A caboose was once a common sight on the end of a freight train. From inside the caboose, crews could observe the freight cars ahead for defects, process paperwork, monitor the air-brake system and apply the brakes in an emergency.
Why can’t you use a train toilet in the station?
The contents don't get flushed into a tank – they get dropped on to the track. And that's particularly unpleasant at a station.