C.N.R. Mount Resplendent #15097

This railcar was originally built as a sleeper for the Canadian Government Railways in 1912 by the Pullman Company of Chicago, Illinois. In 1920, when the C.G.R. was absorbed into the newly amalgamated Canadian National Railway, this car was refurbished and renamed Mount Resplendent. In 1929 it was fully rebuilt as a mountain observation car with extensive windows, comfortable interior seating and large open platforms at each end.

The earliest mountain observation cars were completely open units that ran as the last car in the consist. Offering a 360-degree view, they were very popular with the travelling public and were a photographer’s delight. During the days of coal-fired steam locomotives, passengers had to take cover in another car to avoid eating smoke and cinders whenever the train entered a tunnel. This problem was partially solved with the introduction of partially enclosed cars like the Mount Resplendent.

Mountain observation cars were phased out with the introduction of fully enclosed streamlined dome cars in the 1950s.