Have always wanted a caboose for the backyard… A few years ago, prices were exceeding 10,000 for a caboose, and then there would be a 5-10,000 dollar charge, for loading it, hauling and setting it up… I came across a website that had a program setup to build one’s own caboose, from their basic plan… I decided that I would give this a try… The website was: http://www.dogpatchandwesternrr.com/index.php I had to put the project on hold for a couple of years, because of an illness, but have recently gained enough strength and energy back, to start working on it again… My idea of this caboose was to make it like a ““Caboose Gazeebo””… I want an enclosed are of a caboose, and open ends, to sit and enjoy the yard, garden railroad, and the pond (eventually to be dug)… So, my basic plan was to but a simulated ““tranfer”” caboose style caboose… The east end of the caboose will have an 8 foot covered Porch, to sit and enjoy the pond… Then there will be a 20 foot enclosed caboose, complete with a cupola and an actual caboose style interior, (Slightly modified), and the west end will have a 12 foot covered porch, to enjoy the view of the garden railroad… By complete caboose interior, I mean, having the capability of sitting up in the cupola… This caboose Gazeebo would also be the work area for the ““Dispatcher”” to operate out of during ““operations”” on the Bluestone Southern RR… My scenerio is that, the ““Caboose”” was lifted off it’s trucks, and the trucks were re-used on other railcars… The caboose was set on concrete blocks, to be used as an office area… first step in this process, was to pour a concrete pad, for the concrete blocks and the ““Caboose”” to be set on… Hopefully, in the future, this would help eliminate weeds, and critters from getting under the caboose…
Pad was poured in August 2010, and we let it cure out for a while, while I still worked on gaining strength, and getting more mobility back in my left arm… After the pad had cured, we got some cinder blocks, large ones, and some smaller ones, and placed the smaller ones on the large ones to rest the caboose frame on… On or about June 25th, 2011, we were able to start working on the basic frame of the caboose… In a weeks time, we had most of the basic frame installed…
It still needs some cross bracing down the middle, and the metal framing needs to be attached… Plans from here are to finish the basic frame, then get down the decking boards for the covered porches, and the wood for the subfloor of the enclosed part of the caboose… Will update, as we progress…
I quit using nails, this thing is being screwed together… Maybe bring a battery operated drill, batteries and a charger… 
