This Norfolk and Western caboose was one of a class of 200 built by International Railway Car Company in Kenton, Ohio, between December 1968 and February 1970. Its “P” designation signified pool service, allowing it to travel over any part of the N & W System. Before air brakes, the caboose was one of two braking units on a train, the other being the engine. It also served as the conductor’s office for paperwork, a dormitory with a kitchen and toilet, and a supply area for the freight crew. Its cupola gave the crew a vantage point to watch for trouble on the tracks or with the train. Virginia was the last state to require a caboose at the end of a freight train, but that law was repealed in 1988. Modern freight trains instead carry a “FRED” (Flashing Rear End Device) weighing about 35 pounds at the rear.