Historic 'Trolley' emerges from ashes to new home and life at Sockeye Brewery

July 2024 · 2 minute read

Back in the day --1883 -- this railroad car was officially known as Oregon Railroad and Navigation Co. Coach 94.

When it was retired from railroad duty in 1933, the railcar began its second life...as a bar: most fondly remembered as "The Trolley": a uniquely popular neighborhood tavern on the Boise Bench.

But The Trolley was destroyed by an arson fire in 2006.

However, The Trolley wasn't finished yet.

In 2009, Fred Schuerman, owner of Sockeye Brewery, bought the burned-out relic.

"When he bought it, it was literally burned to a crisp," said Tyson Cardon, sales and marketing director for Sockeye. "Everything you see here has been restored. Fred Schuerman and his wife Linda are really the ones responsible for making this happen."

Of course, restoring the trolley was a classic labor of love.

But now Schuerman's grand plan is coming to fruition.

On Sunday, the trolley will be lifted by a crane and placed on a foundation next to the Sockeye Grill and Brewery's Fairview Avenue location.

"We recently had it repainted," Cardon said. "And we're going to have Sockeye Brewery Railroad Car #1 hand-painted with gold lettering. And we're going to paint the old Oregon signage to pay respects to where it came from. Eventually, we want to use it for private events, it can seat 25 to 30 people. It'll be cool and unique, maybe we'll host a wedding someday."

Sockeye Brewery Railroad Car #1 won't be open to the public for a month or so, there's still some tender loving care to be done inside. But we'll keep you posted on when The Trolley's new life begins.

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