caboose

Also known as: brake-van, guard’s van

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June 22, 2026

Quick Summary

The word "caboose" has several meanings. Historically, it referred to a ship's galley or a deckhouse used for cooking. It also has a slang meaning for buttocks.123

The most common meaning of caboose is a freight-train car attached to the rear, primarily for the train crew's use. This car typically contained a stove for heating and cooking and could serve as living quarters. The term "cabin car" is a synonym for caboose. The word likely originated from Dutch and Middle Low German words for galley or hut.124

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railroad
Freight cars
…is virtually extinct is the caboose, or brake-van. With modern air-braking systems, the security of a very long train can be assured by fixing to its end car’s brake pipe a telemetry device that continually monitors pressure and automatically transmits its findings to the locomotive cab.
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…is virtually extinct is the caboose, or brake-van. With modern air-braking systems, the security of a very long train can be assured by fixing to its end car’s brake pipe a telemetry device that continually monitors pressure and automatically transmits its findings to the locomotive cab.
Read More