Princess Tours
Princess Tours is an Alaskan sightseeing passenger car service owned by P&O Princess Cruises and operated by its Rail Division. Princess Tours runs ten cars a day (five north, five south) from Anchorage to Fairbanks on the Alaska Railroad, stopping at Talkeetna, Denali, and occasionally Whittier. Each consist of five cars is manned by a crew of 32 people.
Car History
In 1982, a man named Thomas Rader started the cruise operation “Alaska Tour Operators.” The operation was renamed “Tour Alaska” the following year in conjunction with the purchase of four ex-MILW superdomes. These cars held 60 passengers each, featuring fine dining onboard.
In 1986, P&O Princess Cruises purchased Tour Alaska, and in 1988 replaced the four superdome cars with four ultradome cars. These are the cars in use today. The cars came in pairs and shared a kitchen which cooked for the dining rooms downstairs. In 1992, Princess Tours commissioned two new cars to be built, which were introduced for the 1993 season. These cars, as well as the cars built in 1996 and 1999, are all self contained and can operate independently from the others, unlike the earlier cars.
Railcar Classifications
| Number | Style | Seating | Built |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7080 | Coach/Kitchen | 88/32 | 1988 |
| 7081 | Coach/Obs | 84/32 | 1988 |
| 7082 | Coach/Kitchen | 88/32 | 1988 |
| 7083 | Coach/Obs | 84/32 | 1988 |
| 7084 | Coach/Kitchen | 88/32 | 1992 |
| 7085 | Coach/Kitchen | 88/32 | 1992 |
| 7086 | Coach/Kitchen | 88/32 | 1996 |
| 7087 | Coach/Kitchen | 88/32 | 1996 |
| 7088 | Coach/Kitchen | 88/32 | 1999 |
| 7089 | Coach/Kitchen | 88/32 | 1999 |