Skyline series

The Skyline series is a fleet of 18 lightweight streamlined dome-buffet-lounge cars built by the Budd Company for the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1954–55. Via Rail acquired the fleet from the Canadian Pacific in 1978 and the cars remain in active service.

This article is about the railway car. For the guitar, see Lakland § Skyline Series.
Skyline series
A Skyline dome on the Canadian at Jasper in 2006
In service1954–present
ManufacturerBudd
Constructed1954–55
Number built18
Number in service16
Capacity
  • 73 (original)
  • 48 (current)
Operator(s)
Specifications
Car body constructionStainless steel
Car length85 feet (26 m)
Width10 feet 3⁄8 inch (3.058 m)
Height15 feet 10 inches (4.83 m)
Weight146,100 pounds (66,300 kg)
Notes
[1]

Design

The cars were constructed of stainless steel; save for a Tuscan red letterboard bearing the name "Canadian Pacific" they were unpainted. The cars were dubbed "Skyline" and numbered 500–517 but did not carry individual names. In their original configuration the cars had three separate sections: the dome seating area, a second seating area on the lower level, and a lounge area. The dome area sat 24. On the lower level, there was a 26-seat passenger area. Behind that was a small kitchen and small buffet area. At the end of the car was the "Skyline Coffee Shop", a 17-seat buffet area with "curved settees, banquette seats and tables."[1]

In 1982 Via eliminated the lower-level passenger section and small buffet area, replacing them with a dining room and snack bar, respectively.[2]

Operation

Budd delivered 18 Skyline cars for the Canadian Pacific in 1954–55 as part of a massive 173-car order which equipped the new transcontinental Canadian and re-equipped the Dominion.[1][3] The Delaware and Hudson Railway leased two cars from the Canadian Pacific in 1974 for use on Amtrak's new Adirondack. The D&H repainted the cars in blue and yellow.[4][5] Via Rail acquired the entire fleet from Canadian Pacific in 1978. As of 2015 16 remain on the roster.[6]

See also

References
  1. "The 50th Anniversary of the CPR Stainless Steel Passenger Fleet" (PDF). Canadian Rail (503): 211–223. November–December 2004.
  2. Greenlaw, Christopher C. N. (2007). VIA Rail. Saint Paul, MN: MBI. p. 23. ISBN 9780760325292. OCLC 71286639.
  3. Murray, Tom (2011). Rails Across Canada: The History of Canadian Pacific and Canadian National Railways. Minneapolis, MN: Voyageur Press. pp. 125–126. ISBN 978-0-7603-4008-0.
  4. "Waybills" (PDF). Canadian Rail (274): 345–346. November 1974.
  5. Amtrak (August 5, 2014). "Celebrating 40 Years of the Adirondack". Retrieved 2014-08-05.
  6. "Service cars - Skyline dome car". Via Rail. Retrieved 7 February 2015.
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