Princess Tours
Encyclopedia
Princess Tours is an Alaska
n 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.
The largest cruise and tour operator in Alaska, Princess Tours gives travelers the opportunity to combine a Gulf of Alaska cruise with the interior of Alaska. The “land” portion of the cruisetours include Anchorage, Denali National Park, Copper River, the Kenai Peninsula, Prudhoe Bay, the Arctic villages of Nome and Kotzebue and the Canadian Yukon.
Princess Tours also owns and operates five wilderness lodge properties and hotels, a fleet of motorcoaches and luxury rail cars, known as Princess Rail.
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.
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
n sightseeing passenger car service owned by P&O Princess Cruises
Princess Cruises
Princess Cruises is a British-American owned cruise line, based in Santa Clarita, California in the United States. Previously a subsidiary of P&O Princess Cruises PLC, the company is now one of ten cruise ship brands operated by Carnival Corporation & PLC and accounts for approximately 19% share...
and operated by its Rail Division. Princess Tours runs ten cars a day (five north, five south) from Anchorage
Anchorage, Alaska
Anchorage is a unified home rule municipality in the southcentral part of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is the northernmost major city in the United States...
to Fairbanks
Fairbanks, Alaska
Fairbanks is a home rule city in and the borough seat of the Fairbanks North Star Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska.Fairbanks is the largest city in the Interior region of Alaska, and second largest in the state behind Anchorage...
on the Alaska Railroad
Alaska Railroad
The Alaska Railroad is a Class II railroad which extends from Seward and Whittier, in the south of the state of Alaska, in the United States, to Fairbanks , and beyond to Eielson Air Force Base and Fort Wainwright in the interior of that state...
, stopping at Talkeetna
Talkeetna, Alaska
Talkeetna is a census-designated place in Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska, United States. It is part of the Anchorage, Alaska Metropolitan Statistical Area. At the 2000 census the population was 772.-Geography:...
, Denali
Denali National Park and Preserve
Denali National Park and Preserve is located in Interior Alaska and contains Denali , the highest mountain in North America. The park and preserve together cover 9,492 mi² .The longest glacier is the Kalhiltna glacier....
, and occasionally Whittier
Whittier, Alaska
Whittier is a city in the Valdez-Cordova Census Area, in the U.S. state of Alaska. As of 2006, the population was 177. The city is also a port for the Alaska Marine Highway.-Geography:...
. Each consist
Consist
A consist , in North American railway terminology, is used as a noun to describe the group of rail vehicles that make up a train. A near-equivalent UK term is rake but this excludes the locomotive....
of five cars is manned by a crew of 32 people.
About Princess
Princess Tours, a division of Princess Cruises, is responsible for the operation of Alaska Land Tours and the land portion of Cruisetours. Founded in 1972 and headquartered in Seattle, Washington, the company offers a wide variety of Alaska Land Tours in conjunction with Princess' Alaska cruises.The largest cruise and tour operator in Alaska, Princess Tours gives travelers the opportunity to combine a Gulf of Alaska cruise with the interior of Alaska. The “land” portion of the cruisetours include Anchorage, Denali National Park, Copper River, the Kenai Peninsula, Prudhoe Bay, the Arctic villages of Nome and Kotzebue and the Canadian Yukon.
Princess Tours also owns and operates five wilderness lodge properties and hotels, a fleet of motorcoaches and luxury rail cars, known as Princess Rail.
Princess rail tour
Traveling daily between Anchorage and Fairbanks from May through September, the cars feature the largest domed windows ever built for a rail car, dining salons, and the only open-air outdoor observation platforms on the Alaska Railroad.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 |