In fact as well as in name, as any railfan would tell you. American Orient Express full-dome lounge "New Orleans" was in the AOE shops at Western Junction, Wash. between runs. The Budd Company built it in 1955 as "Great Dome" #1392 "Mountain View" for the Great Northern Railway's "Empire Builder".

It was on its fourth owner and seventh color scheme -- Great Northern orange/green and "Big Sky Blue", Burlington Northern green, three variations of Amtrak platinum mist with red, white and blue striping (as #9301 and as #10030), and now AOE's blue, cream, gold and grey.

It was one of Amtrak's last three domes, serving in California corridor service and on special event trains along the West Coast when Amtrak sold it and sister #9302 (CB&Q #1395 "River View", now the "Copper Canyon") to AOE in 2001. Sister #10031 is now Amtrak's last dome car in service.

Photographed by Thomas McCann, July 31, 2005.
Added to the photo archive by Thomas McCann, December 6, 2006.
Railroad: American Orient Express.

Thomas McCann's awards:

» Contact the person who posted this photograph.