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PASSENGER CAR PROFILE

Observation Cars

Observation cars were designed around the experience of watching the railroad and scenery from the rear of a passenger train.

Gulf Mobile and Ohio Abraham Lincoln observation car
Parlor-observation car on the Gulf, Mobile and Ohio's Abraham Lincoln. Photo: Roy Gabriel / Lyman Cox postcard, Public Domain (U.S.), via Wikimedia Commons.

Classic placement

Many observation cars ran at the end of a passenger train, where an open platform or rounded lounge area provided dramatic rearward views.

More than a viewing car

Observation cars often doubled as lounges, parlor spaces or premium accommodations.

Why they disappeared

Changes in train operations, equipment design and passenger economics made classic rear-end observation cars less common after the streamliner era.

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