Glenwood Canyon inspired a high point in American rail travel. During World War II, a railroad official rode through the canyon in the cab of a diesel freight locomotive, and the view from its panoramic windshield impressed him so deeply that he began steps to equip cars with glass domes so passengers could share the experience. His vision led to the 1949 opening of the California Zephyr, a passenger line between Chicago and San Francisco. Five of the Zephyr's eleven cars had Vista-Domes, raised glass-top roofs that gave riders panoramic views of the Colorado Rockies. In a more hurried age, the Zephyr, called America's great national asset, came to an end with its last 2,532 mile run on March 22, 1970.