A caboose is a crewed North American railroad car coupled at the end of a freight train. Cabooses provide shelter for crew at the end of a train, who were formerly required in switching and shunting, keeping a lookout for load shifting, damage to equipment and cargo, and overheating axles.

Historically, the last car on a freight train was called the caboose. Its primary purpose was to provide shelter for the crew, who would look out for shifted loads, smoke from "hot boxes" (overheated axle bearings), and other mechanical issues. On passenger trains, the last car was often an observation car, which featured a rounded end or an open platform for passengers to enjoy the view. In the United States, the iconic red caboose largely disappeared in the 1980s and 90s, replaced by a small electronic device called an EOT (End-of-Train device) or "FRED" (Flashing Rear-End Device). This device monitors brake pipe pressure and transmits data wirelessly to the locomotive engineer, performing the safety functions that a human crew once did from the caboose. In 2026, you will still see cabooses on museum lines or specialized industrial "shoving" platforms, but on modern high-speed or freight lines, the "last car" is simply the final container or coach, marked only by a flashing red light to signal the end of the consist.