About the Caboose

Reserve Mining #18 was built in 1950 and traveled the South Minneapolis rail line for many years prior to being retired to the Minnesota Transportation Museum. The Rail Station Bar and Grill acquired the caboose from the museum in 2005 and returned it to its old neighborhood.

Caboose Photo Album

 

How did the caboose arrive at the Rail Station Bar and Grill?

Transporting a 30,000 pound caboose was not an easy task. We worked with a skilled team to transport the car from St Paul to Minneapolis using a flat bed truck and 300 feet of chain. In order to prepare for the arrival of the caboose, we dug a 10 foot deep hole big enough to fit the caboose alongside the Rail Station. We then laid tracks through the hole and reinforced it with a stone perimeter to ensure the caboose would be secure.

What prompted you to buy a caboose in the first place?

The caboose was a long time in the making. The idea first surfaced during a brainstorming session with Rail Station management and slowly evolved into reality in the fall 2005. The Minneapolis smoking ban was enacted in March of 2005, the caboose provided us with a unique opportunity to enhance the Rail Station while allowing customers to stay warm during frigid winter months. The “Smoking Car� has since been enhanced through the addition of seating, touch tune music, railroad décor, heating, cooling and proper ventilation.

Stop by the Rail Station Bar and Grill today to see this once in a lifetime experience!