Chesapeake & Ohio Cars were ordered from Budd and delivered in 1948 for the "Chessie", which was cancelled before it started. Ordered were 3 mid-train sleeper domes and 3 dome - coach - observation - lounge tail end cars. They were lower profile than other domes due to eastern clearance, had both curved and flat glass, and were the only domes ever built with forward canted "streamlined" windows.

In 1949 the 3 round-end observation domes went to "Royal Gorge" service on the DRGW, who added diaphragms to enable mid-train service and replaced the lounge with coach seats. The 3 sleeper domes were assigned names for Pullman service which were not applied and were later sold to B&O, where they received different names which were actually applied. They were later sold to Seaboard for use on the "Florida Special"

C&O 1850 "Belle Isle Dome" (Pullman Corp - not applied), B&O 7600 "Moonlight Dome" (12/50), ACL (lease 12/65-4/66) for Richmond-Miami "Florida Special", CN #647 (lease 5/66-3/68) for "Expo '67", SCL (lease 7/68), SCL 6800 (purchase 7/69), sold 1970 to Hamburg Industries Augusta SC - refurbished and leased back to SCL (with Hamburg Ind ownership plates), Amtrak 9200 (1971), retired 10/77 - sold 10/78 to Building Leasing Corp, sold by estate to Tom Johnson/Rail Dome Corp (1981), Kasten Railcar (1984), Winchester Mining Corp Peach Creek WV (800203) (1986) - rebuilt at Northern Rail Car (1987), Luis Caceres/FBX Aviation (9/99) - rebuilt at Avalon Railcar. Moved to Lancaster & Chester Railway Lancaster SC 10/04. Sold 9/07 to Promontory Chapter NRHS

C&O 1851 "Chamberlin Dome" (Pullman Corp - not applied), B&O 7601 "Starlight Dome" (12/50), ACL (lease 12/65-4/66) for Richmond-Miami "Florida Special", CN #648 (lease 5/66-3/68) for "Expo '67", SCL (lease 7/68), SCL 6801 (purchase 7/69), sold 1970 to Hamburg Industries Augusta SC - refurbished and leased back to SCL (with Hamburg Ind ownership plates), Amtrak 9201 (1971), retired 10/81 - fire damage to first bedroom in "Old Mexico" yards at Los Angeles 11/81, American GK/Paul McKeehan (8/84) Canoga Park CA rebuilt with end windows on the non-vestibule end as well as wrap-around fluting as the "Starlight Romance" - in Tustin CA for mechanical work to be completed by Bill Hatrick. Moved early 2006 to storage in Saugus CA.

C&O 1852 "Hampton Roads Dome" (Pullman Corp - not applied) - acquired by B&O 7602 "Sunlight Dome" (12/50), ACL (lease 12/65-4/66) for Richmond-Miami "Florida Special", CN #649 (lease 5/66-3/68) for "Expo '67", SCL (lease 7/68), SCL 6802 (purchase 7/69), sold 1970 to Hamburg Industries Augusta SC - refurbished and leased back to SCL (with Hamburg Ind ownership plates), Amtrak 9202 (1971), retired 10/77 - sold to Building Leasing Corp (12/77), sold by estate 3/78 to the "Union Station Venture Group" for planned rebuilding of the St. Louis MO station. This group (based in Salt Lake City) went bankrupt, and the car was sold to Bill Ross Park City UT along with several other ex Amtrak cars and moved there for use in a RR theme restaurant. While the cars were stored there, vandals released the brakes and allowed the cars to roll down a hill and ride up a bumper post (this car unfortunately was the "lead" car). After development plans fell through car was sold to an individual in Pocotello ID for use as a RR theme museum at a truck stop. The deal did not include the car's now bent truck sets, and after being trucked up there from Utah the car was placed on stacked RR ties. The car was fine until fate dealt her another blow (literally) as a strong wind storm pushed the car off the ties and on the ground canted at a 45 degree angle. In 1984 the car was sold to Bret Hall/Falcon Car shops Falcon CO for planned restoration for use on the (then operating) Cadillac & Lake City RY which had moved their operations from Cadillac MI to Limon CO. The car was deemed too expensive to repair and after operations ceased in 1988 the car was "on the road again" this time to RCR Incorporated/Portland OR having been purchased during 1990 by John Kirkwood/SFO/Rail Ventures. There the car was deemed (again) too expensive to repair and was (again) sold 10/98 to Illinois Transit Assembly becoming ITAX1852 where it remained at their East St. Louis IL facility (back to St. Louie again!). Car sold 7/2000 to Katherine Schultz/PAX Rail of CA - car remaining at ITA for restoration.

C&O 1875 became D&RGW 1248, converted to mid-train use (1949) and lounge replaced by coach seats (1953 & 1965), Autoliner (1970), Butterworth Tours "Big Ben" (1970), leased to CRI&P for "Quad Cities Rocket", leased to Golden Arrow, Minnetonka Zephyr Dinner Train, Frank Dowd, donated to C&O Historical Society (1995) (car was thought to be C&O 1876 until a 1993 rebuild uncovered the correct number). Car has had mid-train diaphragm removed and interior converted back into lounge. Sold to Chuck Crisler 11/02. Sold to Ben Butterworth late 2005/early 2006.

C&O 1876 became DRGW 1249, converted to mid-train use (1949) and lounge replaced by coach seats (1953 & 1965), Autoliner (1970), Root Company "Silver Holly". Donated by the estate to Daytona Beach Museum of Science & Technology (1998) - moved to museum 12/2000 to an indoor display - open to public viewing beginning Oct/Nov 2001.

C&O 1877 became DRGW 1250, converted to mid-train use (1949) and lounge replaced by coach seats (1953 & 1965), Autoliner 200 "Linoma" (1970) (named after a lake between Lincoln & Omaha), leased to Amtrak (1972/73), Amtrak 9384 (1974), 1976-sold to Hilton Corp for Chattanooga ChooChoo Hotel - car used as a pinball car and hotel room - sold to Holiday Inn in 1984, Tennessee Valley RR Museum (1994), Ben Butterworth/Illinois Transit Assembly (1996), to Henry Hillman/Oregon Rail Corp/American Orient Express/Montana Rockies Rail Tours (11/99) - sent for restoration at ITA. Sold 3/05 to Mid America Railcar Leasing (unrestored) - car remaining at ITA. Sold to un-named party 2006.

Please e-mail us any additional info or corrections. Additional info: Roy Wullich, PTJ, (*=Hawkins & Hall Architects - Daytona Beach)