Forget tailgating outside in lawn chairs before a football game. Now, fans can buy a luxury train car for that purpose just across from EverBank Field — and the railcars may cost more than your home.
The railcar community is called Adams Street Station, located next to the Hart Bridge across from the stadium. There are 25 train cars lined up and permanently parked around a pavilion.
“It’s a gated community that’s basically designed for tailgating,” Adam Street Station Marketing Manager Mike Parrish said.
Parish likes to call it “railgating.” It’s modeled after a similar community of cabooses in South Carolina.
In Jacksonville, 16 train cars are for sale. One of them, railcar No. 5, is a long slender red parlor car, furnished just like a home.
There’s a bedroom and bathroom with a shower in the back and a decked-out kitchen up front.
“All these cabinets are new,” Parrish said of the kitchen. “This is a wood countertop here and and this is a Cambria countertop, they have the glass tile backsplash.”
And in the middle of the car, the living room. Parrish said when it comes to the decor, no expense has been spared. There are $4,000 chairs, $800 lamps and Parrish even points out a furry throw on the couch, saying it was $500.
“You know a person that’s going to buy a luxury product like this, would enjoy the features that are in it,” he said.
Railcar No. 5 is $315,000. And the railcar nextdoor, it’s even more —$360,000, Parrish said.
“This is really for the ultimate Gator fan,” he said, entering the blue and orange train car.
The entire car is aGator themed parlor car. A blue neon light lines the ceiling. Orange glass tile is above the kitchen range.
“This has got a dual kegerator in here for beer,” Parrish said. “It’s got four TVs in here. We have a lot of sports paraphernalia in here that’s signed and autographed.”
It's complete with a deck overlooking RV City, where people tailgate during the annual Florida-Georgia game. There’s a similar Georgia railcar under construction.
But Parrish said there are cheaper options that start around $195,000. “That’s basically for a caboose maybe that’s in drywall state,” Parrish said.
And who's buying theses railcars you ask? Parrish said most of the people who own one of the train cars are small business owners or executives.
Although owners aren’t allowed live in them, they can stay overnight for tailgates and such, and also use them as office space. Parrish said he can envision business owners using them to entertain clients.
Lindsey Kilbride can be reached at lkilbride@wjct.org, 904-358-6359 or on Twitter at @lindskilbride.
