Charls Gendron
- Jul 14, 2023
- 1 min read

Rapido Trains: HO Scale Southern Pacific Dome Lounge Cars

Rapido’s SP Dome Lounge Cars Features:

Designed from original blueprints and field measurements of existing cars
Two fully-detailed interior configurations
Multi-colour interior decoration
Two underbody arrangements
Accurate interior and exterior paint and decoration
Full flicker-free track-powered interior lighting
Lighting (prototypically) in the dome roof
Accurate free-rolling trucks
Metal magnetic knuckle couplers

These cars were introduced into service on the San Joaquin and Shasta Daylights and the Overland, but they later saw wider service. Originally built with fluted side panels, the cars were modified by the SP with slab sides in the 1960s. At least four of these cars lasted into the Amtrak era.

The interiors of the cars featured a bar/lounge on the lower level and one of two different configurations of seating on the upper level. In part because of the varied origins of the donor cars, underbody configurations also changed.

Rapido’s development crew includes a team of firsthand SP Dome Lounge experts, authors, and an actual car owner, providing hands-on research and deep personal experience with the cars since new. The model has been fully designed and includes two different interiors, two underbody arrangements, and either fluted or stepped flat sides!