Marcia Weber lives full-time in a Soo Line train caboose that was built in 1909. She purchased the caboose with her husband at the Tunerville Station in Whippany, New Jersey in 1975 from an ad in the Wall Street Journal that simply said “wooden cabooses for sale.”
For years, the caboose was just a vacation home for Marcia and her husband. After a divorce and a job loss, she decided to move permanently into the caboose. She said the first winter was tough with no indoor plumbing and only space heaters available for heat. Electricity had been installed in the caboose years before, but there was no bathroom. In the following years, Marcia was able to add a bathroom to the back of the caboose (to retain the look), indoor plumbing and electric heat. She also replaced the siding on the cupola and put in some gardens and a lawn. She also had a deck built which added an additional “room” to the caboose.
The caboose sits on a 30 foot train track on Marcia’s 5 acre parcel in Northeast Pennsylvania. Her 337 square foot living space also includes a washer/dryer, refrigerator, stove, microwave and a dishwasher. The cost of the caboose and the track cost about $6,000 (in 1976).
Marcia calls the caboose “a 36-year labor of love”, and is proud that nearly everything on the inside is still in its original 1909 state. She did replace out the floor with a laminate. She will also be replacing the siding on the outside with beadboard to resemble the original wood.
She loves the light that comes in through the windows (including the six in the cupola) and has decorated the caboose with colorful accessories. She thought that going from a 2,500 square foot house to a 337 square foot caboose would be difficult, but she absolutely loves it.
“I sold 95 percent of my belongings and feel very free as a result,” Marcia said. “Plus, I can clean the whole place in fifteen minutes. The area here is absolutely beautiful and I spend a lot of time sitting on the deck reading and just looking at my surroundings. It’s all mountains, ponds, and open space.”
Photos courtesy of Marcia Weber
By Christina Nellemann for the [Tiny House Blog]
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159 Responses
that is great.
I’m curious. Does that $6K (in 1975 $s) include transportation on site? That couldn’t have been easy or cheap.
Yes, it included transport. The caboose itself was $3500 and transport and building of rail bed was an additional $2500.
I really like the small tumbleweed homes, etc, but there is something about this caboose that I love. I don’t know what it is though. Painted bead board? curved roof? Patina? Raised panel door? None of those things alone would make a tumbleweed home as cozy as the caboose, but maybe all of them together would work.
Perhaps it is simple a matter of form following function. I think that it would be cool to sit up in that cupola and read a book.
Thanks for the inspiration, now, what to do about it?
I absolutly love this, I could see myself living in something like this, maybe an additional car attached to the back for my wood working/workshop area, yea I could live in it like that. Very nice Marcia, you have a fantastic home…
Hi Girlfriend – great article, Marcia! Ms. Nellemann captured the beauty of the caboose. One of these days we’ll get up there to visit. See you next week in NJ!
Marcia,you did a fantastic job. The caboose is even better in person. Beautiful and relaxing, sitting on the deck with you Mom and Cathie was very nice.
LOVE this! It looks like such a nice cozy place. I’ve been thinking about getting a train car for a studio/office space for a few years now. Would love to see more of this stuff on here.
I stayed in a caboos at a place in Amish country Pennsylvania called “The Red Caboose.” It had a living area on one side of the cupola with a potbelly stove and the bedroom on the other side. The bathroom and small hallway were under the cupola.
I love this. It looks so cozy and just invites curling up and reading a book or three.
LOVE this…so beautiful! I would love to live in a place like this (only I might have to turn one of the bunks into bookcases, because happiness, for me, includes being surrounded by books).
This will be one of those posts I keep coming back to, I promise you!
I love the caboose house. It’s adorable and looks comfortable. I was wondering if there might be a tiny closet tucked away somewhere? I’m from northeastern PA as well and am so excited to hear about someone living the dream so close by!
Marcia, this is beautiful! It seems that those tiny homes that are nicely decorated make a big difference when you transition to a smaller space. Yours is one of the best I have seen so far. The colors are cheerful and bright. I am trying to picture the layout of the caboose. Is the kitchen across from the alcove/table? Also wondering if you work from home. I wonder what working and living in a tiny home would be like. I seem to accumulate lots of papers, drawings, books, magazines, etc.
