Off The Rails: Cloverdale caboose becomes cozy abode

Sometimes, the things we search for the hardest can be found in our own backyards.

Greg and Sylvia Linde, owners of Linde Vineyards in Cloverdale, wanted a train car for their property. He spent 40 years in management with the Southern Pacific Company before retiring to their Sonoma County ranch in 1990, so it seemed like a fitting addition.

After traveling around the state looking at numerous rail cars that were listed for sale, and staying overnight in others that had been turned into lodging establishments, they found the perfect one close to home, in Sausalito.

Western Pacific Caboose #37 was built in 1929. Family photographs attest to the car’s poor condition when they bought it. The interior had seen better days, and the exterior was rough and severely weathered.

“There wasn’t much inside to gut,” recalls Sylvia Linde, 83, “and the exterior was miserable.”

At first, Greg Linde, protested the idea of getting a caboose. He had hoped to find something bigger, like a dining or passenger car, maybe even an engine, but Sylvia had her heart set on the caboose. She says it was the cupola that sold him.

“Some of the cabooses have built-out sides, but I liked the look of this one better,” said Greg Linde, 89.

They had it trucked up Highway 101 to its new home, but first they had to get the site ready. They leveled a spot on the north side of their property, near the entrance. Then they built a stone foundation, laid down gravel, added railroad ties, set the tracks and dug out a septic tank.

Once the caboose arrived, a large crane lifted it onto the tracks, with the tail end facing east. Although the caboose rests on the tracks, it isn’t attached to them and still has the lock that was used to connect it to the rest of the train.

Inside is the original phone used to communicate with the engineer. The free-standing heater added by the Lindes utilizes the caboose’s original pipes.

Outside is an original train station light standard they found in an antique shop and a sign, hand-painted by their daughter-in-law, identifying the spot as “Linde Station.”

While retaining much of its original character, the interior has undergone a complete makeover. The caboose’s compact kitchen, three-piece bathroom and large sitting room/sleeping area offer comfortable accommodations, and the cupola provides both a cozy reading nook and a bird’s-eye view of the surrounding vineyards.

After more than six months of work, a grand opening party was held Jan. 12, 1994. Since then, overnight guests have most often been friends and family members, but the caboose also is available for daily or weekly rentals from May to October.

To inquire about reservations, call 857-3612 or drop a note to sylvialinde@hotmail.com.

Read more about repurposed rail cars at pressdemocrat.com/news/3095017-181/off-the-rails.