A caboose stood at the end of a train so the crew could watch the whole train from the high windows of the cupola, and it also served as work and living space with beds, a cook stove, a desk, and a bathroom. As long-running diesel engines ended the need for water and service in towns like Carrizozo, later advances in sensors, remote controls, and radios replaced the need for a crew at the rear of the train, and modern railroads no longer use cabooses. The caboose now in Carrizozo was moved there in 1998; although it did not serve there during its working years on various lines, it reflects the town's founding and railroad history.