In its heyday, the little red caboose was a familiar sight chugging along at the back of the train with the conductor waving to children as it passed by.

A command center for the conductor, the caboose with its raised cupola provided a 360-degree view of the train and came equipped with a bed, toilet, stove, desk and other “amenities,” providing a home away from home for the train crew.

A nostalgic remembrance many adults hold dear, the caboose was phased out in the 1980s as increasing technology forced it into retirement.

Regardless, the caboose wasn’t relegated to the scrap yard as many of the much loved railcars were donated to museums and communities or sold to rail enthusiasts.

During that time, the Rock Island #17896 found a new home in Kingfisher and became a familiar landmark for residents and visitors alike.

Stationed on the south side of the Briscoe Oil Company building, the caboose was purchased by Lenard Briscoe over 40 years ago and has remained on display there throughout the years.

(Another caboose purchased by Briscoe is still located on a property east of Kingfisher on Shafenberg Road.)

Last week the little red caboose prepared to leave its familiar station headed for a new destination.

Cut loose from its tracks and loaded onto a specialty trailer by Mike Matthews and his crew at Wellco, the little red caboose began a new journey.

Although it wasn’t for sale, sometimes dreams prevail.

Recalling a vivid dream from 20 years ago, Lesleigh Pritchett Steuart said it was so intense that it has driven her for all these years.

Entailing a mapping of things to come at the family farm she grew up on just west of Cashion with her parents Edd and Susie Pritchett, Steuart said, “It was very specific and one of the things in the dream was a caboose.”

In preparation, Steuart and her husband, Jay, have slowly been building corrals, a home, pond and other infrastructure.

“I’ve always loved trains and every time I would drive by the caboose (in Kingfisher), I would start praying for a caboose,” Steuart said.

Finally, the realization came, Steuart said, that she didn’t want just any caboose.

She wanted “that” caboose.

She approached the late Lenard Briscoe’s family about purchasing the caboose and they came to an agreement in September.

Excited to share the news with her father, whose only hobby Steuart recalls was his love of trains, she made her way to visit him in the nursing facility he has been in for some time.

With shock on his face, he burst into tears, Steuart said as her father proceeded to tell her he chose to do business with Peoples National Bank (currently Interbank) primarily because it was located next to the caboose across the street.

“I loved to bank there, have a cup of coffee and walk around that train, dreaming of someday having something like that on our farm,” he told his daughter.

After that conversation, he purchased the caboose for Steuart so that she might use her funds “to make it beautiful again.”

Once the final deal was done and the necessary preparations were made, the caboose began its path to the farm.

It wasn’t an easy task, as the oversized load needed the proper permits and two Cimarron Electric crews hopscotching along lifting electric lines along the way as needed, Steuart said.

“It couldn’t have gone any smoother and everyone was remarkable to work with,” she said. “That’s when you know it’s a God-thing.”

Videotaping the journey, Steuart said when she showed her father the tape, it brought back so many memories for him and it was a magical moment.

The caboose still holds much of the original contents, though it has suffered vandalism and deterioration through the years.

Once the caboose is restored to its former glory by Steuart and her daughter, Nicole Koenke, it will be used as a guest house and for workshops.

Fittingly, Steuart’s desire is to utilize the revived caboose at their acreage, Soul Tribe Pharms, in her role as a certified health coach and yoga instructor assisting people with healing and restoration who are struggling in one form or another in their life, whether it be mental clarity, physical health or spiritual health, she said.

“I introduce them to a variety of different tools that may resonate with them, so they can heal and feel wholeness within their mind, body and soul,” Steuart said.

Organizing workshops and through other means, Steuart uses a multitude of tools such as yoga, meditation, prayer and nutrition to lead people to healing.

A catalyst for the work she does now, Steuart said she set out to heal her own body from the damage she had inflicted during years of alcohol abuse.

With seven years of sobriety now, Steuart said she has the luxury of being on the other side of a whole lot of stuff, is healthy and happy and wants to let her story be a light to other people that it’s worth it.

Continually adding features to the farm, Steuart said they now have a sustainable food forest which will produce a multitude of healthy fruits, vegetables and herbs, as well as provide an area for walking meditations.

She also plans to add a teepee, two silos for additional space and other features to accompany the historic caboose on the property.

Looking back at the dream she had 20-plus years ago, Steuart said, “God showed me how He wanted me to feed and heal His people and a very specifi c mapping of the property for that purpose.

“My life has changed so drastically in the last four years and I trust so much more deeply now because I’ve seen what He’s done,” she said.

As an encouragement to others, Steuart said, “Never give up on your dreams.”

Recognizing that it is hard for many people in the community to let the landmark caboose go, Steuart said it’s a beautiful piece of history and it will now be preserved and protected.

Christened the E. Edd Express, the little caboose will once again be serving as a home away from home for those who need it.

Excited to begin the work of restoration on the caboose, Steuart said, “My mom always said this is a healing place and I trust that God will bring whoever needs to be here and… that’s what it’s for.”