You can buy an actual Santa Fe railroad caboose on a dirt lot in Marfa
Marfa is known for some pretty weird art installations, but this real estate listing might take the cake. It is a genuine, rusty red Santa Fe railroad caboose sitting on its own set of tracks on a quarter-acre lot.
On the tracks
From the side, it looks exactly like something you’d see rolling down the line fifty years ago, complete with the faded yellow Santa Fe logo.
The end of the caboose has the classic metal platform where the brakeman would stand to watch the tracks.
You can see the heavy-duty couplers and the steps leading up to the platform.
It is parked on a short stretch of actual rails with wooden ties, set right into the dirt.
From the front or back, the silhouette is unmistakable.
The green machine inside
When you open the door, you are greeted by a completely green-painted interior that feels like a time capsule.
The space is narrow and simple, with old wood plank ceilings and metal walls.
There are two heavy-duty conductor chairs facing each other, still bolted to the floor.
A wire mesh partition separates the main seating area from the rest of the car.
Looking back the other way, you get a sense of how the crew lived and worked in this small space.
The mobile office setup
There is a built-in wooden desk under one of the side windows where the conductor probably filled out endless paperwork.
Right above the desk, there is an old metal first aid kit still mounted to the wall.
The wall next to the desk still has some of the original pressure gauges and valves intact.
It is basically a museum piece of early-to-mid century industrial design.
Living quarters, train style
Further down the car, you run into the mechanical and utility equipment.
There is a massive built-in metal cabinet structure that probably served as storage or closet space.
A giant horizontal water tank is mounted high up on a metal frame.
The bathroom situation is, well, historic, to say the least.
The stencil on the wall makes it very clear that you need air pressure to run the facilities.
An old cast iron stove sits in the middle of the room, which was once the only source of heat on cold desert nights.
There are also various original storage boxes and brackets scattered throughout.
A blank canvas in West Texas
The exterior metal shows decades of desert sun, giving it a great weathered look.
The lot itself is just over a quarter of an acre, giving you plenty of space to build something next to it or just leave it as is.
If you have ever wanted to own a piece of railroad history in one of the most eccentric towns in Texas, this might be your chance.
