Palmer, Massachusetts Is a Train Town and You Can Sleep in This Caboose

A year ago, we told you about a 1919 caboose in the small town of Chester, Massachusetts that you can rent out for the night. However, we’ve just found another one you can rent out that is part of a much larger train lover’s experience in the town of Palmer – and it’s about an hour closer to the SouthCoast.

“Palmer is a railroad town,” states the website for the Steaming Tender Restaurant, noting that at one point, it was known as “The Town of Seven Railroads.” These days, there are four railroads that run through Palmer, freight lines that run right past the restaurant. In fact, the restaurant itself is in a 19th-century train station with a number of trains on display around it, including a steam engine.

As part of the many train cars on the property, restaurant owner Robin Lamothe has also refurbished a 1947 Bangor Aroostook caboose that you can rent out through Airbnb. The Bangor and Aroostook line ran from 1891 to 2003.

Lamothe also operates the Trainmasters Inn, a five-room bed and breakfast within walking distance of the restaurant, but most railroad enthusiasts would probably rather stay in the bunks of the caboose over the beds of the inn any day.

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The shops around the Steaming Tender are worth checking out as well, such as Freight House Supply, Box Car Bargains, and Trains & Toys. There are also antique stores and other shops around this quaint little downtown area that feels like a step back in time to when the railroad was king.

There’s even the Pease Collection of Historical Instruments, where you can see a number of self-playing pianos and organs along with many other instruments from the past.

Take a look at some of the photos from inside the caboose and see if you’d want to take the train fan in your life for the ultimate railroad weekend.