Ride In Style in the Silver Club Domecar #250
Passengers in First Class enjoy their ride in the “Silver Club” dome-lounge car, built in 1948 for a famous train called “The California Zephyr.” Today on The Two Harbors Turn, you can get a taste of this golden age of travel, as you enjoy a relaxing ride in the unique vantage point of the dome.
A car attendant brings light snacks throughout the ride, including a full selection of beer and wine (2 beverages included). Meanwhile, a modern speaker system narrates the tour throughout the trip.
Your First Class ticket is for exclusive use of the entire Silver Club Dome Car. It includes your seat in the vista dome, which seats 24 people, and that is why only 24 tickets are sold for each trip. If you wish to expand your private railcar experience, you can also enjoy one of three unique comfy lounge areas on the lower level of the car. Also downstairs you’ll find two restrooms with hot/cold running water, a galley, and two roomettes (used as storage areas). Your personal service from our car attendant follows you wherever you choose to sit and enjoy your ride. All First Class passengers have access to the rest of the train and going on an exploratory walk is encouraged.
First Class Dome Car Seats in the Silver Club are $74.00 per person on the Two Harbors Turn, and are available on almost every excursion , which operates weekends in the summer and fall. The SkyView Domecar operates on the Duluth Zephyr excursion which is a shorter trip that stays in Duluth.
Families with children are welcome in First Class. Due to the limited space, all passengers, including babies, are required to purchase a ticket for first class (ages 2 and under are free in coach). We request youngsters be made mindful of the First Class expectations of other passengers and behave accordingly at the direction of their parents for the comfort and enjoyment of everyone. Children are to be supervised at all times during the ride.
The Two Harbors excursion operates from the Depot in Downtown Duluth, and travels through Canal Park, along the lakeshore, through Congdon Park, through the North Woods, past Knife River, and finally arrives in Two Harbors where you have about 2 hours to tour around and explore the town.
In addition, the Silver Club Dome is available for private charter. It is not uncommon for larger groups to “buy out” the entire first-class excursion ride at a discount rate. For more information call 218-733-7594 for private charter information.
History of the Silver Club Dome Car:
Originally built in 1948 by the Budd Company for the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad’s “California Zephyr,” Car #250 was named the Silver Club. It was originally a dome-lounge-dormitory. One of the current lounges was once a bunk-bead area for the crew.
The car later made its way to Amtrak and eventually then private ownership. After a major renovation project which ran from 2012-2016, the car now operates daily on the North Shore Scenic Railroad.
One of the unique places on the original Silver Club was the Cable Car Room themed after San Francisco’s famous cable cars. Imagine this room today as a tribute to Duluth’s Incline Railway, replacing one “City by the Bay” with another, looking down Duluth’s hillside vista to the Areal Lift Bridge and Lake Superior beyond.
