Cabooses were like a home in the early days of railroading.

Each crew was assigned its own caboose which served as rolling home for days at a time. Some crews took great pride in equpping their caboose with lace curtains and picturesque lithographs. Some even added cook stoves, chairs and their own mattresses and bed linen.

As railroading developed the trains went faster and travelled further and the need for lavishly equipped cabooses declined as crews were assigned to their own districts.