Really, really nice caboose! I wish I could see more of that top seating area where the ladder steps are though! It looks so nice as far as I can tell.
Thanks for your feedback. There is a closet of sorts that I purchased at Lowe’s and I have drawers across from the table, which also houses my computer and TV is on wall. I welcome visitors if you are in the area. I’m about 35 miles north of Scranton.
Thank you Lynne for your comments. The kitchen is to the right and left of the back door, looking at it from the middle bunks.The whole thing is 27 feet long and sort of divided into three areas (living room area with table, then the two middle bunks, kitchen at the other end. The cupola has 4 built-in seats – two sets across from each other, open in center to floor. The bathroom is to the left of the bunks. I’ll post more pix if that is allowed.
Oh, oh, oh! That is so wonderful! I wanted to live in a caboose many years ago, didn’t work out for me but it’s great to see someone else make the dream a reality.
Here in Colorado you can rent a caboose night or two or more at strawberry park hot springs..
http://kmswoodworks.wordpress.com/2009/11/24/the-caboose-at-starwberry-park-hot-springs/
Wonderful, Marcia! My wife and I love the layout of the space. Could you tell me what the width is of the caboose? Also, I’m not clear on the location of the bathroom, is it in the section that the kitchen is? Where is the refridgerator and the washer/dryer? Thanks for any response you can give me.
Swoon! Love it… thanks for sharing!
Thank you Tim.
Thank you, Mike.
Thank you, Jenn.
Hi Susan,
I know where you mean – I stayed there once also. It’s called the Red Caboose Motel in Strasburg, PA. They have several cabooses for rent.
Hi Krystal,
I’ll try to send more pix of the cupula. I jokingly refer to it as “the library”, since I climb up there to read often. Thanks for your response.
Hi Alice,
Thanks for your compliments. As a child I read and loved “The Boxcar Children”, and I think I just filed it somewhere in the back of mind and it just popped out 50 years later. I now have the whole set of the books, which I just read recently.
If I ever get to CO, I’ll definitely check it out. Thanks for your response.
Thank you, Gary. The bathroom is an addition to the left of the kitchen/middle bunks. It is 6′x12′ and the washer and dryer are in the bathroom (stackable). As the caboose is 8 feet wide and the doors are only 26″ wide, we put a window in the bath that can be taken out if I have to replace the washer or dryer. The refrigerator is across from the stove in what used to be the original toilet space. Just took the door off. Found all the appliances on line, since they are small.
Thank you so much, Diane. You’re welcome.
Is the cupola big enough to stand up in?
Yes, Tim. Well, I’m 5’3″”. I think there’s probably about 6′ head room.
Marcia,
Your home is just beautiful — Lovely everything!
Lovely, fantastic, warm, happy…those are just some of the words I think of when I look at your home! Glad you’re living a dream!
Incredible job, Marcia! Take a bow!
That is just lovely! You have decorated it so nicely. What a wonderful way to live.
OMG! It sleeps four, has a bath, a kitchen, a reading nook, a desk, a deck, and a yard…what more could one want?
Regarding the transport..how far and what mode of transport was used?
How much additional for the excellent refurbish and interior decoration?
I am seriously considering a tiny house in the very near future, but a caboose would be the ultimate for me an my three kiddos!
Auntie M, The place looks great! I love that you put pics and the article on this site.
I am on the eastern slope, I may have to come over your way and check that out…
Absolutly love this. there are not enough train car to home conversions.
There are some underground carriages in london that have been put on a roof as art studios which are quite funky though
love the look and feel of your home – you seem to have retain a very period look.
Your home is lovely. So often, when all is original and we take that step back in time, the place will feel stale and stuffy. This is fresh and new. You have a gift.
Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous. Cozy, looks inviting, and bright and cheery besides. Is there storage under the little dinette seat?
I absolutely love your home, the layout, the way it is decorated. I am curious about the land that it is on, if you purchased it with the caboose, later, before, just the overall picture (if it was in the article, I did not see). When you were outfitting the home with heat, as that a long process and did you have to live elsewhere during that time? I also would love to come see at some point if that is okay; I am in central NJ near New Brunswick though I have no idea where Whippany is. Thanks so much.
