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Josh Miller/Sierra Sun Doug Riley (left) and Bart Hummer (right) hold up a sign referring to the red 1959 Southern Pacific boxcar in the background in the Zano's parking lot on Donner Pass Road.
One man wanted to move in that afternoon, others hoped it was the historic caboose out front of Zano's Restaurant that head chef and part-owner Tim Brown was trying to get rid of, and still others were just curious about the "Free train car" sign displayed outside the restaurant last week.
"There must have been at least 20 people in here asking about it," Brown said of the 1959 Southern Pacific boxcar that has sat outside the restaurant for nearly 25 years.
Once used as part of the Truckee Brewing Company, the boxcar has been empty since the brewery went out of business, and the new owners of Zano's couldn't think of a use for it.
Brown said that rather than trying to sell the boxcar, which has been valued at anywhere from $12,000 - $20,000, they decided to give it away to anyone who would commit to having it removed from the property.
According to Brown, a number of interested parties have approached him including the Truckee Donner Recreation & Park District and Boreal ski resort, but no firm commitments have been made.
Making the removal difficult is the weight of the boxcar Š estimated at approximately 35 tons Š and its proximity to the newly remodeled facade of the building.
Whoever takes the boxcar will need a crane to get it out of its current location Brown said, adding, "I just hope they don't mess up the building doing it."
