The Washington D.C. Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society (DCNRHS) will offer a Memorial Day Weekend excursion from Roanoke / Lynchburg to Washington D.C. aboard their restored heavyweight Pullman passenger railroad car, Dover Harbor.
This classic 1930s Pullman rail car is now operated in private car service on Amtrak trains by DCNRHS to provide the public the opportunity to experience rail travel in the first class style and comfort of the heyday of American railroads.
Dover Harbor will depart at 8:40 am on Saturday, May 26, 2018, from Roanoke and call at Lynchburg’s Kemper Street Amtrak Station on its way to Washington, D.C. After an overnight layover in the Nation’s Capital, Dover Harbor will head southward in the late afternoon on Sunday, May 27, for an evening return to Lynchburg and Roanoke. Round trip fares for this trip are $239.00 per person.
En route, beverages, snacks and light meals, which are included in the fare, will be served by white jacketed waiters in the Pullman tradition of excellent service. Passengers are responsible for arranging their own lodging in the Washington D.C. area. For more information on this trip, please email the Dover Harbor reservations agent at [email protected] or call 202-627-6978 or visit the Trips Section of the Chapter web page at www.dcnrhs.org.
Dover Harbor will utilize the Amtrak Regional trains to Roanoke started last fall for this trip, traveling along the scenic Central Virginia route through the Virginia cities and towns of Lynchburg, Charlottesville, Culpeper, Orange and Manassas. This route is over the historic Southern Railway main line to Atlanta, now owned and operated by Norfolk Southern Corporation.
Today, Dover Harbor is the last of the Pullman Company’s fleet of over 8,000 revenue service heavyweight passenger rail cars still in its original configuration and able to operate across the United States. The car was constructed by the Pullman Company in Chicago in 1923, and rebuilt to the current six double bedroom-buffet-lounge configuration in 1934. It served in first class Pullman service on regularly scheduled passenger trains until 1966, ending its career on the Montrealer between Washington D.C. and Montreal, Quebec.
DCNRHS purchased the car in 1979, and since then members have worked to restore the car to its 1934 appearance. The car’s mechanical systems have been modernized, and Dover Harbor is currently certified for travel on Amtrak trains for speeds up to 110 MPH.
Dover Harbor has sleeping accommodations for ten persons, or can accommodate up to twenty-four passengers in its spacious lounge on day trips. The car is also available for private charter to destinations served by Amtrak across the United States including New York, Florida, the Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, Florida, Glacier National Park, and the West Coast. For more information on the car, please see www.doverharbor.com.
