17 Jun 2012 01:14
Skyline cars under CP operation
I am hoping that someone can help answer some questions about the Skyline cars while under CP operation. My understanding is that VIA took over the operation of CP non-commuter passenger trains in October 1978 (or was it 1979?) so my questions would pertain to prior to that time. Perhaps the article by Doug Smith in the 1995 Canadian Rail Passenger Yearbook mentioned by Tom Box in post 68465 would contain many of these answers and I need to get a copy of that. As I understand it the Skyline dome cars, as received from the Budd Co., were of uniform configuration. They contained a coach section with 26 seats, a coffee shop section at the base of the dome stairs, a small kitchen, and a dome section. At some point there were modifications to some of the Skyline cars as follows: 1. The original dome seats on at least two Skyline cars used on the Atlantic Limited were removed and replaced with "walkover" seat backs which could be flipped to avoid having to turn the cars at the terminals, esp. in Saint John. My understanding is that the cars with these modifications lasted until VIA took over the operation of the Atlantic and I assume at some point this seating was replaced by VIA. 2. On some Skyline cars used on the CP eastern trains, the coach seating was removed and replaced with some type of parlor car seating which I understand was loose seating and not fixed swivel seats found on many typical parlor cars. It is unclear to me whether the parlor seating in the Skylines was ever sold as revenue seating or if this was treated as non-revenue lounge seating. I recall some of these Skylines being used on the Atlantic in the early 1970s. 3. On some Skyline cars the coach seating was removed and dining room tables and chairs were installed. In post 68391, Don Thomas indicated that in the late 1960s the Canadian would sometimes have two Skylines in the summer and apparently one retained its coach seating and the other had dining room seating. The 1974 consists of the Canadian posted by Don Thomas in post 56358 shows at least one Skyline diner on the Canadian but the other consists appear to have Skyline coaches. Of the three modifications which I have mentioned above, which took place first and second? Were any of the parlor seating or dining room modifications reversed back to coach seating or once made did the cars remain that way until they went to VIA? At the time VIA took over the operation of CP trains, how many Skylines remained with coach seating, how many had parlor seating and how many had dining room seating? Was there ever a time in the operation of the CP Canadian when the Skyline cars were regularly used as the sole meal service cars on the train? I recall in the late 1970s there was a time when the size of the CP Canadian shrunk considerably in the off season and I wonder if even the dining car was cut out then. I found it interesting that a 1954 CP brochure titled "Scenic Domes - Another Canadian Pacific First in Canada" does not use the term "Skyline" car. They are called in the brochure "Deluxe Scenic Dome Coffee Shop Coaches." In a diagram of the car, the coffee shop section is labelled "Skyline coffee shop" but the "Skyline" name was evidently not then given to the car itself. The Park cars were called "Scenic Dome Lounge Sleepers." Thanks very much for any help with these questions. Lyman Holmes ------------------------------------ For help, send an email to Canadian-Passenger-Rail-help@...! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Canadian-Passenger-Rail/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Canadian-Passenger-Rail/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: Canadian-Passenger-Rail-digest@... Canadian-Passenger-Rail-fullfeatured@... <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: Canadian-Passenger-Rail-unsubscribe@... <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
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