A picture of a era long gone

I think this picture is evocative its shows a lost America, with a steam train rattling past two friends riding the American highways on a Indian outfit with little or no traffic, fully loaded but staged for this picture I would say as the luggage would fall off within minutes of travel, string is useless as a method of retaining loads as above. The picture wants me to feel that I’m the one taking the photo and on the journey with them but I suppose that’s what Life magazine intended, a great shot none the less.