AFFILIATED WEBSITES
A few years ago, some passengers who were enjoying our onboard educational programs suggested that we share additional information about historic passenger train equipment online. There really wasn't space to put this up on our main Midwest Rail Rangers website... so we decided to create a brand new website. That has now branched out to numerous affiliated websites that the Midwest Rail Rangers manages. We hope you will enjoy exploring these pages below.
AmtrakDome.com
Did you know that up until 2019, Amtrak only had one remaining dome car in its entire fleet? And... as of now... there are none left... with the sale of #10031 "Ocean View" to PaxRail (it's now under long-term lease to the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad). The Midwest Rail Rangers created AmtrakDome.com to share the history of "Ocean View", when it was Amtrak's last remaining dome car. The site traces the roots of the car from its mid-1950's Great Northern Empire Builder days... all the way up to the present. (Please note that our organization, nor AmtrakDome.com, are affiliated in any way with Amtrak/National Railroad Passenger Corporation. This site was created for historical information purposes only.)
LoungeCars.com
The Midwest Rail Rangers' newest affiliated website, LoungeCars.com, launched on May 10, 2019, the 150th Anniversary of the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad. This website discusses the origins of lounge and parlour cars in American Railroading... and follows their development through the heavyweight, streamliner, and modern era. Did you know that First Class cars actually originated in England -- and it was not until about 30 years later they came to America? LoungeCars.com features dozens of historical photos that will be guaranteed to peak the interest of every era of railfan. Even thouse who are interested in Amtrak history will enjoy the look at the development of Amtrak's lounge cars over more than 50 years now.
PacificParlourCar.com
One of Amtrak's most special treats was the Pacific Parlour Car... which ran on the Coast Starlight between Los Angeles and Seattle for many years. Did you know these cars actually started operating on the Santa Fe Railway as Hi-Level lounge cars in 1954? PacificParlourCar.com traces the history of the Pacific Parlour Car from their beginnings... all the way through being pulled out of regular Amtrak service in early 2018. Plus, where are these cars now? This site also attempts to keep track of the cars after being sold off by Amtrak in late 2018. This website was originally designed by Anton Lazzaro, who donated the domain to the Midwest Rail Rangers. (Please note that our organization, nor PacificParlourCar.com, are affiliated in any way with Amtrak nor the National Railroad Passenger Corporation. This site was created for historical information purposes only.)
ParkBadges.com
Many children, families... and well, even adults... enjoy collecting Junior Ranger badges and patches from the various local, state, and national parks around the country. Even the Midwest Rail Rangers has it own Junior Rail Rangers program available where you can purchase an activity book and a collectible gold badge. In addition to providing more information about the Junior Rail Rangers program, ParkBadges.com contains our archive of hundreds of junior ranger badges and patches from all over the United States. Use our interactive map to see where you go to earn a badge or patch. This site also highlights the accomplishments of Aida Frey, a teenager who has visited more than 300 National Park Service units. (Please note that our organization, nor ParkBadges.com, are affiliated in any way with the National Park Service or any of the park sites mentioned. This site was created for historical information purposes only.)
ZephyrHistory.com
Some of the most interesting trains to ever pass through the Midwest were the Zephyrs, which belonged to the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy (CB&Q) Railroad. ZephyrHistory.com examines the various Zephyrs, with a special emphasis on the Mark Twain Zephyr, which the Midwest Rail Rangers spent more than two years researching. This website includes special exclusive interviews conducted with family members of entrepreneur Edward Budd -- and CB&Q President Ralph Budd. We will also hear from the children of Albert and Walter Dean, who came up with the actual blueprints for the Burlington Zephyrs.
OTHER DOMAINS CURRENTLY OWNED BY MIDWEST RAIL RANGERS
THAT ARE CURRENTLY FOR SALE INCLUDE:
www.IllinoisTrain.com
www.LookoutPointPark.com
www.WisconsinTrain.com
If you or your organization is interested in purchasing one or more of these valuable domain names, please contact our Board of Directors at board@railrangers.org. All proceeds from their sale will benefit the 501(c)(3) non-profit Midwest Rail Rangers.