During the heyday of railroad travel, a train caboose was usually reserved for the railroad crew and given playful names such as “monkey wagon” or “dog house”. These days, with train travel less preferred, the caboose is in danger of disappearing. However, train enthusiasts will purchase a hardy, little caboose for a city landmark, a museum or even a tiny house.
You can purchase a caboose from several brokers or even government liquidation services. Most railroads stopped using them around the 1980s, and quite a few went to scrap, so the prices of the ones that are left have increased. They can be very heavy at around 25 tons, and around 15 feet high if equipped with cupola. They are usually around 10 feet wide and 30 to 40 feet long. Cabooses are made of heavy steel (most wood cabooses are long gone) and their condition and value vary widely. What you want to look for is a refurbished caboose or a caboose that is railroad surplus. You will have to pay to have the caboose moved by rail or truck to your property.
If you want to try living in a caboose, I found this post on the New Hampshire Craigslist for a caboose for rent. For $250 a month and a $250 deposit, it comes with water and sewer included.
Before you choose to buy a caboose, why don’t you stay in one? There are dozens of hotels and B&Bs that have turned railcars and cabooses into small rooms or cottages.
Additional information on the train caboose
A caboose turned into a private home
The Colorful Caboose: The history of the caboose
The Greenest Dollar: Homes made from old cabooses
By Christina Nellemann for the (Tiny House Blog)