Irene
I absolutely love it!!! And finally a tiny home that’s decorated, and doesn’t look like a hippie’s closet!!
Thank you. Yes, there is storage under the seat. It lifts up. Also under all four bunks. I am hoping to have drawers put in the bunks, since it’s a little awkward to lift the lids with mattresses on them.
Thank you Darlene.
Thank you, Dawn.
Thank you so very much, Randy. I appreciate the kudos.
Thank you, Victoria. Your compliments are appreciated.
Thank you, Gareth. I truly stumbled upon this and it has been important to me to keep its original look as much as possible, while at the same time making it feel like home.
Thank you so much, CJ. It is important to me that my living space, no matter how small, be bright and cheerful. I literally spent two years burning off the original paint and creosote which was probably half an inch thick. If I have been away for a time, I can still smell the creosote when I open the door.
Thank you, Irene. We had purchased the land the year before as an investment, and then I stumbled upon this when thinking of what to put on the land, since it was 3 hours from my home. The hardest part was finding someone who could put down the track and move it. We were fortunate to find him about 14 miles from where we are. I actually live in Kingsley, PA, about a half hour north of Scranton. I would love to have you visit. My email is: caboose1909@comcast.net. Just let me know. The heat was very simple to install. It’s just three baseboard heaters. Originally, we used the pot belly stove to heat, but when I moved here permanently, I had to take it out for space.
Thank you, Patricia. I never was a hippie, but I certainly could have been! Decorating anything is my favorite pastime.
Krystal, I’ll try to send pix of the cupola.
Hey Marcia,
Love, love it! Perfect utilization of the space. Do you have a blog with more pictures? As you can our little house fan club is hungry for more pictures!
You have done a wonderful job!
Loving your blog..looking forward to reading your past and future posts!
There are many “cabeese” around the country for sale. Go for it, Matt. And yes, especially in the winter, I love to sit up in the cupola with a good book.
Thanks, Ro. See you next week.
Thanks, Meg. Love you.
Thank you Iryssa. I have made it a point to only allow 6 books inside at a time. Once they are read, they must go, and I can get six more. It’s all about keeping the space open and uncluttered for me.
Thank you, Sandy. I’m overwhelmed at the positive comments I have received. I think everyone will be glad that I couldn’t stand those satellite dishes, so I got rid of them and now have cable connection. I don’t know what possessed me!
Neat on getting rid of the dishes. They did look a bit out of place
Craig, it was probably about 150 miles to move to the nearest siding (14 miles away). The initial cost was included in the purchase price. The 14 miles was included in the track laying/moving price.I have done all the refurbishing myself on the inside, do all the painting, and have found a wonderful contractor where I live who has the same visions as I. So far I’ve probably put somewhere around $10,000 into renovations over 35 years. I do the work as $ permit. The septic and well were around $20,000 for both and selling off five acres to my neighbor enabled me to do that. I still have five and he didn’t do anything with the five I sold him.Thanks for your interest.
Thanks, Gin. The editor of the blog put it together, and I think she did an amazing job!
Wonderful home Marcia. The interior photos look warm and cozy. Especially after looking at the snowy exterior photo. Looks like my Chicago winters. Brrr. The gently curved roof really makes it sweet. Lot’s of inspiration for replicating a caboose on a standard trailer. How about two? A boxcar with living room and kitchen. A caboose with bedroom and bath. Shipping containers could also work. Wow! My imagination is in high gear. Thanks for sharing your home.
Yes, to all of the above positivity! SO wonderful to see a tiny house that is actually decorated for once.
You have my mind whirring right now; have now decided on a curved roof like you have along with a cupola atop my dream tiny house on a trailer home. I’ve never been so inspired, and I have seen literally every tiny house on the web, I assure you!
Thank you, TJ. Sounds like your imagination is really taking off! Good luck.
That’s a very good point. Or maybe little sliding doors so you could put larger items in? I used to live in this old, old, old wonderful flat that had built ins all over, and over the built-in closet was a cupboard with sliding doors. No need to pull anything out.
Marcia,
It looks very cozy. I like it. Looks like you use the space very well and each space has a purpose.
~Dan
What a charming home! You’ve done a lovely job restoring this caboose. It must be like living in a hug.
