Caboose Motel

Okay so this is a minor easter egg, a single part, so I hope it doesn't disappoint. Another of my favorite classic Lego sets was the Public Works Center, released in 1981. The Public Works Center included a yellow office and garage, and as seen in the box art below, one small detail that you'll notice on the office is a green light outside the door. I suppose this was because a yellow light on a yellow building would not have stood out very well. Whatever the reason, I loved this little detail, even as a kid. It's a small but unique feature that I think really helps make this set the classic that it is.

(Photo credit to BrickLink)

The easter egg in my Caboose Motel is that the yellow caboose has a green light outside the door. The other three cabooses each have yellow lights. So that's it, another subtle tribute to a favorite set from my childhood. What do you think? Let me know in the comments!

You may have asked yourself, "Why does this set include a cowboy and a convertible?" Well, let me tell you about that.

The cowboy and the convertible are a tribute to one of my favorite childhood Lego sets, the "Exxon Gas Station" from 1980. The Exxon station included two cars, one of which was a yellow convertible. This car included some black trim behind the driver's seat and as a kid I imagined this was the top of the convertible when it was folded down, similar to the 1968 Mustang that my next-door neighbor drove.

(Photo credit to BrickLink)

I always wished this yellow Lego car had a real convertible top. So when I needed a car for my Caboose Motel set, the Exxon Gas Station immediately came to mind. I finally had my chance to design a complete convertible and include it -- plus an updated rendition of the cowboy -- in my Lego Ideas proposal.

I have another Easter egg hidden in the Caboose Motel, from another classic Lego town set from 1981. Can you tell what it is? I'll post that in my next update!

- Pretzel

Exciting day today as “Caboose Motel” was selected as one of the “Top 5 projects under 100 supporters” in the Lego Ideas weekly digest email. This was my second project to earn that honor, following my Brick Canyon Bridge and Falls set from a few months back. Welcome to all my new supporters! I plan to add some more updates about the design idea in the coming weeks. 

- Pretzel

Thanks for checking out my Lego Ideas submission, the Caboose Motel! I didn't base this idea on any specific location, but I did want to give a shout-out to some of the Caboose Motels that really do exist. You can check them out through the links below.

• Red Caboose Motel, Ronks PA
• Oil Creek and Titusville Railroad Caboose Motel, Titusville PA
• Caboose Motel, Avoca NY
• Railroad Park Resort, Dunsmuir CA

Do you know anywhere else that you can sleep in a caboose? Leave a comment and I'll add it to the list!

- Pretzel