Entry No. 30 — the Boulder file — filed under: converted-railroad
Train Cars Coffee & Kava
Three century-old railroad cars sit side by side at 8,236 feet on the Peak to Peak Highway in Nederland, and together they form one of Colorado's most singular coffee stops. The anchor is a 1906 Pullman dining coach built for the Colorado and Southern Railroad — plush wooden construction, steel reinforced in 1922, retired from the Denver-to-Louisville run in 1970. Beside it stands a 1910 Colorado and Southern caboose with its original all-wooden curved ceiling and sleeping bunks for eight, damaged in the 1965 South Platte Flood and still bearing the scars. The third car is the strangest: an 1872 Union Pacific railway post office car that spent time as an advance-advertising car for the Sells-Floto Circus, promoting shows featuring Buffalo Bill Cody in 1914–15 — original exterior painting intact. Each car has its own personality; a piano room and game room fill out the space. The menu runs locally roasted coffee, Grade A kava, breakfast sandwiches, and legendary mini donuts.
The move: Drive the Peak to Peak Highway from Boulder and make this your first stop. Pick a car based on mood — the circus car for the most surreal backdrop, the caboose for cozy privacy. Order kava or a cortado, split the cinnamon-sugar mini donuts, and let the weird history of the rolling stock do the talking.
📍 Before you go Open daily 6:30 AM – 6:00 PM, year-round — no reservations needed. Nederland sits at 8,236 ft so expect cold mornings even in summer; bring a layer. Weekends draw bigger crowds; weekday mornings are quieter. Parking is easy in the gravel lot alongside the cars. The shop is dog-friendly. From Pearl Street in Boulder the drive is roughly 35–40 minutes up Canyon Boulevard — factor in the elevation gain if you are sensitive to altitude.
- 📍 Nederland, CO
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 101 S Peak to Peak Hwy (CO-119), Nederland, CO 80466
Hours: Added 2026-06-11 — confirm current hours before you go.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Proof: source 1 · source 2 · source 3 · source 4
last checked: 2026-06-11