Configuration
A portion of the car, usually in the center of the car offset towards one end, is split between two levels. This resulted in the floorplan having a "long end" and a "short end" on the main level. Stairs would go up to the dome and down to the lower level. The lower level below the dome usually contained the car's restrooms or a small lounge area, while the upper portion was usually coach or lounge seating within a "bubble" of glass on the car's roof. Passengers in the upper portion of the dome were able to see in all directions from a vantage point above the train's roofline.
Union Pacific Railroad operated dome dining cars. These cars had a kitchen in the "short end", with a pantry in half the space under the dome. The other half of the space under the dome was a private dining room for small groups. Between the pantry and kitchen there was a dumbwaiter to transfer items between the kitchen and the dining area in the dome portion of the car. The "long end" was the main dining area.
Northern Pacific Railway operated dome sleeping cars. The cars had 4 bedrooms in the "long end", 4 roomettes in the "short end" and 4 duplex single rooms under the dome.
The Wabash Railroad and Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad operated dome parlour cars for first class day service.
Some railroads have (had) dome observation cars used usually at the rear of the train. These cars have a dome on top of the car with a rounded rearend "observation" section (on the main floor) where passengers can sit and look out at the receding scenery. These cars often have additional sleeping compartments under the dome and/or in the "short end" as well as a bar and/or additional lounge spaces. The original California Zephyr, operated in part by the Burlington (C,B&Q), referred to its car of this type as a Vista-Dome dormitory-buffet-lounge-observation, which had 1 drawing room and 3 double bedrooms as well as a dome and observation area. Also, Canadian Pacific outfitted its 1955 version of the Canadian passenger trains with dome observations, and VIA Rail still uses them on some of its modern streamlined trains including on the Canadian. Since 2010, VIA has undertaken $22 million in renovations, which has resulted in enlarged, enhanced sleeping compartments in its dome observation cars. Union Pacific has at least one dome observation it uses on its vintage streamlined fleet.
Read more about this topic: Dome Car