IT’S a good thing George Cunningham was a butcher in a former life because “you need a cut lunch” to get from one end of his house to the other.
You see, Mr Cunningham’s “house” in the small Riverina village of Rand is one like no other – his home is actually a train.
After growing up in a housing commission area in Scotland, with the railway yards “a part of his playground”, Mr Cunningham, 79, said there was a sense of destiny about living in a train.
“It’s nice to be in your own home,” he said.
“I was always interested in trains as a youngster.
“I was a butcher by trade but ended up driving a locomotive for BHP Steel.”
Mr Cunningham bought three carriages after seeing them advertised on the side of the Hume Highway over a decade ago.
They had been taken off the rails because they weren’t air conditioned.
From slicing meat to cutting up the inside of a Hitachi passenger train, Mr Cunningham said transforming the carriages into a living space wasn't without its challenges, while admitting he may have over-capitalised at the property he bought in 2004.
“You need a cut lunch to get to one end back to the other,” he said.
“I call it platform one, two, three and four.
“The main thing was getting a shower in.
“The cupboard space was another challenge I found, I didn’t want to block the view out, I didn’t want cupboards near the windows.
“There has actually been a few bus trips come through Rand and they’ve stopped to get their pictures taken.”