Thanks, Daniel. You are right, everything has a place and everything in its place. With such a small space, neatness is a priority.
Thank you Claudia. What a delightful way to put it!
Me too Marcia! And I can’t wait to decorate a tiny house!! Love yours!
I think this is a very lovely home!!! Great work!
Beautiful restoration, and so substantial looking. Great job also, Christina.
I had friends who lived in a caboose in Freestone, CA in the early 70′s. There is something about them…thank you.
I love it! So cute, Marcia.
And I agree – getting rid of a ton of stuff is very liberating, and being able to clean your place in just minutes is the best feeling ever!
I’m taking advantage of this situation to say something that would get me in trouble any other time…
Hey lady, you’ve got a real nice caboose.
lol Bryan. I’ll accept the compliment!
Thank you, Rebecca.
Thanks, Chesapeake. If I couldn’t decorate it, I probably couldn’t live here.
In one word: WONDERFUL!
Marcia,
What a dream of a home you have:-) It is a study in love and comfort! Thank you so much for sharing:-)
Stacy
I love love love it… I cant even begin to explain just how jealous I am… it looks fabulous!
Thanks for the inspiration! We have a caboose that looks very similar on an island in Rainy Lake. Much debate about what to do with it, whether it could be a space for guests (we are a non-profit retreat center). Now I can see the potential!
Very cool. How did they transport it to the site originally, on a big flatbed trailer? Also have you considered mounting the satellite dishes on a pole or something else away from the trailer and just running a cable over to the trailer? They don’t really go with the otherwise classic look of the trailer.
Hi Marcia,
35 miles north of Scranton sounds like a fun motorcyle ride from here ( 15 miles south of Scranton) Of course, I imagine that you have a backlog of folks who want to visit by now! Great job with the caboose. I love what you have done with it. My wife and I are building a small house, and we are at the finishing stages.. using a lot of beadboard which definitely adds a touch of character as it does with your caboose. Let me know if you have posted more pics.. thanks for sharing your home with us!
Beautiful! I would love to have one in Arts and Crafts style!
Thanks, Jason. You are more than welcome to bring the motorcycle up for a visit. Just email me @caboose1909@comcast.net to set a date.
Thank you, James. You’ll be happy to know that I got rid of the satellite dishes as soon as I could. I now have local telephone co. cable. Yes, they moved the wheel base out on one flatbed, followed by the box.
Thank you, Mary.Where is Rainy Lake? I’d love to see photos.
Thank you, Stacy. I’m overwhelmed by the positive comments I have received. Kudos also to Christine who first asked me about this and put together such a great blog!
Thank you, Ross. Go get yourself one! Not as complicated as you might think.
Thank you, Ana Maria. I appreciate your comment.
It is just too awesome!! Wish there were some pictures of the cupola. I was married in 1975 and my dream was to own and live in a caboose!!
4 children later, my husband and I never did buy one. It is wonderful to see someone that actually did it and loves it. I am happy for you!!
Thank you for re-posting!
Hi Jason in So Cal, Thanks for your comments. You could do the interior of any caboose in any style you wish. Being a female, I go for a slightly more feminine look. Every dream is possible. Just go after it!
This caboose home is adorable. I love what you’ve done with it. It is so quaint and it is all one really needs.
It’s lovely! My long term goal is to live in my own tiny home and this is such a charming home! You have done such a wonderful job with it! I wish you many years of peace and comfort!
I discovered your house through my Craft newsletter this morning. That is so awesome, I love everything you’ve done with it. I was thinking the kitchen would be absolutely minuscule, but it’s not that bad. I’ve been researching using shipping containers as houses but, after seeing what you’ve done, I think I’ll have to add cabooses and other railway vehicles to my list. Wonder if my cats would like it?
Muito bonito.. Adorei tudo, ainda mais por ser uma vagão!
I have ridden many miles attached to freight trains in one of these on the Bangor & Aroostook R.R. in Maine. This version was replace with ones made from “troop car” used during WWII. The newer ones had the cupola removed and protrusions built out on the sides so you could keep an eye on your train ahead. They were longer and better riding than your home. I’m not positive but I think they were 45 feet long. Errol
I read this post at work where they block all pictures and had to use my imagination at what it looked like until I got home–I was not disappointed! My imagination didn’t even do your caboose justice. Thank you so much for sharing, you have inspired hundreds!
