Budd Great Dome (AC Units) – Former GN – McKinley Explorer

These are N scale 3D printable files for the Budd Great Dome as modified with roof-mounted air conditioning units — a former Great Northern Railway (GN) Great Dome car that went on to a second career as the McKinley Explorer in scenic tourist railroad service in Alaska after its original Great Northern assignment.

The Budd Great Dome was built by the Budd Company for the Great Northern Railway as one of the three great full-length dome car designs of the postwar streamliner era — alongside the Milwaukee Road's Super Dome and the Santa Fe's Big Dome. The Great Northern's Great Domes served on the flagship Empire Builder between Chicago and Seattle/Portland, providing passengers with panoramic views of Glacier National Park and the Cascade Mountains. After their Great Northern service, the cars were modified for tourist and scenic railroad use — most notably by adding roof-mounted air conditioning units, which give these cars their immediately distinctive modified appearance compared to the as-built Great Dome profile.

As the McKinley Explorer, the former GN Great Dome operated on scenic tourist train service in Alaska, where the full-length dome provided passengers with spectacular panoramic views of the Alaska Range — including Denali (Mount McKinley), North America's highest peak, for which the service was named — and the vast Alaskan interior landscape. The combination of the Great Dome's expansive glass roof and Alaska's dramatic scenery made the McKinley Explorer one of the most scenically spectacular passenger train experiences available anywhere in North America.

See also the companion listing for the Budd Great Dome (As Built) from Out of the Box Models for the same car type in its original Great Northern Empire Builder configuration.

After purchase, your digital files will be available for immediate direct download from your order confirmation. These files are for Personal Use Only — if you are interested in a commercial license, please contact us.

Please allow a few weeks for 3D printing and shipping.