While driving through Nederland on the Peak to Peak highway, you can’t help but notice the bright red caboose at 101 Highway 119. The closer you approach The Train Cars the more that is revealed to you. You notice first that it’s not just a caboose but three train cars arranged curiously at the entrance of the Caribou Village Shopping Center; and then you notice a neon “Open” sign.
The Train Cars has been operating in Nederland for several decades as not just an attraction of early 1900s American ingenuity, but as a cafe serving coffee and frozen yogurt that, as a business, embodies that same innovative spirit. Recently, locals and visitors alike have been approaching the steps to the front door, peeking in the windows, wondering about its fate; and on Monday, August 1, 2022, The Train Cars reopened its doors for a grand reopening.
“I’ve worked in various types of food service most of my working life, with a couple of exceptions,” Jesse Fox, the new owner and operator of The Train Cars, told The Mountain-Ear. “I came to Colorado from Vermont in 2009 and I moved up to the mountains at the end of 2012.”
Fox, who has worked as an employee of The Train Cars since 2014, spoke about how his acquisition of the business has been sudden and yet also perfect timing.
“I didn’t really see it as an actual possibility until it happened. I never really considered it because I didn’t have any of my ducks in a row and I didn’t have the down payment for an investment,” Fox said. “Then Jim, the previous owner, had expressed interest in changing over who was in charge of the note and at that point I was really ready to take that commitment. It was all just kind of surreal up until that point.”
Fox acquired The Train Cars business from Patrick Saenz, who took over for Jim Graves on September 10, 2021. Graves owned and operated The Train Cars for seven years, having acquired the business from the Guercio family.
“Jim was an awesome boss; I learned almost everything I know about this place from him,” Fox said of one of his mentors in the industry. “He really set this place up to do the best it can do in the situation. I believe there’s a little more that we can do, but for the most part when I took over the position I really just wanted to bring it back to what he was doing because that worked.”
With the insider knowledge of what makes The Train Cars not only a Nederland commodity but also successful, Fox is confident in the direction of his business, especially with a committed staff.
“I could not do this without the staff coming back on board and being down to give it their all. Everyone is completely dedicated to the revamp of The Train Cars. I have six full time staff members and I couldn’t be happier, they’re the best.”
The creative coffee shop is made up of three historic train cars; a 1906 Pullman Coach dining car, an 1872 Union Pacific Railroad post office car, and a 1910 caboose, which survived the South Platte Flood of 1965.
The post office car, which later served as an advanced advertisement car for the Sells-Floto Circus and was later donated to Nederland by the Denver Post, now houses a quaint sitting room to enjoy a quiet morning chai latte. This space has been used for live poetry readings and events in the past, which Fox plans to bring back in the near future.
The 1906 Pullman Coach dining car was retired by the Colorado and Southern Railroad in 1970 and was moved to Nederland in 1975. The dining car still operates as it was originally intended, serving customers custom caffeinated drinks, sandwiches, and freshly-made donuts topped with powdered sugar, chocolate, caramel, and whipped cream (with an option for additional sprinkles).
“I like to be in different capacities when I can, but I do like to barista. I like to serve my customers and make them happy with their cup of coffee in the morning,” Fox explained. “I got the core basics of my barista skills from Peter over at New Moon; I worked there for about a year before I came over to the Train Cars. A lot of the fine tuning on those barista skills came from Kristy, who was the top barista here at the time.”
Customers can enjoy their food with a view of the mountains while sitting in the colored sunlight that pours through the stained glass windows that align the indented ceiling, which itself is decorated with intricate red fabric. The polished wood walls of the dining car are also adorned with art by local Nederland artists.
“We’re going to expand the menu in time. We just have to make sure that everything is solid before we take on more, but I got some ideas brewing!” Fox stood just outside The Train Cars as his son dawdled and waited for our interview to come to a close. While Fox explained a little bit about his plans for the future of The Train Cars, his son made a fortuitous discovery.
“Stay tuned, we’ve got some big things coming up,” Fox said. “We’ve got some live music, some events… and during this interview my son found a four-leaf clover, so I think things are looking pretty good!”
Come and enjoy live music by Black Dog on The Train Cars patio on Saturday afternoon, August 13, 2022.
The Train Cars is located at 101 Highway119 in Nederland and is open Monday through Thursday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday through Sunday 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Follow The Train Cars Coffee on Facebook for more information and special event announcements: https://m. facebook.com/Thetraincars/
Sponsored by the Town of Nederland, with funds from the American Rescue Plan Act.
