The History as we know it of "Railcar 456"
This page is a work in progress. We are working on gathering the history of this railcar and will update it as we find more information!
If you recognize this railcar and have any pictures or information please contact us at info@traincar.net
Big thanks to: John Suscheck – Marla Cox – Harold Dishman
The history of Railcar 456 didn’t reveal itself all at once. It came in pieces, scattered across decades, waiting for someone to connect them.
One of the first clues showed up when we rewired the electrical system. The breakers were labeled “Game 1,” “Game 2,” “Game 3,” and so on. We had no idea what that meant. For a while, we even joked that maybe this old railcar had been part of some underground gambling setup. The real answer was far more interesting. After our story aired on KY3, people reached out and explained that the railcar had been transformed into an arcade in the late 1970s known as Crazy Cleve’s Game Train—right in Iola, Kansas. Suddenly those mysterious breaker labels made perfect sense.
Another clue was the full walk-in cooler that sat inside the car when we purchased it. That told us it had once been some sort of restaurant or bar, but we didn’t know the details. The truth came to light when we power-washed the exterior and uncovered the faded letters of the Iron Horse Saloon, which also operated in Iola, Kansas. KY3 contacted us and did a story on our railcar. (See the story here!) Not long after the story aired, the former owner Harold Dishman, messaged us on Facebook and confirmed that he had run the Iron Horse Saloon out of this very railcar.
Piece by piece, the picture is slowly coming together as we find more evidence.
War, Work, and Wandering (1930s–1940s)
During the Great Depression and WWII, the railcar stayed busy.
It carried students, soldiers, and countless everyday people. It wasn’t fancy, but it was dependable.
As newer, sleeker trains were introduced, this car moved to smaller routes, carrying passengers between the little towns across Kansas, Iowa, Missouri, and Oklahoma.
It did its job without complaint.
Retirement and Waiting (1950s–1970s)
By the 1950s, the car’s railroad days were ending. Passenger trains were disappearing, and railroads no longer needed big heavyweight coaches like this one.
The car was retired and stored—quiet, still, and waiting for whatever came next.
For years, it sat in a rail yard with dozens of other retired cars. Most would be scrapped.
But this one had another life ahead of it.
Crazy Cleve’s Game Train (1981)
In 1981, a man with a wild imagination named “Crazy Cleve” bought the car.
A crane lifted it into place at the corner of Madison & State Street in Iola, Kansas. Workers filled the inside with arcade games, bright lights, and the sounds of kids having fun.
On December 10, 1981, it opened as:
Crazy Cleve’s Game Train
Iola’s most unusual arcade.
Children laughed, quarters clinked, and the old Rock Island passenger coach found new life as a game parlor.
Crazy Cleve's Game Token
Inside the railcar we have lots of different artifacts from the car’s history. This is one of them!
It is physical proof of one of the most unique chapters in this railcar’s life. Anyone can tell a story, but a token you can actually hold in your hand is a connection straight back to the late 1970s and early 1980s when this very car was filled with blinking arcade cabinets, kids lined up with pockets full of quarters, and the excitement of a real “game train” parked right in Iola, Kansas.
Barbecue, Saloon, and Saturday Nights (1980s)
In the early 1980s, the railcar moved across town to sit beside the A&W restaurant at East & Ohio. Here it became:
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The Iron Horse Barbecue
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The Iron Horse Saloon
George and Liz Armer ran it first, then Harold and his wife took over in late 1983. With Kansas being an 18-year beer state and Iola’s small college nearby, the saloon became a popular hangout.
Music played, friends gathered, and the car—once a quiet railroad coach—filled with life again.
The saloon closed in 1985, and the railcar sat silent once more.
A New Journey to Missouri (Late 1980s)
Around 1986–87, the railcar was purchased by Max Manning and moved to Highlandville, Missouri. Local newspapers wrote about the move, and the car was briefly intended to become the Iron Horse Chapel, part of a small Christian ministry.
Sometime afterward, it was converted into a girls’ dormitory, giving it yet another chapter of unexpected purpose. (We are still looking for these articles and photos!!)
The Cox Family Era (Late 1980s–1990s)
Bill and Jan Cox purchased the railcar next. They used it as:
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a personal office,
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then later a small restaurant,
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all on their property near Highlandville and Ozark.
The local newspaper, the Ozark Headliner, even printed photos of the car being set into place.
A Quiet Life by a Pond (2000–2019)
In 2000, the railcar made its final move to:
Long Lane MO – It was brokered and moved by John Suscheck (Kirbyville MO)
James and Laura Pratt set the car beside a peaceful pond and used it as a hunting retreat.
It sat quietly among the trees, weathering the seasons and waiting for the next chapter.
Debbie Poelma sent us a message, she says she remembers John stopping by to ask permission to cut a tree on the corner of her property so the traincar could make the corner to its final destination. She remembers watching the car go by.
Homeschooling and Family Life (2019–2021)
In 2019, Josh and Ashley Hicks bought the railcar.
They lived in it part-time, cared for it, and even homeschooled their two children inside its steel walls. They kept the car in good hands until selling it in 2021.
Restoration and Rebirth (2021–2024)
Clayton and Ashley bought and began restoring the railcar in 2021.
This wasn’t quick work. It needed vision, sweat, and a whole lot of heart.
Walls came down. Windows were fixed. New life was built inside an old frame that had already survived more than 100 years of history.
Piece by piece, the railcar transformed again.
Railcar 456 Opens to Guests (2024–Present)
In late 2024, the work was finished, and the railcar reopened—this time as:
Railcar 456
A one-of-a-kind Airbnb tucked into the quiet Missouri countryside.
Guests now stay where:
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soldiers once rode,
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kids played arcade games,
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couples enjoyed saloon nights,
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students slept on bunks,
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a family homeschooled their children,
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hunters warmed up after cold mornings,
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and a century of stories unfolded.
Today, the railcar is booked, loved, photographed, and talked about by travelers from everywhere.
Railcar 456 has finally found its home.
