Just last week noticed this brand-new looking HazMat Caboose at BNSF's Interbay Car Shop here in Seattle. As one who loves trains I miss the cabooses that use to be common on freight trains. As with so many things, technology changed the need to have a real person at the end of a train making sure all was well. We now have "end-of-train" devices that wirelessly report conditions to the crew in the power unit. So, most freight trains today operate without a caboose. However, this particular one, of course, is very specialized. I'm guessing here, but suspect it might be intended for use at locations where a hazardous event has occurred such as a major derailment, chemical spill or fire. It would then be used as a sort of operations base for the recovery effort.
