Cab Train Rides

 

My latest obsession is watching cab view train rides on YouTube.

The concept is so simple that I feel a bit embarrassed that it holds such fascination for me.

A camera placed in the engineer's compartment of a train records the journey between cities in Europe (France, Germany, Switzerland, Scandinavia, among them), Asia, Australia, Africa and South America and some in the U.S., often going through deserts and mountainous regions, over vertiginous bridges and through pitch black tunnels.

There is no accompanying narration, just the muted natural sounds of the train pushing down the rails.

It's surprisingly calming and a bit hypnotic. The steady, forward movement, passing scenery, the feeling of being caught up in direction without clear purpose are intoxicating stress-reducers.