La Posada in Winslow, Arizona, recently acquired a historic Santa Fe Pleasure Dome rail car that will be refurbished to house history exhibits and a guest room.
The rail car will be a part of the next phase of La Posada complex’s Route 66 Art Museum project that begins next month.
La Posada co-owner Allan Affeldt said in a Facebook post the rail car (No. 502 in a series) was built in 1950.
John Sharpe, chef for the hotel’s Turquoise Room restaurant, said in his latest newsletter it is parked on a spur near the historic depot.
A Wikipedia article had some details about the Pleasure Dome cars:
Most dome lounges had two areas: the dome seating area above, and the lounge area below. The Pleasure Domes added a third area: a private dining room named the “Turquoise Room” which was available by reservation only and could seat 12. Newspaper reports of the 1950s noted that these cars constituted “the first private dining room on wheels.” The dome seating area featured parlor car-style swivel chairs. Meals in the Turquoise Room were prepared in an adjoining dining car.
Amtrak acquired a few of these dining cars, but they were taken out of commission by the late 1970s.
Trainweb.org reports the No. 502 Pleasure Dome rail car was named the Plaza Lamy Dome Car.
Streamliner Memories posted several terrific vintage photos of the Santa Fe Pleasure Domes.
Affeldt bought La Posada, built in 1929, during the 1990s and restored it into one of the most popular and praised lodging properties in the Southwest. He also recently completed the purchase of the Plaza Hotel and Hotel Castaneda, both in Las Vegas, New Mexico.
(Image of La Posada’s recently acquired Santa Fe Pleasure Dome rail car via Facebook)