Experience life on the rails in a restored train caboose turned Airbnb in Pennsylvania
STATE COLLEGE - Just off the trailhead for Bald Eagle Valley Trail sits an old train caboose. Although it may look like any old train car, inside it's a fully converted Airbnb run by the Clinton County Historical Society.
The 1941 caboose was acquired by the society in 2012 and opened as an AirBnb in 2015. It features a kitchenette, two twin beds, a small seating area and has access to Wi-Fi.
In front of the train's entrance is a 1932 replica water tower built by Keystone Central technical students, detailing the history of the railroad and the Castanea station.
Bonnie Hannis, president of the Clinton County Historical Society, said the caboose has housed guests from across the country — and the world — come to see what life looked like on the rails.
“The first guest who stayed in the caboose when we opened it up as an Airbnb was a grandfather who had worked on the railroad,” Hannis said. “He brought his grandson because he wanted his grandson to have the experience of what it was like to have your home on wheels.”
What started as a small side program for the historical society became a lifesaver during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“When we were not able to open as a museum, we could still rent it out because it only accommodates two people,” Hannis said. “So we were able to keep some money flowing into the organization.”
Outside the train car is the Castanea Railroad Station, which houses the Clinton Central Model Railroad Club. The club meets Tuesday nights, and visitors can drop in and see trains run through mountains and valleys of miniature towns.
Close to 50 members, spanning from teens to retirees, continuously work on the model railroad, building factories, houses, bridges and wiring trains.
The model is also full of hidden details and parts of the club's personal history, Wain Schroeder, the chairm an of the board of directors for the club, said. Buildings and places in the model are named after past club members or their families.
“Every single piece of rolling stock on the layout has an individual ‘car card' showing whats inside that car, where it's coming from and where it's going,” Schroeder said.
Nearly everything on the model is wired to computers, letting each train run independently and controlling everything from traffic lights to crossing guards. There's even a drive-in movie theater showing classics like “The Dirty Dozen” and a replica of an old plane that crashed on the mountain.
The club hosts sales and several open house days in the fall to showcase the railway to the community.
For Hannis, the caboose and station provide everything visitors could ask for, including the trailhead for the Bald Eagle Valley Trail.
“Think about what we have here,” Hannis said. “A place where you can stay overnight, information about the community, this wonderful display and the trailhead for hiking.”
Availability: April to October
How to get there: Drive Interstate 80 toward Lock Haven; the address of the train station is 15 Logan Ave., Lock Haven
What to know: The model railway can be seen on Tuesday nights from 6-9 p.m. during the members meeting, except for the third Tuesday of the month. Entrance to the caboose is up a small set of stairs.
Other things to do: Bald Eagle Valley Trail, Piper Aviation Museum.