A TRAIN repairman spent £800,000 renovating a historic 1920s Pullman train car into a Western-style home for his son – but his wife is making him sell it.
Rydel Peterson, a lawyer from Montana, said that his dad laboured over the carriage in 1998, transforming it into a liveable space that he could use for meetings in eastern Washington.
Zillow – Regent Realty PLLCTransforming the historic carriage into a liveable space cost £800,000[/caption]
Zillow – Regent Realty PLLCThe train carriage is fully adorned in a Western aesthetic[/caption]
Zillow – Regent Realty PLLCThe 900 square foot property has a range of amenities[/caption]
Rydel received the carriage from his dad a few years ago and parked it in the back of his garden.
He said: “I have a piece of property behind my house, and I thought it would be a cabin, per se, or a guest house, and it’s a good idea,
“But my wife wasn’t all that much of a big fan of it.”
The train carriage boasts three bedrooms, four bathrooms and two showers.
It comes fully equipped with a shower, kitchen, electricity, heating, air-conditioning, a workspace and with bunk-beds.
It also has a western-themed interior, which includes antler light fixtures, custom decorative window shades, cattle brand adorned woodwork, and more.
As of last month, it was listed online at £202,479.
Rydel doesn’t know how much his dad bought the historic train carriage for, but did reveal that it cost him £800,000 and two years of work to transform it into a liveable space.
His dad owned a 20 mile railroad in Washington, and frequently hosted business dinners and meetings on it.
The carriage would ride up and down the railroad during these.
The carriage now sits unused in an industrial park near Missoula, but it can be moved wherever a buyer may want.
Rydel said that the next owner could make the train car into a short-term rental, like an Airbnb.
He said: “I figured the concept of turning it into an Airbnb or having someone buy it and use it as a cabin is a good one.
“It would be kind of fun to see it moving around the United States on the railroad.”
Within its first week on the market, the renovated Pullman car had already generated much interest – Rydel had multiple showings with people from across the state.
Rydel said that if the car passes inspection it could be hooked up to the back of a passenger train and ride around the country.
He added that Amtrak used to charge $5 a mile to tow a car in the early 2000s.
This comes after a woman decided to convert an early-20th-century train car into a home.
“It was converted into a caboose car in the 40s. My family bought it when it was decommissioned,” she said.
Now, her renovated space has all of the comforts of a regular home. She has rocking chairs, a desk, a full-size bed, nightstand, flatscreen TV and lots of closet space.
A German lady has also decided to live on a train after a fight with her landlord.
Leonie Müller decided to move out of her apartment and bought a £300 pass that allowed her to board all trains in Germany.
She would wash her hair in train bathrooms and said she enjoyed the liberty the train offered her.
She said: “I really feel at home on trains and can visit so many more friends and cities.
“It’s like being on vacation all the time.”
Zillow – Regent Realty PLLCThe renovation took Rydel’s dad two years[/caption]
Zillow – Regent Realty PLLCThe three-bedroom home is on the market for £202,479.[/caption]