‘All aboard the nature express’: A train converted into a house for sale in Currowan

Every now and then, we come across a house conversion on the market that catches our eye, such as a church-turned-charming cottage. But it’s not every day you find yourself looking at a train that’s been completely gutted and turned into a home.

At 20 Western Distributor, Currowan, that’s exactly what you’ll get.

Two big steel railway carriages, purchased at a public auction in 2001, were brought to the 16.9-hectare block by a semi-trailer, said selling agent Rob Routledge of LJ Hooker Batemans Bay.

“The sellers spent the best part of the next two years building a home out of it. It was an ongoing labour of love for them,” he said.

“During this time, they built a shed nearby to live in while they completed the train.”

The trains were arranged directly adjacent to each other to form four bedrooms, a craft room, a study, a lounge and three bathrooms.

Mr Routledge calls out to prospective buyers “all aboard the nature express” — a playful take on the property listing, which also says the home can be “an opportunity to create a farm stay or maybe do an Airbnb let on the residence, I am sure it will be a talking point.”

The sellers wanted to retain some of the train’s unique features, including the strap handles mounted on the ceiling, the windows and the floorboards.

“There was no particular inspiration behind the build besides the fact that the sellers wanted something different,” Mr Routledge said.

“They saw it as a cost-effective way to build something on a big block of land, and it actually got bigger as it went along.”

While the main body of the trains hosts the bedrooms, a roof was installed linking both carriages to create a common area where the kitchen and dining room are located. Outside, a wraparound deck was installed with views towards the bushland.

The property comes with resident goats, and it’s also only minutes from the fresh waters of Currowan Creek.

“There’s much to explore on this parcel of land,” Mr Routledge said.

“When I first saw the property, it took me two hours to inspect because there was so much to see from the trains themselves to the creek and waterholes nearby.”

Mr Routledge said the sellers decided to sell the home in a bid to downsize and move north to Queensland.

“It’s a quirky home fit for a quirky buyer, and with nature at your doorstep, why wouldn’t you? It’s a unique property, and I think one that will interest a variety of people,” he said.