In December 2021, we were presented with the opportunity to purchase this incredibly unique piece of property, a 1920’s Rock Island Passenger Railway Car nestled in the heart of Long Lane on 10 secluded acres, which had previously been home to some of our close friends. They had purchased the property as an escape from big city living, and took up residence within the train car, where they enjoyed homeschooling their two children in the peace and quiet of the country. When they came to us wanting to sell, we immediately wanted to jump on the opportunity, as we are Long Lane and Dallas County locals born and raised. When we acquired the property, we knew we wanted to create a one of a kind, luxurious place to stay, where couples and families could come to get away from the daily grind and relax! While the train car was fully equipped with all of the amenities to house people immediately, we really wanted to make this place something special. You see, nothing was in its original state. The train car had been remodeled several times over its lifetime, once serving as the Iron Horse Saloon, in Ozark, Missouri (more to come on that story later). Needless to say, it was sort of a hodge podge of different styles and ideas. We wasted no time whatsoever in beginning the daunting task of Operation Train Car Restoration.
So… where do you begin with a 70 foot train car restoration? Why, demo, of course!!! When Clayton and I began brainstorming what we wanted to create with this property, we knew that the first step was going to be out with the old, so we could get started on bringing in the new! Demolition began almost immediately after the bank papers were signed. We started by pulling out all of the contents of the house that were left, including the entire working kitchen, bathroom, and a walk-in cooler. Next up was the flooring, which was no easy task. The whole length of the train car floor was covered in ceramic tile, which had to be removed with lots of force. We quickly realized that the exterior doors needed some love, so we replaced them both as well. Moving from floor to ceiling, we pulled down all of the boards off the walls and took it down to studs, and also removed all the old duct work. When we got to the removal of the ceiling, we took care to preserve the metal bands that were holding up the ceiling, as well as the original track lighting. While working through all of the demo, we realized that the train car was less than efficient when it came to heating and cooling. With 48 original single pane windows, and vents in the ceiling that were open to outside air, we knew we need all the help we could get in making this space comfortable in all weather conditions. The car has now been thoroughly insulated with spray foam from wall to ceiling, closing up any gaps that were open to air and covering up some of the windows for increased privacy.
After almost a year of demo work and four dump trailer loads of old materials, we are finally in the beginning stages of bringing in the new. We are so eager to see this old train car brought back to life, and begin hosting friends, old and new! We have lots of exciting things in store for this property, but are currently stumped on what to call this place! If you have any awesome suggestions, we would love to hear them!
Follow along with us here, as we document our journey to creating a unique getaway experience in the heart of the Ozarks.
