Unique Yukon Bed And Breakfast Won't Reopen After Tornado

Deanne Stein, News9.com

YUKON, Oklahoma -- The deadly tornado on May 24 knocked a Yukon woman's business off the tracks. Now, she said she doesn't plan to reopen.

Debbie Morse opened the bed and breakfast, the Red Rooster Guest Cabooses and Inn, in 2007. It's located along N.W. Expressway just Southwest of Piedmont.

What was unique about her bed and breakfast was the fact her guests stayed in suites that were inside actual train cabooses. Debbie and her father restored the cabooses to include full baths, electricity and heat and air. She purchased the red caboose, called the Red Rooster, out of Fremont, Nebraska. The yellow one, called the Prairie Chicken, was purchased in Ada, Oklahoma.

When the tornado ripped through her property on May 24, the cabooses were derailed and knocked onto their sides, where they are still resting today.

"It's sad to drive up everyday and see them down," said Debbie Morse, owner of the Red Rooster Guest Cabooses and Inn. "I hate to leave them here to rust and I don't want to cut them up."

However, returning these 50,000 pound treasures to their rightful spots is no small task or cheap. And being underinsured, Debbie was forced to use the insurance money she did receive to make her home livable again. She said she reinvested the rest just to make ends meet, leaving little left to restore the cabooses.

Red Rooster Guest Cabooses and Inn Won't Reopen

"I think about my customers and how pretty the cabooses used to be," said Morse. "You know, you are in tears one day and trying to make all of these decisions. It's overwhelming and a roller coaster of emotions."

Debbie is considering donating the cabooses to a museum or selling them. But right now, she just needs help getting them set back up on the track.

Find out how to contact Debbie Morse if you would like to help or find out more about the cabooses at Red Rooster Guest Cabooses and Inn.