Mike's "Incomplete"

In my mind, a train without a caboose is "incomplete".  I remember in the late 80's when Union Pacific quit using them and backed them up a spur off of John J Pershing Blvd.  My son and I would go play on them.

Some were sent to the scrap yard, and some were sold to private parties.  These were converted into cabins at the Twin Rivers State Park.

Eventually the caboose and the safety crew was replaced by the robotic FRED (flashing rear end device) or EOTD (end of train device).  (wiki)  Law and union rules both had to be changed to allow this to happen.