Freight carry all the things that are used to make the things in your home! Boxcars might carry paper for making magazines, books, and paper towels. Hopper cars might carry plastic for making toys, soda bottles, or food containers. Gondolas might carry metal used to make soda or soup cans. Tank cars might carry vegetable oil used to make food. Lumber cars carry wood used to build houses. Trains carry all sorts of things!

Few railroads use CABOOSES anymore on the end of trains. However, there was a time when every freight train had a caboose at the rear. The conductor and the brakemen rode inside. They watched the train to be sure everything was safe, and they used the caboose like an office: handling all the paperwork. You can still see cabooses in railroad museums and often on display in parks and by the tracks.

Now trains have a REAR END DEVICE that marks the rear of the train with a red light and tells the engineer important information about movements and brakes. Look for the red "FRED" on the end of the train!

You can get food on the train! All Amtrak trains have a Lounge car, also called a Cafe car (above). You can buy sandwiches, snacks, and drinks and enjoy them while you ride. These cars have large tables for eating, reading, or playing games with your family and friends. We love to play cards in the Lounge car. Some Amtrak trains also have a Dining car (below). These cars are like restaurants on wheels! You can order a full meal from the menu. We recommend the French Toast for breakfast ... and the steak for dinner!

Did you know you can sleep on a train?! Sleeper cars have rooms where passengers can spend the night on longer trips. During the day, the room has chairs or couches for watching the scenery go by. At night, that furniture is changed into bunk beds for sleeping! There are also bathrooms and even showers in the car. Sleep tight!