Thank you, Tara. Glad you enjoyed it.
How cute! And lots of natural light, a big bonus…
Marcia,
I absolutely love it. U are so creative as well.
Really like to colors u used for your decor.
So
I absolutely love your place. The colors are so vibrant.
I would like to see more of your bathroom. Thanks for sharing.
So
That first winter must have been a doozy without indoor plumbing! Your home is decorated beautifully, and what a great use of an old caboose. I had a record as a kid that played a song called “Little Red Caboose,” and it makes me nostalgic looking at these pictures.
Marcia, love what you have done with your “crummy, waycar,or cabin” ,several nick names railroaders call the caboose. About twenty years ago we created a business finding, saving and finding new homes for these pieces of transportation history. We just shipped one to the UK. Based at an old Rock Island RR yard in SE Iowa we have inventory throughout the U.S. We try to move them only once to save shipping costs. I know the above is ‘shameless commerce’,but it helps find creative home for these little guys.Hope I can help. Regards, DJT 641-472-2020
Thank you, Tania.
I wish I understood Spanish!
Thanks for the info, Errol.
Thanks for your comments, Nancy.
Thank you, Selinao for your wonderful comments.
Thank you, David. My license plate is “crummy”.
Thank you, Jamie. That first winter really was awful, but thank goodness I was able to build the bathroom the following spring.
I will try to send a few more pictures.
I suspect cats would love all the windows and I know mine would spend 95% of their time in the cupola!
I. Love. This.
My favorite itty-bitty house on this blog. Thanks for sharing!
I love your little home!! You have everything you need in a comfortable inviting place. Sometimes less is more!! Congratulations and thanks for sharing!
Came over from “Hooked On Houses” blog.
This is the greatest tiny house I have seen! Just precious and not giving as much of a cramped feeling, as most give. Lovely and cozy.
Thank you.
Gentle hugs,
“The goldenrod is yellow
The corn is turning brown
The trees in apple orchards
With fruit are bending down.”
~ Childrens song
Marcia, I am madly in love with your home! You did an amazing job with it, and the joy and love that you have for it are displayed in every lovely detail. Thank you for sharing it with all of us! I am inspired!
This is just awesome! My brother has long been a member of the Branford (CT) Trolley Museum and one of the former members had a caboose that he didn’t fix up too much but slept there on the weekends he worked at the museum. I’m sending this to my brother in the hopes it may inspire him since he’s looking for a new home since his retirement (from the railroad, of course).
Marcia, I love your little red house…You have a lot of stuff in a small space…you need to come down to the NC mountains and help me redesign the downstairs into a one bedroom apartment for me, so I can rent out the top floor for income…
I L.O.V.E your little red house! It is positively charming and has such a welcoming feel to it.
You’ve done a beautiful job!
LOVE everything about this little caboose except for the satelite dishes…they are my biggest pet pieve no matter what size the home…ugly and annoying to look at.
Hey Marcia, I am from Germany and I used to live on a camping ground for about one year. I loved this being-close-to-nature-thing very much and sometimes I do really miss that times…
But your place is awesome!! Like it sooo much!
This is the most beautiful, creative living space, I adore the idea and what you have done with the caboose.
LOVE this!! It reminds me a lot of the French Gypsy caravans.
Your living space looks very comfortable and so darn cute!!
Roberta, you will be happy to know that the satellite dishes are GONE!!! I too, hated them. I now have cable directly into the caboose.
Thank you Stefan. Appreciate your feedback.
Thank you so much, Jen. I’m loving all the positive comments.
Thank you so much, Melanie.
Thank you, Mary. I’m overwhelmed at the responses to this.
Thank you so much, Trish!
Thank you, Linnea. There are “cabeese” for sale on the internet. Also companies who move them. Hope this inspires.
Thanks, Steve. I’m there! I love to design and decorate! Glad you enjoyed it.
Thank you Talia. Love the positive responses.
Thank you, Elizabeth. I’m loving it, too.
Thank you. I’m going there right now to check it out.
This really is beautifully decorated.
Thanks so much for all the photos. Many on this site do not show so much of the finished interiors which is a bit disapointing. Your photos really show how you can pack a lot into a small space.
