Dear Faldage: I had completely forgotten the cooking facilities in the caboose. It now seems obvious that this is what gave it that name.
Remembering commuting by train in the days of steam, I just remembered that this was where I learned the Doppler effect. A passing train that started blowing its whistle just before it started to pass, and kept it up until it was past made the unforgettable "Eeeeeeeeeeeee-ooooooooooooooo".