Hartsburg MKT Caboose Open for Rental

By: Ernie Wren
Southern Boone, and particularly Hartsburg, is home to a key part of the Missouri-Kansas-Texas (MKT) Railroad Trail, which stretches 240 miles in total across Missouri and allows travelers to see some of the most picturesque parts of the state along the Missouri river.

It is the longest, continuous rail to trail conversion in the nation, and the first section of the trail opened in Rocheport in 1991. Hartsburg, as one of twenty-six trail heads, has several diverse commercial and recreational opportunities for visitors to explore.
This includes the newly renovated MKT train caboose in the middle of town, which is now available to rent. The Boone County Journal reached out to Jessica Kempf, co-owner of the rental, about what motivated their investment in Hartsburg. Here is a portion of her story.

“My husband, Travis, and I were both born and raised in Boone County. We have two children, Colten (14) and Callie (12). We both have worked in real estate for decades. Travis is a full-time Realtor, and we also fix & flip some properties. We love to see the potential for homes that may have seen better days and bring them back to their former glory. We also own & operate several rental properties in Boone County. Most are in Columbia, but we also own two AirBNB properties in Rocheport.

We love Rocheport dearly and love the Katy Trail and all it offers to those living in Boone County along with visitors to the area! After connecting with the previous owner of the caboose, we knew this would be a perfect opportunity for us to expand our love for Boone County, the Katy Trail and own such a unique piece of property! I mean…who doesn’t want to own a train car?!

We dug in right away and began a small remodel project on both the caboose & the cottage. Our family spent our first night at the cottage on the weekend of the Hartsburg Pumpkin Fest and quickly found the charm in the small town of Hartsburg. I also have a personal tie to Hartsburg – my parents first met at the Hartsburg Hitchin Post over 44 years ago!

Fun facts about the caboose … It was an original caboose of the MKT train and was built in the late 1940’s. It does sit on railroad ties as it sits right now, although they are not part of the original railroad. The caboose was hauled in and set up by a crane. The original color of the caboose was yellow. It was painted red many years ago!

We purchased the property from Bill Molendorp, the Hartsburg Mayor. I am sure he could provide you a lot more detail on the train & its history in Hartsburg as well!
We think the Katy Caboose & Cottage are a perfect getaway for those riding along the trail, or for those who are wanting a quick getaway in mid-Missouri. The caboose sleeps four people and has been remodeled including new flooring, paint & windows. While there is no bathroom (or plumbing) in the caboose directly, there is a bathroom reserved for the exclusive use of caboose guests on the bottom floor of the building next door, just a few steps away from the caboose front door.

The cottage, which is located on the 2nd floor of the building on property, is a more traditional Airbnb with one bedroom, bathroom, full kitchen and living room. The property sits directly adjacent to the Katy Trail. The front yard has a lovely deck and a fire pit as well. Views of the crop fields and river bluffs are so picturesque past the trail any time of year.

We look forward to hosting some events there as well! Next year we plan on hosting “Polar Express nights” for little ones to visit the caboose, drink hot cocoa and see the magic of a train car. We also plan to offer a small snack & drink area for the guests of the caboose & cottage – this will allow bicyclists who like to pack light to grab a snack or small meal while they spend the night at our place. We are excited about what the future holds for the Katy Caboose & Cottage. Rates begin at $89/night for the caboose and $129/night for the cottage. Either can be booked on Airbnb or VRBO.