An ordinary man from Idaho has transformed a decrepit train car into a thriving luxury travel business that rakes in more than $85,000 a year in bookings.
Isaac French shared his father’s remarkable journey of restoration and entrepreneurship in X on Wednesday.
“My father bought this 120-year-old train car for $2,000. It was a rotting, cat-infested mess. But after investing $147,000 and five months of work, we brought it back to life. Today it’s one of the most profitable and exclusive accommodations in the country,” French said.
French told Dailymail.com: “It was very hard… I didn’t see any hope at first. I don’t think anyone believed in it at first. The hardest part was getting started.”
But the results have been remarkable. “It paid for itself in 18 months,” French said. “It’s now making between $75,000 and $85,000 from the bookings.”
The story began when French’s father, a plumber who owns a construction company and runs a business that hosts agritourism on his family’s farm, answered a call from an elderly farmer who needed help clearing snow from the roof of a collapsing barn.
An ordinary man from Idaho has turned a decrepit train car into a thriving business, earning $85,000 a year.
Inside the barn, he discovered an old combination railcar (passenger, mail and freight) that had become home to about 20 cats.
Isaac French (pictured) shared his father’s remarkable journey of restoration and entrepreneurship on X on Wednesday
After some research, they identified the wreck as the WI&M Car 306, built in 1906.
The vehicle had been decommissioned in the 1950s when local roads were dug up and a farmer hauled it 10 miles to use as a grain store and feed truck.
Car 306 was originally purchased by the Washington Idaho & Montana Railway in 1909 to serve the burgeoning logging industry.
After decades of service, he ended up in a barn that housed cats until French’s father discovered him and rescued him.
French’s father purchased the car for $2,000 before facing the challenge of moving the 61-foot train car over winding, mountainous country roads.
Two months and $10,000 later, a local trucker successfully moved the car to its new home.
The family then embarked on a vast restoration project.
After some research, they identified it as WI&M Car 306, built in 1906.
The car had been decommissioned in the 1950s when local tracks were lifted and a farmer had dragged it 10 miles to use for storing grain and feeding cows.
Car 306 was originally acquired by the Washington Idaho & Montana Railroad in 1909 to serve the burgeoning logging industry.
French’s older brother built a wood-frame shed with a platform around the car, mimicking traditional warehouse architecture.
“And then the *real* work began…” French wrote. “My older brother built a shed and a wooden-frame platform around the car, with a roofline that mimicked traditional depot architecture. (This would be crucial to protecting the unique car and enhancing the train’s ambiance.)”
“It was early 2020… With a pandemic sweeping the world, it was the perfect time to embark on an adventurous outdoor project.”
“That’s exactly what we did. My brothers and I took on different parts of the job, painstakingly restoring every piece of the car. We reimagined the space…” he added.
The interior was completely renovated, with the mail compartment converted into a bedroom, the cargo area into a bathroom, and the passenger space into a small kitchen and lounge.
After investing $147,000 and five months of work, they listed the converted train car on Airbnb. French said bookings started coming in immediately.
“But then something unexpected happened…” he wrote.
French’s father purchased the car for $2,000 before facing the challenge of moving the 61-foot train car over winding, mountainous country roads.
The interior was completely renovated, with the mail compartment converted into a bedroom, the cargo area into a bathroom, and the passenger space into a small kitchen and lounge.
After investing $147,000 and five months of work, they listed the converted train car on Airbnb. French said bookings started coming in immediately.
Asked about the inspiration behind this unique restoration project, French told Dailymail.com: “It was really a family collaboration and my father was the original inspiration with his love of trains. I’ve always been passionate about creating unique experiences.”
The success of this project gave rise to other opportunities.
The family purchased and restored the nearby Deary train station, turning it into a unique three-unit residence.
‘Just a few miles away in Deary (population 550), the old train station, the same one this carriage had stopped at countless times, came up for sale. To most, it wasn’t worth much, so we took the plunge. You guessed it – we also restored it and turned it into a unique three-unit accommodation! But it gets even better…’
They also acquired and transformed an old caboose into another rental property, effectively restoring Idaho’s rail ecosystem.
Car 306 has been open for four years now and has achieved 90 percent occupancy at rates above $350 per night.
The interior of the train (entrance shown here) was completely renovated, with the mail compartment and cargo area converted into sleeping quarters and the passenger space into a small kitchen and lounge.
Car 306 has been open for four years now and has achieved 90 percent occupancy at rates above $350 per night.
French describes it as “one of the most exclusive stays in the country” and says: “Guests are going crazy…”
The project has not only created a lucrative business, but has also attracted visitors from around the world to their small town.
French stressed that this success did not require a fortune, just “a vision, faith and some good old-fashioned labor of love.”
The success of this project has had a significant impact on the local community, French explained.
“The transformation was incredible,” he said. “This project, the train car alone, was revolutionary in our community. We hosted over 85 guests from all over the country who flew in from as far away as Belgium to come to the middle of nowhere and stay in this train car.”
French has since created a company to help others with their entrepreneurial endeavors, called Experiential hospitality, Created to help others create their own unique hospitality offerings.
