The "It Was So Much Fun Typing The Word 'Cabooses'" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Sun was shining brightly as I pulled into the parking lot of the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania in Strasburg.  Cold January day, but I had plans for a special visit with a former student.  The lot was empty and after checking my watch, realized I was a bit too early.  Backed the car from between the white lines and headed a quarter-of-a-mile east to a place I had wanted to visit for years...The Red Caboose Motel.  

Sign at entrance to the Red Caboose Motel

I had passed the place over a hundred times and always said to myself that I must stop sometime and take a few photos...so, I guess today is the day.  Headed east from the Museum and in a few minutes pulled into the parking lot.  "Lancaster County's Red Caboose Motel offers a little bit of train history tucked away among the peaceful Amish farms of Strasburg, PA" it says in an online advertisement for the motel and today I am going to see exactly what goes on at the place.  

The Red Caboose Motel lobby. 

It was back in 1969 that Don Denlinger placed a bid of $100 on nineteen 25-ton N-5 cabooses (yes! that's how it's spelled) that were being sold as surplus from the Pennsyl- vania Railroad.  Six months later he was the proud owner of 475 tons of steel railroad cars that followed the rest of the train down the tracks.  The web page for the motel says that "Hard work, sweat, perseverance and prayer paid off and the official grand opening and open house was on Mother's Day 1970."

One of many rows of cabooses.

During summer months I have always noticed many people walking around the grounds of the motel with the myriad of cabooses in the background and wondered if it was something I might want to try.  Grabbed my Nikon and got out of my car for a trip around the grounds.  I had read that tens of thousands of travelers, rail enthusiasts and even locals have stayed at this place since it opened, and hopefully I would be able to snap a few photos of the place today.  

An Open House sign sat outside this caboose.

Four years ago the Prickett family bought the motel from the original owner, Donald Denlinger, and operate it along with the Casey Jones' Restaurant which happens to be two Pennsylvania Railroad P-70 coaches that were built in the 1920's.  The kitchen for the restaurant is a box car that connects the two coaches.  Originally, Don had painted all the cabooses red, but today they vary in color depending upon the railroad line they represent.  

Interior of caboose.  Bed, bathroom and double bunk on
the left with table and chairs and double bunk on right.

The oldest caboose is from 1898.  The grounds sport a few rows of tracks that hold the many cabooses with space between them for patrons to park their cars.  I began to document each caboose until I realized that was just going to be impossible and who would want to look at all those photos anyway.  After about a dozen cars I just enjoyed looking at the cars and the different logos on them until I came to a car that had a sign in front that declared "Open House."  

Another row of motel cabooses.

Walked up the steps and into a motel room that at one time might have visited more states than I had ever seen.  Entered into a very small area that had a double bed on the left with a few chairs and table on the opposite side and a TV on the wall.  I assumed it was the master bedroom and living quarters.  Directly behind the bedroom was a very small bathroom with a mirror outside the bathroom door.  

Outside of the restaurant cars.

The rear of the car had bunk-beds on either side which would hold a total of four people.  Above me were windows that gave light to the room.  A phone and a light or two added necessary evening light to the room.  If you suffer from claustrophobia and have a couple or three very active children, this isn't your dream vacation spot to stay, but for something totally out of the ordinary, you'd love it.  After my photo shoot was over I found my way to the nearby farmers field where I managed to find a few weeds to feed to the resident alpacas.  A few minutes later I was back once again, standing at the front desk at the Railroad Museum waiting to visit with my former student.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Inside one of the dining cars.

Two more rows of cabooses.

A friend greeted me!