Bird's eye views of beauty aboard a vintage rail car astound

Jean LeClair of Brunswick, Maine, gazes out at a pond and woodland as the Downeaster heads south between Durham and Exeter, N.H. (Lebanon Voice photos)

ABOARD THE DOWNEASTER TRAIN 682 - When you take the train through a town or city you feel like you're traveling through people's back yards, so the view from a vintage vista liner car like the one currently on the Downeaster is downright intimate.

"I especially liked going through Old Orchard Beach and seeing the backs of all those motels," said Jean LeClair of Brunswick, who on Thursday took the train to Boston from Portland specifically to enjoy the panoramic view from the car built for the former Great Northern Railroad in 1955.

LeClair traveled by car to Portland just so she could catch a train that had the vintage rail car, which will run on several Downeaster trains every day until Sept. 18.

While rolling through the heart of small towns at 60 mph has its own distinctive thrill, the wide open expanse of nature also holds its own special allure.

Passengers enjoy the scenic views between Dover and Durham on Thursday's Downeaster Train 682.

For Penny Webster of Portland, who was traveling to Boston on Thursday just to ride the car, rolling through rural Maine and New Hampshire was almost riveting.

"The view of the Scarborough marshes was absolutely beautiful," she said.

Patricia Quinn, executive director of the Northern New England Passenger Rail Association, said the Downeaster is thrilled to have the use of the car, which has proved a significant draw for rail fans looking to enjoy its distinct style and 360-degree views.

"It is being very well received," Quinn said. "Some are riding just to see the dome. Others find it a nice surprise."

Train buffs aboard the train noted that when the Downeaster is crowded with scores looking to get aboard the car, trainmen often have to circulate groups though the car so everyone gets a chance to enjoy its views, but on Thursday while headed southbound out of Dover there was plenty of room for everyone to stay as long as they wanted.

The name of the car is the Ocean View and after its time with the Great Northern it was later acquired through merger with the Burlington Northern Railroad, operating chiefly on its Chicago-Seattle passenger service, which still exists today under the management of Amtrak.

Quinn said the car currently runs on Downeaster Trains 682, 683, 686 and 687 weekdays; and 690, 691, 698 and 699 on weekends.

There is no extra charge to ride on the Ocean View, which when it leaves the Downeaster is expected to see service on the Adirondack, which runs between Montreal and Washington.

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