<P> Originally flatcars fitted with cabins or modified box cars, they later became purpose - built with projections above or to the sides of the car to allow crew to observe the train from shelter . The caboose also served as the conductor's office, and on long routes included accommodation and cooking facilities . </P> <P> A similar railroad car design, the brake van, was used on British and Commonwealth railways . These provided the additional function of serving as a supplemental braking system for trains not fitted with a continuous braking system, and keeping chain couplings taut . </P> <P> Cabooses were used on every freight train until the 1980s, when safety laws requiring the presence of cabooses and full crews were relaxed . Developments in monitoring and safety technology such as lineside defect detectors and end - of - train devices resulted in crew reductions and the phasing out of caboose cars . Nowadays, they are generally only used on rail maintenance or hazardous materials trains, or on heritage and tourist railroads . </P> <P> Use of cabooses began in the 1830s, when railroads housed trainmen in shanties built onto boxcars or flatcars . The caboose provided the train crew with a shelter at the rear of the train . The crew could exit the train for switching or to protect the rear of the train when stopped . They also inspected the train for problems such as shifting loads, broken or dragging equipment, and hot boxes (overheated axle bearings, a serious fire and derailment threat). The conductor kept records and handled business from a table or desk in the caboose . For longer trips, the caboose provided minimal living quarters, and was frequently personalized and decorated with pictures and posters . </P>

When did they get rid of the caboose