match to the  Kato Color is great. Nate Goodman (Nato).

[jmlaboda - RIP]

I hate to say it but I feel like you started in the middle of a story and not the start of it... where can a person see Bill's model?

[up1950s]

I hate to say it but I feel like you started in the middle of a story and not the start of it... where can a person see Bill's model?

The City of Los Angeles Dome-Lounge-Observation didn't last long as built. They were rebuilt for mid-train Dome-Lounge service and I modified a spare Kato car to reflect these changes.

[skytop35]

Nate,

Thanks for the kind words about my conversion. I would have modeled the roof fins but as you point out they would be very difficult and I wasn't sure what year they were added. Didn't realize they were added before the conversion to mid-train use. In any case, with any luck you will be able to read about my conversion in the next NSR. Here's an in service photo of my model.

[up1950s]

Also some UP domes that went to Autotrain and had their roofs de-finned , when they went back to the UP , UP re-finned some , all , or none of them IIRC . Like very many things the qualifier to the thought ( what did it look like ) is WHEN .

[Nato]

               Bill, That is a very nice inservice view. I guess I should have mentioned the photo was in last week's Weekend Update. Nate Goodman (Nato).

[Bob Bufkin]

I know what you mean by fins and have seen photos of them.  My question, what were were they used for - A/C?

[up1950s]

I know what you mean by fins and have seen photos of them.  My question, what were were they used for - A/C?

I have read that they are called buffers , and they shed roof water from dirtying up the dome windows .

[Sokramiketes]

I have read that they are called buffers , and they shed roof water from dirtying up the dome windows .

That might be the first explanation I've heard that makes sense.  Thanks, Richie.