Several winters ago, in Idaho, Edward French discovered a nearly unrecognizable, wildcat-infested train car buried in a barn while helping his elderly neighbor shovel snow off the roof. He stumbled upon a photo of the train car taken in 1906, sparking his interest in its history. He found out that Car 306 had been in frequent use in Washington and Montana until 1955. After it was decommissioned, a farmer dragged it to a field 10 miles away to use as a grain and hay warehouse.
For decades, this 120-year-old antique lay forgotten on the farm, eventually becoming a relic of the past. Despite the foul smell, Edward, who runs a construction company, saw beyond the decay and ruins. He purchased the neglected piece of history for just $2,000 and set out to restore it.
During the cold winters of Idaho, Edward and his eight sons moved the 61-foot-long car to his 145-acre property. From March to August 2020, they devoted themselves to the project, investing $147,000 and countless hours to restore it to its former glory– and then some.
First, Edward and his sons stripped away the wood. To clean it thoroughly, they even used toothpicks and toothbrushes to clear every crevice before discovering that the original structure of the car was actually in good condition.
As the core of the original car began to emerge, the family realized it could be restored to its former glory. “I think, first and foremost, it was just that belief from zero to one that it was actually redeemable,” Edward’s son, Isaac French, told Epoch Times, “The further we got, the more inspired we were because we started cautiously scraping off the decay to find the original hand-painted letters—306.”
The discovery of this number confirmed that Edward had found the train shown in the original photo. “Then we connected the dots, and we knew exactly what its history was,” said Isaac, who works as a hotel consultant in Texas.
“Just like in any restoration project, you find things you didn’t think would exist,” he said, “For us, that was too rotten a part, so we had to carefully patch it with new wood chips. But in terms of all the materials, 90% to 95% of it is original.”
Isaac and his siblings tirelessly worked on restoring every part of the train car, injecting new life into the space that would eventually become their guesthouse.
“The mail car became the bedroom, the freight area became the bathroom, and the passenger area became a small kitchen and living room,” Isaac wrote in a widely shared post on X (formerly Twitter).
One of Isaac’s brothers even built a wooden structure shed and platform around the car, with the roofline mimicking traditional train depot architecture.
To stay true to the original design from the early 1900s, the French family used traditional paint colors, handmade light fixtures, and furniture from that era. “It kind of feels like going back in time, back to the feeling of riding that car as a passenger,” Isaac said.
Through the restoration process, Isaac and his siblings—who were homeschooled and worked on the farm as they grew up—deepened their bond with each other. “To engage in an activity like this when so many places in the world were closed was amazing,” he said, adding, “To bring vitality to this piece of history is very meaningful.”
Completing the project and welcoming their first guest was a gratifying experience for the French family. Isaac got married that year in October, and they spent most of their honeymoon in New England. After returning to Idaho, he and his wife spent several nights in the train car.
He said that moment was very nostalgic. “To experience it from that perspective, it’s really fulfilling because we put in a lot of effort,” he said.
When asked by Epoch Times what his favorite part of the train is, Isaac mentioned the small lounge area. “The feel there is so comfortable. It’s a good place to sit down and read or enjoy the scenery,” he said, “Clearly, the position of the car in the landscape is stunning.”
Car 306 is listed on Airbnb for $350 per night and has received overwhelming feedback. Isaac said visitors were “very enthusiastic and excited” about this unique experience.
Inspired by the success of the restored train car, Isaac developed a tiny resort property on 5 acres of land, with seven unique cabins, eventually selling it at a record price.
Currently, he is involved in 40 unique tiny resort properties nationwide and offers a course for those interested in creating such experiences.
Isaac has done significant work in transforming the train car and said, “I am passionate about creating these unique experiences. So this absolutely meets my requirements, and nothing else compares to it.”