I hope you are happy where you are it really looks like a wonderful space to be in.
Nerida
I came back to reread you post after you comment on my blog. I can imagine living in a caboose is lots of fun, especially with so much land at your doorstep. In case you haven’t read some of the posts here about my float cabin, here’s a link to one of them. http://tinyhouseblog.com/tiny-house/living-on-the-water/ You can find several more under the floating homes category. – Margy
Very pretty!
Congratulations!
Thank you, Monica.
Thank you so much, Nerida. I can’t wait until my 8-mo.-old grandson can climb all over the place. I remember how much my boys loved it when they were little.I’m very happy here.
I want to want to downsize and live in a caboose. I rode my first train at five and have always loved trains. I have some questions… the photo doesn’t show what is across from your dining table, where is the refrig, toilet, hot water tank, a/c, and where do you put your clothes? Could you please post more photos? Do you have a website? I’ve gotten sooooo excited just looking at your photos. I took my kids on a train ride in Texas (they are now in their 20′s and they love them too. I think it would be so cool for grandma to live in a caboose.
Absolutely adorable!
I think you have done a great job with the caboose. I worked on the Soo Line for 35 years and rode many miles as conductor in the caboose in the winter we burnt coal in a pot bellied stove. They said the wooden caboose was not safe but I liked them better than the steel ones. The kerosene lamp by the desk gave alot of light, when away from home we slept on the long end and under the cupoola using the horse hair pad as mattress. The short end with the sink we put a kerosene stove to cook. The 2 cabinets was used for parts and materials as you know the toilet was a stretch of the imagination. Caboose # we used in our home area was # 9 & 11. Enjoy
I love it! Is it possible to see the layout? I am trying to piece it together in my head as I look through the pictures. Love the colors and the bunks – everything. It’s fantastic!
I absolutely love, love, love it!!! The whole layout is wonderful, as far as I can tell. I wish you had included a floorplan so as to get a better idea of the layout. It doesn’t seem like all the individual pictures would fit in the space! It’s so roomy! And I really like your decor. Did I calculate correctly-I came up with an 11 X 30? I’m trying to draw up plans for a tiny house that’s around 28 feet long and really like how your’s looks. I might ‘borrow’ some of your ideas, if you don’t mind. Just beautiful! Thanks for sharing.
Dawn
Hello Marcia,
We would like to feature your house on HGTV! Please contact me at gbeasley@amspictures.com
Thanks!
Nice good job excellent
What a lovely home you have. It exemplifies the phrase “less is more”.
It’s Portuguese, and it says:
Very pretty. I love everything about it, even more so because it’s a caboose!
Today my family of 3 visited Allaire State Park and rode the tiny gauge railroad, taking caboose in the back for ourselves. It’s painted red on the outside, yellow on the inside, and I absolutely loved it. I wondered what it’d be like to have a whole cottage built into one.
This answers the question beautifully.
I love the upstairs and the rounded edges here and there. Just like what we saw in the caboose today.
Well done.
Thank you for the great ideas. We have had a metal caboose with the cupola for years and are now planning on making it a viable office/guest room, so do appreciate your photos. Our first project is tearing out the interior to insulate it for our New Jersey winters! Do you happen to have a rough layout of your space? Thank you.
Precious! Well done.
Thank you for the translation. I’m glad you like it.
That is an awesome house-caboose. My late husband and I were railfans and I still am. I always wanted to buy a caboose and fix it up to stay in as a vacation cabin or otherwise. I’ve stayed overnight in Pennsylvania in a caboose at a motel. It was great and I had fun. We knew of an author and his family that lived in a caboose out in British Columbia, Canada…in fact the family had three cabooses on their property to live in. This author was at a model railroad show in Toronto where we met him. No I am not a Canadian, but I am friends with many Canadians and my girlfriend from the Nanaimo, B.C. area sent me this link. Your home is awesome!
I have family that lives near you!!! If we’re ever planning to be in the area anytime soon, we’d love to see your beautiful gem in person! It’s awesome
If you are in the area, I’d love to have you visit. In case you’re interested, my caboose is being featured on HGTV’s “You Live In What?” on April 30 at 5:00 EDT. It first aired on March 31.