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Frequently Asked Questions


Do You Offer Gift Certificates?
Absolutely. Click the link: HERE 
Do You Support Our Charity?
We get 1-2 requests per day for room donations to charity. In fact, we have so many outstanding donations, we could fill the resort for a month with recipients of charitable donations. To be fair to the charities and to insure that we don't become one, our accountant has limited the number of charitable donations to one gift certificate per month chosen by raffle from those who have stayed with us in the past. The certificate will be offered to a Lake County charity for a silent auction where we can also display our model caboose and brochures with a request made by a guest who has stayed with us in the past. Please provide a request in writing using your charity's official company letterhead 90 days prior to the event. We will conduct a drawing of these requests with one awardee per month. We get so many people who have never stayed with us wanting a free night, how can they tell if we're worth giving away if they weren't a guest at some point? So only requests from previous guests will be honored.
How Did the Cabooses Get There? 
 One of the questions we get asked all the time is "How the heck did you get those cabooses there?" It's actually a pretty complicated process.  
 
The first thing you have to do is find cabooses for sale. When the Featherbed Railroad Company was founded in 1988 the railroads were retiring cabooses. In those days it was easy to find retired cabooses and they were relatively inexpensive. But, you still had to get them where you wanted them.

So, Kelly & Sherry McLean and Len and Lorraine Bassignani found nine cabooses and used the McLean's expertise in moving (they own Broadway Moving and Storage - a great company!) to move the cabooses here. Essentially, to move a Caboose, you have to put it on a special trailer called a Low Boy. Each caboose weighs approximately 50 tons, so you also need one heck of a truck to pull that trailer. 
  

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caboose in shade
Once you've got the cabooses to the location where you want them, the next trick is getting them off the truck and to their permanent home. First, you lay track according to Federal guidelines. Then you place the wheels. 

Then you get the best crane operator you can find to lift the cabooses off the Low Boy and onto the wheels on the track. This crane operator has to be good enough to miss tree limbs, bushes, electrical wires and even the guy who might want to stand under the caboose while it's in the air!

To turn a caboose into a permanent building you weld the wheels to the track and then bring in plumbing, electrical and gas. Now you've got a permanent building. The next step is to take an empty, rusty metal "building" and turn it into a unique guest suite with all the amenities. We're still working on that side of the story and hope to get pictures, but we'll be happy to show you how a caboose looked before it became a suite - we have one left like that hidden away in the back. We also get a good number of people interested in buying a caboose and you can get your very own rail car through a company called RailMerchants. There is also a company that makes replica caboose kits which are pretty slick.
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caboose on huge truck
What if I Have to Cancel?
If something comes up, we are happy to accommodate you. Our cancellation policy is that we will never charge you if you cancel 7 days or more before your stay with us. Due to the popularity of our resort, cancellations made within 7 days of check-in will be charged for the first night.
What Time are Check-In and Check-Out?
Check in is from 3-7P.M. and check-out is by 11A.M.. 
Are you Dog-Friendly?
Absolutely - we've got a page about our dog-friendly rooms.
Are the Cabooses Family-Friendly
The cabooses all feature one queen-size bed and all the ingredients for a romantic getaway. With a Jacuzzi tub right in the middle of the caboose, there's not a lot of privacy for people unaccustomed to seeing one another in their birthday suits. Local regulations limit the number of guests in any of our rooms to two human occupants and California law requires that at least one occupant be an adult (at least 18 years of age) and an infant does count as one person in the eyes of the law. For those looking for a family-friendly vacation spot that features cabooses, can strongly recommend the Railroad Park Resort.
How is Breakfast Served?
Our dining room is set-up with individual two-person tables so each couple is afforded their own dining experience. Many of our guests are experiencing their first bed and breakfast with us and prefer this more intimate dining experience. Guests are very happy to hear that our breakfasts are served between 9-10am every day. This means you don't have to get up at the crack of dawn to grab one of our home-made breakfasts. If you are staying with us for business and need an earlier start, or have plans for the day that include an earlier start, we have several options available - let us know. We can also be creative in accommodating many special diets - give us an advance notice and we're happy to adjust our menu to your needs.
Is there a Restroom in the Cabooses?
Absolutely - each caboose has its own private toilet and sink. For rooms with a Jacuzzi tub there is a hand-held shower head as part of that tub. We told you these things were bigger than you thought.
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caboose layout
Do the Cabooses have Heat and Air Conditioning?
Yep - each caboose has its own heating and air conditioning system. They also each feature a coffee maker and a bar-size refrigerator. For the cabooses with a two-person Jacuzzi tub, there is a hand-held shower head as well in the tub.
How Large are the Cabooses inside?
Each caboose is approximately as about as big as a typical bedroom - somewhere around 300 sq. ft. With all the windows and the very high ceilings - some as high as 20 feet! - they feel very open.
Where is the Featherbed Railroad?
We've got an interactive map right on our contact us page.