Under the DOME
PHOTO: KEVIN BURKHOLDER
T
HE DOME CAR EXPERIENCE.
The Great Dome car offers a unique
way to travel during the fall months, taking you
between Albany and Montreal. With upper level windows
on all sides and overhead, you have panoramic views of the
changing foliage, complemented by Lake Champlain views.
Providing a more in-depth experience, volunteers from the
National Park Service Trails and Rails program are aboard select
trips to offer narration and commentary. The program is entering
its 16th year.
MEET THE VOLUNTEERS. For the past four years, Nelson
Carpenter has been one of those green-shirted volunteers. “I’ve
always been a rail fan, beginning very early when I often accompanied my father, an Amtrak brakeman, on trips through New York
State,” he says. “The railroad was in my blood.”
Volunteers have to take training sessions, and be able to put in
a full day on the rails. But most of all, they need to enjoy meeting
people.
Nelson certainly does. “I enjoy it all; the train trip itself, my
fellow volunteers, and especially meeting so many folks, often
from distant lands, who are excited about their travels. On virtually
every trip I’ve met at least one Australian and many, many Brits.”
Joe LaLumia coordinates the 45 Trails and Rails volunteers for
the Adirondack and Maple Leaf lines. He says there are at least
two on each trip, ready to share information on geographical
points of interest, history, flora and fauna, and even the train itself.
SCENERY + STORIES. Nelson, Joe, and the other volunteers all
bring their own individual narrative styles based on their personal
knowledge. For Nelson, it’s military history and tactics that color
his discussions on the Battles of Saratoga, Lake Champlain, and
Amtrak.com
It’s a popular annual tradition, along
one of the most scenic train routes in
America. As the fall leaves begin
to change color in New York’s
northernmost towns, Amtrak
returns its Great Dome Car
to service for a limited run
on the Adirondack line.
Ticonderoga. He
always talks about
Benedict Arnold.
“Many don’t know the whole story about
General Arnold,” he says. “At the Battle of Saratoga,
often called the turning point in the war, he led the soldiers to
victory, notwithstanding the fact he was shot in the leg during
battle. Many believe that had Arnold died that day, he’d be
honored instead of remembered as a traitor.”
Often, he will point out wildlife, especially the bald eagles.
Sometimes, the views speak for themselves, especially when the
train circles the narrow cliffs on the northern portion of the journey.
ABOUT THE GREAT DOME CAR. Car number 10031—also known
as the Great Dome Car—is the only remaining dome car in Amtrak
service. It was built in 1955 by the Budd Company for the Great
Northern Railway, with car number 1391 and name “Ocean View.”
Amtrak took ownership of it in 1971, giving it the number 9361.
Following renovations in 1985, it was renumbered 9300, and
used in daily service on the Amtrak Auto Train through 1994. It was
further refurbished in 1999, renumbered to 10031, and has since
been used in various Amtrak services, including the Pacific
Surfliners and other charters and excursions.
Fall 2016 dates for the Dome Car service on the Adirondack
line will be announced this summer on Amtrak.com.
—Traci Suppa
New York By Rail | 57