Brake Van

A formerly necessary wagon attached to the back of a train. The brake van was used to stop a train in case of an emergency (such as if a coupling had snapped, and the latter half of the train was rolling down a steep hill). On longer journeys, the brake van served as a temporary residency for the train crew. Nowadays, most trucks (US:freightcars) are already equipped with brakes so they'll stop automatically should something go wrong. Some trains even have locomotives at both ends, further reducing the necessity of a brake van. Synonyms: caboose(US), guard's van