Definition: An observation car is defined as a passenger car designed to be the last car of a passenger train, as opposed to a caboose which is the last car on a freight train.
The observation car gets its name from the fact that it has rear windows or, on older trains, a rear standing platform from which conductors and passengers can observe the track behind the train.
The rear of an observation car is usually outfitted with a lighted "drumhead" bearing the herald of the train's railroad or, in the case of a named passenger train, the train's own logo bearing its name.
The observation car gets its name from the fact that it has rear windows or, on older trains, a rear standing platform from which conductors and passengers can observe the track behind the train.
The rear of an observation car is usually outfitted with a lighted "drumhead" bearing the herald of the train's railroad or, in the case of a named passenger train, the train's own logo bearing its name.