Great Northern 9410 Vista Dome/Coach

Travel Back in Time: The Evolution and Journey of Historic Railroad Car ‘Great Northern 9410

Brought into existence by the esteemed Budd Company in the year 1955, this railroad car was initially designed for service on the Great Northern’s illustrious train, the “Empire Builder”. The train was christened after James J. Hill, also known as the Empire Builder, who held the position of chief executive at the Great Northern since 1901.

This vista dome/coach car possesses a remarkable seating capacity, accommodating 46 passengers across both levels. As the Burlington Northern Railroad was established in 1970, the car was re-designated as BN 4611, which was followed by yet another renumbering as Amtrak 9471 with the inception of Amtrak in May 1971.

In January 1984, the car received its current designation when it was revamped to source its power from head end power (HEP), thereby becoming Amtrak 9410. Following its retirement from Amtrak in 1995, this car changed hands between various private owners, even having a short tenure on the Alaska Railroad.

Between 2008 and 2012, this car was in operation at the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad, where it received the name “Emerson”. Subsequently, it was sold to Mid-America Railcar Leasing and was leased to the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum (TVRM) in 2012. After TVRM’s lease ended in 2014, the car was repainted with Wabash lettering and renamed “Jackson Square” for service on journeys with the Norfolk & Western 611.

The car was later leased by Iowa Pacific Holdings for a brief stint on the Grenada Railway in Mississippi, after which it was returned. In 2018, while in service with the Orlando & Northwestern Railway in Tavares, Florida, the car was purchased by TVRM and transported to Delano, Tennessee, where it can be seen on all our tours into the picturesque Hiwassee River Gorge.