caboose

A caboose is the last car at the back of a train, usually with a small crew inside.

You've probably seen pictures or movies of trains chugging along the tracks, and sometimes you might have noticed the little car trailing behind. That's the caboose! Its main job is to carry the conductor or other staff who monitor the train from behind as it travels through different places. But it can also be a bit like a safety net - in case something goes wrong with one of the other cars, the crew inside the caboose can jump out and fix the problem quickly.