By Justin Franz 

BEECH GROVE, Ind. — A relic from the golden age of passenger railroading has been saved. Amtrak’s Ocean View, the last full-length dome car used in intercity passenger service in the United States, has been purchased by Paxrail and is expected to return to service in 2021. 

The 92-seat passenger car was built by the Budd Company in 1955 and ran for 63 years. Amtrak used it on a number of trains, including the Adirondack and Downeaster, during the fall until it was retired in 2018. Amtrak put it up for sale last year. At the time, Amtrak officials said the car had become too expensive to maintain. 

“We’re excited to now be a chapter in this wonderful car’s history,” said Paxrail President James Evenson. “The Ocean View is a beautiful art-deco car offering a spectacular panorama for over 70 passengers in the dome. We’re looking forward to welcoming guests back aboard in 2021.”

Paxrail maintains a fleet of more than 20 historic passenger cars and provides the cars for excursions, day trips and corporate events. Evensen said the public will have multiple opportunities to ride Ocean View next year, adding that additional details will be available in the coming weeks and months. 

The Ocean View was one of six full-length domes built for the Great Northern Railway and Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad for use on the Empire Builder between Chicago and Seattle. The Santa Fe and Milwaukee Road also had full-length domes. All six cars were later acquired by Amtrak and were used on the Empire Builder until 1979 when they were replaced by Superliners. A few of the cars were used on Auto Train in the 1980s and 1990s. For more information follow Paxrail on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.