I agree, a designated caboose track was all that was necessary. It was usually a track with lighting and clear access on one side, as well as enough room for servicing supplies (ice, water, coal, brasses, journal oil, fusees, etc.) and repairs. Most railroads assigned a caboose to a job, or to a freight pool number, or to the Conductor, depending on that road's agreement, and there was a lot of switching required to get a particular caboose onto the assigned train. Pooling of cabooses started to prevail around 1965, and then the first-out caboose in the track was used.
Cabooses were rarely seen on the rip track.
