NSW 4400 Class Engines

[PCCSTREETCAR@webtv.net (John Engleman)]

Can somebody explain to me why everyone in NSW insists on running the
4400 series Alco engines "backwards".  I know they are technically
double ended, but why do they insist on running flat end forward and
hiding the obvious front end, especially when it is such a good looking
front end?  This went on well over 50% of the time when these engines
were still in service (God how I used to detest driving into the wilds
of NSW looking for them, only to find them either coupled nose to nose
instead of back to back), so the excuse of not being able to turn them
was a mute point.  And now, they even do it on excursions (example: 4490
running head out with the no. 2 end leading and coupled to 44210 on
SL-81).  So besides the visibility excuse (which should not even come
into the picture when fans are paying to ride expecting, or so I would
think, for the real nose to be leading), what is the reasoning behind
this?