‘We Bought a 115-Year-Old Train Car for $3,000 and Transformed It Into a Wildly Lucrative Luxury Airbnb’

An inventive Idaho man whose family bought an abandoned 115-year-old train car for the bargain price of $3,000 has revealed how he transformed the derelict carriage into a thriving and very lucrative rental on Airbnb.

Isaac French, 27, from Deary, first stumbled across the train car six years ago, when his father—a train enthusiast—received a call from neighbors asking for help shoveling snow off the roof of their barn.

What began as a friendly favor soon became something much bigger when they discovered that the barn in question housed a 1909 train car that had been left in such terrible shape, that it seemed beyond repair.

Upon further inspection, French’s father found rotting wood, mold, and feral cats living in the structure.

“My dad went over there, and the first thing he saw under the barn was this old, dilapidated train car,” French told CNBC. “It was in really rough shape, most of the wood was starting to rot, there was algae growing on it, there were around 20 cats that were living inside so it stunk really, really badly.”

Despite the crumbling state of the train car, French’s father saw the potential and asked his neighbors if they would sell it to him for $3,000.

“[My dad] had the faith and the vision for it, and I’m so glad he did,” French said. “There’s something so rewarding about taking an old structure that was so lovingly built, and breathing life back into it.

“It would have been worth nothing to most people, but my dad saw the potential in it.”

Even after the neighbors agreed to sell the train car, they struggled to find a mover who was willing and capable of transporting the train car to the plot of land where they planned to keep it.

The process took about two years to arrange, French explained. It took an 18-wheeler and multiple bulldozers to free the 61-foot-long carriage and transport it to their property. The cost: $10,000.

French got to work as soon as it landed on the family’s property, a 10-acre plot that they purchased for $22,000 a decade earlier.

After the move, the family poured $27,000 into constructing a platform, $20,000 into refurbishing the floors, $12,000 for landscaping, and even more money on subcontractors for HVAC, electrical, and furnishings like chairs, rugs, and old chests that would tell the train’s story.

French and his family worked for six months sanding and polishing the train’s original wood panels. They restored the original windows, which could be opened once again.

“I have seven brothers and two sisters, so there’s 10 of us,” he revealed. “Almost all of us have construction skills, and my brothers and I did almost all of the work. We did have to bring in some subcontractor friends for the HVAC and a little bit of the electrical.”

French hand-painted the gold lettering on the exterior of the car to match the original branding from 1909, having found a photo of the train in its original glory.

Inside, the train’s “passenger room” was transformed into a sitting area and kitchenette rich in color. The original cargo area was repurposed with coat racks and luggage storage. A modern bathroom was installed, and the former mailroom was turned into a bedroom with a king-size bed.

Many sitting areas on the train have views of the gorgeous Idaho landscape. They chose to place the car on the highest point on their property to ensure magnificent vistas, no matter the time of year, French explained.

Outside, French showed off a mirrored sauna he installed, which reflects the natural surroundings. He also put a hot tub and a fire pit outside.

Now, Car 306 brings in guest after guest, who pay between $325 and $350 a night. The family expects to make $105,000 in 2024 from rentals.

“The most fulfilling part,” French said in a YouTube video, “is knowing that we’ve breathed life into something that was forgotten. It’s not just a train car—it’s a story, a piece of history that we’ve helped preserve. You just need love and inspiration to take something old and write its next chapter.”

Many guests who have stayed on Car 306—which ran on the Washington Idaho & Montana Railway until the 1950s—have rave reviews about the experience. One commenter on French’s video wrote, “I’ve stayed in this, it’s just as cool as you think it’d be. Magical sunset views.”

Another wrote, “love non-conventional builds like this! IMHO, the interior is pitch perfect, straddling the line between historic feel and modern comfort. I certainly would rent it out if I was in the area.”

Another called the transformation “brilliant,” writing, “What a fabulous creative labor of love by your family. Starting with a total wreck, you put together a plan incorporating beautiful details and brought it all together in a wonderful complete package.”