Observation car

Observation car

Encyclopedia

Tutorials

Encyclopedia

Dictionary

Directory

Email this to a friend Observation_car

Observation car

A heavyweight observation on display at the Illinois Railway Museum.

The streamlined Pullman observation-lounge car Coconino, coupled to a heavyweight sleeper painted in two-tone Pullman grey, brings up the rear of the Chief at La Junta, Colorado on February 27, 1938.

An observation car/carriage/coach (often abbreviated to simply observation) is a type of railroad passenger car, generally operated in a passenger train consist as the last carriage. The cars were nearly universally removed from service on American railroads in the mid-1950s as a cost-cutting measure in order to eliminate the need to ?turn? the trains when operating out of stub-end terminals.

Configuration
History
Industrial design
References
See also

Fictional Observation Cars

External links

Configuration

The main spotting feature was at the tail end of the car: the walls of the car usually were curved together to form a large U shape, and larger windows were installed all around the end of the car. On older cars, the rear end of the car consisted of a large, canopied porch-like area. At this end of the car, there was almost always a lounge where passengers could enjoy the view as they watched the track recede into the distance.

History

When passenger trains were still the preferred mode of intercity transportation in America, observations often were used by those campaigning for public office, especially for the Presidency of the United States. The candidate?s train would pull into town and stop with the observation end at the station, then the candidate would appear on the observation platform to deliver his ?stump speech?. The observation platform made a perfect temporary stage for just such an event. Like political candidates, famous personalities such as members of a royal family or film stars would use the open observation car end as a stage from which they would greet well-wishers and fans during public tours.

<gallery> Image:Lightweight observation interior.jpg|The interior of a typical lightweight observation. An observation's interior could include features of a coach, lounge, diner, or sleeper. Image:Charles Hughes whistle stop 1916.jpg|1916 Republican candidate for President of the United States, Charles Evans Hughes, and his wife shake hands with supporters at Chicago's Union Station. Image:Duke and Duchess of York visit Janesville, WI, September 28, 1941.jpg|The Duke and Duchess of Windsor greet well-wishers from the back of an observation car in Janesville, Wisconsin on September 28, 1941. Image:State Car 4 Royal Tour 1927.jpg|Duke and Duchess of York, the future King George VI and Queen Elizabeth on the balcony of State Car 4 in Victoria, Australia in 1927. Image:California-Zephyr-MaricopaAZ.JPG|A dome/observation of the Burlington Route's California Zephyr on display in Maricopa, Arizona. Image:CMSP&P RR Hiawatha train 1943.jpg|One of the Milwaukee Road?s beavertail observation cars about to leave Chicago Union Station with the Hiawatha in January 1943. Image:Devon Belle Saloon.jpg|One of the former British Pullman Company?s two Devon Belle parlour-observation cars on the Paignton and Dartmouth Steam Railway, 2007-08-26. Image:VIA Passenger Train.jpg|One of Via Rail Canada's former Canadian Pacific Railway Park series dome-observation cars built by Budd in the mid 1950s Image:Tambo Parlor Car.jpg|Victorian Goldfields Railway car ?Tambo?, a preserved former Overland E type? sleeping car converted to a Parlor/Observation Car Image:Kanzelwagen Henschel-Wegmann-Zug 3.jpg|An observation car in Germany. </gallery>

Industrial design

One of the Milwaukee Road?s Skytop Lounge cars brings up the rear of a steam excursion behind Milwaukee Road 261.

While the cars manufactured by companies such as Pullman-Standard conformed to somewhat standard designs, some railroads created their own distinctive designs for observation ends. For example, the Milwaukee Road?s passenger trains were often rounded out with either a ?Skytop Lounge? or a finned ?Beavertail observation? the latter due to noted industrial designer Otto Kuhler. The Milwaukee's observations were easily recognizable as the observation end of the cars were not only rounded, but also slanted toward the front of the car, often with windows extending up from the normal window height to the roofline.

Four railroads bought dome-observation cars from Budd ? the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad, the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad, and the Western Pacific Railroad for use on their joint California Zephyr, and the Canadian Pacific Railway for The Canadian and The Dominion. The WP touted this combination car type as ?the best of both worlds? in passenger amenities.

References

External links

de:Kanzelwagen ja:???

Source: Wikipedia | The above article is available under the GNU FDL. | Edit this article

Observation car

Contents

Configuration

History

Industrial design

References

See also

Fictional Observation Cars

External links