Reproduced here from a National Geographic ad.

I had the pleasure of riding The Canadian in its early VIA days, when it still used the Canadian Pacific route across Canada. I spent much of the journey looking out the back windows of the observation car.

On many Amtrak trips today I find my way to the rear of the train and stand for long periods watching the countryside and the track recede. By looking out the back (or the front, if you’re the engineer), you get a broader perspective on the scenery, or so it seems to me.