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http://media.adn.com/smedia/2009/07/06/08/871-caboose2.20826.original.standalone.prod_affiliate.7.jpg
If you need a gift for the train buff who has everything, the Alaska Railroad might have the perfect answer — a well-worn caboose, waiting in the Anchorage rail yard for a new home.
The ARR has four old cabooses up for bid. And for a price as low as $8,000, it could be yours.
Tim Thompson, a railroad spokesman, said it’s not unusual for the Alaska Railroad to sell surplus property — in the past, their sales have included items like locomotives and self-propelled railcars. But the caboose, with its prominent role on the back of a train, seems to hold a romantic place in railroad lore.
“It’s such an iconic feature of railroads,” Thompson said. “You see a locomotive and cars in between and a caboose.”
The occasional sales draw plenty of interest, Thompson said. Cabooses are scattered across Alaska, serving as everything from storage sheds to Boy Scout camp buildings. Surplus rail fans include former Gov. Frank Murkowski, who converted a railroad car into a part-time home off Chena Pump Road.
Blair Reynolds, a volunteer at the Tanana Valley Railroad Museum, remembers an Alaska Railroad caboose that was available for $5,000 in the early 1990s. Nearly 20 years later, he’s still kicking himself for passing it up.
“The cash flow was better then,” he said. “I should have grabbed one.”
Reynolds said he doesn’t know anyone in Fairbanks who owns a caboose, but they’re popular items among train enthusiasts. He’s considered turning one into a home, complete with plumbing and electric wiring.
“They’re probably afraid of what zoning would say or the neighbors would say, but I think most train buffs would be into the caboose,” he said.
The oldest of the cars was built in 1948 by Pacific Car and Foundry Co., featuring “plenty of storage” and three chairs. A pair of newer cabooses were built in 1976 by International Car Co., with features like sinks, chairs and wood flooring.
The truly luxurious option is a caboose bought in 2000 from Canadian National Railways, which is the largest of the four and has double sinks, shelving and counter space.
Anyone who happens to be in the Anchorage train yard Thursday can stop in for an inspection. Final bids are due Aug. 6.
Cabooses once were a vital piece of the railroad. A worker stationed in the caboose was responsible for making track switches, and it also served as a bunkhouse for crew members on many long train rides.
The use of cabooses began to decline significantly in the 1980s, when track-switching technology became automated. With that new environment, the Alaska Railroad has been gradually selling most of its cabooses.
“We’re not going to be replacing them,” Thompson said. “They basically have outlived their purpose.”
Anyone interested in plunking down $8,000 for a caboose should read the fine print. Delivery isn’t available, so the high bidder will get 30 days to figure out how to transport a caboose to their desired location.
“That’s the responsibility of the new owner,” Thompson said.
If you need a gift for the train buff who has everything, the Alaska Railroad might have the perfect answer — a well-worn caboose, waiting in the Anchorage rail yard for a new home.
The ARR has four old cabooses up for bid. And for a price as low as $8,000, it could be yours.
Tim Thompson, a railroad spokesman, said it’s not unusual for the Alaska Railroad to sell surplus property — in the past, their sales have included items like locomotives and self-propelled railcars. But the caboose, with its prominent role on the back of a train, seems to hold a romantic place in railroad lore.
“It’s such an iconic feature of railroads,” Thompson said. “You see a locomotive and cars in between and a caboose.”
The occasional sales draw plenty of interest, Thompson said. Cabooses are scattered across Alaska, serving as everything from storage sheds to Boy Scout camp buildings. Surplus rail fans include former Gov. Frank Murkowski, who converted a railroad car into a part-time home off Chena Pump Road.
Blair Reynolds, a volunteer at the Tanana Valley Railroad Museum, remembers an Alaska Railroad caboose that was available for $5,000 in the early 1990s. Nearly 20 years later, he’s still kicking himself for passing it up.
“The cash flow was better then,” he said. “I should have grabbed one.”
Reynolds said he doesn’t know anyone in Fairbanks who owns a caboose, but they’re popular items among train enthusiasts. He’s considered turning one into a home, complete with plumbing and electric wiring.
“They’re probably afraid of what zoning would say or the neighbors would say, but I think most train buffs would be into the caboose,” he said.
The oldest of the cars was built in 1948 by Pacific Car and Foundry Co., featuring “plenty of storage” and three chairs. A pair of newer cabooses were built in 1976 by International Car Co., with features like sinks, chairs and wood flooring.
The truly luxurious option is a caboose bought in 2000 from Canadian National Railways, which is the largest of the four and has double sinks, shelving and counter space.
Anyone who happens to be in the Anchorage train yard Thursday can stop in for an inspection. Final bids are due Aug. 6.
Cabooses once were a vital piece of the railroad. A worker stationed in the caboose was responsible for making track switches, and it also served as a bunkhouse for crew members on many long train rides.
The use of cabooses began to decline significantly in the 1980s, when track-switching technology became automated. With that new environment, the Alaska Railroad has been gradually selling most of its cabooses.
“We’re not going to be replacing them,” Thompson said. “They basically have outlived their purpose.”
Anyone interested in plunking down $8,000 for a caboose should read the fine print. Delivery isn’t available, so the high bidder will get 30 days to figure out how to transport a caboose to their desired location.
“That’s the responsibility of the new owner,” Thompson said.
