Off The Rails: Peaceful office space in Geyserville

More than 30 years ago, Martin and Eloise Hoffman located a 1930s Burlington Northern caboose in Oregon and shipped it to their Geyserville property on a flatbed truck.

They had already laid track near the original wagon train road that ran through their property so that when the truck arrived, the disassembled rail car could be unloaded and reassembled on the tracks. The wheels came first, followed by the undercarriage and finally the caboose.

It’s not unusual to find train cars on private property, but this one held a special place in the Hoffmans’ hearts. Both had kindled a love affair with trains while living in Geyserville.

Martin’s family home, the restaurant now known as the Geyserville Grille, is within walking distance of the railroad tracks. He met and courted Eloise, who lived in the Dry Creek Valley.

Both hung out at the railroad cookhouse that was located at Railroad Avenue and Geyserville Avenue and became friends with the men who worked on the trains.

They also enjoyed hopping the train to Oregon to go fishing on the Eel River. After camping for a few days, they hopped aboard for the return trip to Geyserville.

For years, the Hoffmans opened their property off Canyon Road for Geyserville’s annual May Day Festival, and locals roamed the grounds, enjoying pony rides and barbecues.

When it came time to sell, Eloise wanted the property to be kept intact. She turned down developers and horse ranchers before accepting Pat and Jennifer O’Riley’s offer.

The O’Rileys didn’t purchase the land because of the caboose, but they have spent the past 20 years restoring it with the help of their family. It now sleeps four comfortably, with air conditioning, a bathroom and a kitchenette.

The entire family helped repaint it in its original color, and Pat’s mother made the curtains and mattress covers with 1930s-era striped fabric.

Pat now uses it as a morning office, putting the coffee on so he can watch the sun rise over the mountain range. In the evenings, they sip wine with friends on the patio in front of the caboose.

And when their son returns from college, it will become a guest house.

For more about repurposed rail cars, read pressdemocrat.com/news/3095017-181/off-the-rails.