With a plan in place from our March 2026 meeting between the Winslow Arts Trust (owner of the car) and Affeldt Mion Museum (where the car is exhibited), we promptly moved forward. The platform railing John Suttman began in February has been completed and signed off by the city. We are still working on the logistics for opening the platform for public viewing, but hope to get that resolved soon. For now, guests have a wonderful view of the #502 on the private siding at northeast end of the museum, from the ground in front of the platform .

Inspection

During the March planning meeting, we decided to bring in rail restoration expert, Jon Clark, to do a thorough inspection of the car and provide a report to help guide us on the project. In early May, Jon hopped an Amtrak from L.A. to Winslow, and met with Special Projects Manager Dan Lutzick, and Creative Director, Lori Bentley-Law. He then proceeded to inspect every inch of the #502.

Overall, Jon found the car to be in generally good condition, saying:

I understand that–to the casual observer–the car may appear to be in rough shape.  But I have seen cars in much worse condition in my travels over the years.  This car has suffered the same fate of many vintage railroad passenger cars–that being a more or less standard case of “benign neglect” over the course of the last 20-plus years–combined with various repairs and modifications since the mid-1990’s, presumably by people who did not necessarily possess strong knowledge of vintage railroad passenger car repair and maintenance.  However, fortunately it has not been heavily modified from the original configuration as so many privately-owned and even museum-owned passenger cars have.”

In addition to his detailed report and laying out an early scope of work, Jon will be an invaluable resource as we move deeper into the project, as a consultant, assistant project manager, and helping us locate missing parts or samples to use as templates.

We were all in agreement after this meeting that we need to make stabilization a high priority, and that means reducing the impact of Winslow’s intense sun.

Shade Structure

To address that issue, Allan Affeldt brought Niki from USA Shade & Fabric Structures up from Phoenix to do a survey of the car in preparation for a shade structure to help minimize the impact of the elements on the Dome, and also make the interior temperature more comfortable for workers inside. The plan is to have the cover extend high above the Dome, so it won’t impede the spectacular views of the railroad tracks to the south and Route 66 to north.

We are still awaiting an estimate, but once it is received and approved by the Winslow Arts Trust, we will move forward.

Inside the Museum

Since guests cannot yet go into the car, we put together a small exhibit inside the Waiting Room Gallery at AMM, including old ads, images, and the wonderful set of blueprints we received from the Springer Archives. We also have two chairs on display that were original to the Starlight lounge! Jon Clarke gave it a look to make sure we were accurate, and gave the display a thumbs up (minus one poster title we need to correct!).

Grant

​The Winslow Arts Trust extends a huge thank you to the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona and the Arizona Community Foundation for their generous support via the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona Grant.

This funding is a massive boost for our historic Santa Fe Pleasure Dome #502, helping us cover the costs of our safety railing, professional inspection, and new exterior educational panels. We deeply appreciate their partnership and shared belief in preserving Arizona’s rich transportation history.

Until our next report…

Thank you for following along. If you are interested in financially supporting this project, you can make a tax-deductible donation to the Winslow Arts Trust (501c3) via the button below. At checkout, make a note to earmark for the #502.