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This caboose coloring page shows the last car of an old freight train, drawn at an angle so you can see two sides at once. The long red wall carries the number 1027, and a little cupola rises from the roof. A brakeman waves from the back porch, next to a big brake wheel and a red lamp. Behind him, the sun sets over wheat fields and a wooden water tank.
Ages five to eleven can handle it in about thirty minutes. The side planks make easy stripes to follow. The porch railing is the trickiest bit, so go slowly there.
Colors for the end of the line
Cabooses are famous for being red, and that is the first color to try. Use yellow on the end wall to show the two sides apart. The roof looks good in dark gray, with a brown walkway along the top.
Sunset gives you a warm sky. Blend pale yellow near the horizon up into peach or pink. Then make the sun bright yellow with orange rays. Purple hills and gold wheat will sit nicely together.
For the brakeman, navy is a good choice. Add a bright red lamp near his hand. A small splash of red in that corner brings your eye back to the people.
Tips for this caboose coloring page
- Color along the planks, not across them. Your strokes will look like wood grain.
- Use a sharp pencil on the railing posts, and color around them first.
- Leave a thin line of white on one edge of each window. Glass needs a little shine.
- Fade your yellow into orange where the sky meets the hills.
Thick crayons struggle on the wheels, because the underframe is packed with parts. A dark colored pencil will get into those corners.
Why trains had a caboose
A caboose was a home on wheels for the crew at the back of a long freight train. Workers rode in it, kept watch on the cars ahead, and looked out for trouble such as a shifting load or an axle getting too hot. Red marker lamps let others see the rear of the train at night.
The cupola has a fun story. A conductor named T. B. Watson is usually given the credit. In 1863, he sat up in a hole in the roof of a boxcar and found he could see his whole train. Soon cabooses had a windowed box on top.
By the 1980s, railroads had begun to drop them. A small box on the last car now checks the air brakes and flashes a red light, and the crew rides up front. There is more in this article on the caboose, with photos of old cars.
Sharp eyes will spot a ladder on the end wall. Crew members used ladders like it to reach the roof. Make the rungs a dark gray, and it will stand out from the yellow boards.
Play look out, then draw a train from the back
Play look out. Sit your child on a chair or a step and ask what they can spot from up high. Then sit on the floor and try again. It shows just why that crew climbed up to the roof.
Make a train from the back. Most kids draw the engine first, so flip the idea. Start with this car, tape it to the end of a long strip of paper and draw the rest of the train in front of it.
The word itself is fun to say, and that alone can start a good game. Try a rhyme: moose, goose, caboose. How many more can you find?
Follow the train
This caboose coloring page is in our group of train coloring pages. You can spot a small one at the back of the freight train, and meet the person who once rode in it on the train conductor sheet.
Questions
What is the little box on the roof?
It is called a cupola. The crew climbed up into it and sat on high seats to watch over the top of the train.
What does the number 1027 mean?
It is only the car number. Railroads gave each car its own number, and you can change it to any number you like.
Do trains still have a caboose?
Very few do. Most were replaced by a small device on the last car, though you can still see old ones at museums and parks.
