( CNN ) Christopher Nowak says none of his friends were surprised when he and his wife decided to use a down payment for a home on a monorail car instead . After all , this was no ordinary monorail car , and Nowak is not your average collector . This was the front cab of an original monorail train that transported millions of visitors throughout Walt Disney World in the 1970s and 1980s . The original Mark IV monorail trains were retired in 1989 to make room for a new generation of models , according to the Orlando Sentinel . Nowak and his wife are Disney fanatics who honeymooned at Disney World and once visited all the Disney parks in the world ( minus Paris ) in a month . He 's also a self-described artist , inventor and collector of `` weird old vehicles , '' including an articulated bus he claims to have transformed into a mobile nightclub . The couple from Chico , California , purchased the cab in 2014 , dreaming of the day they might use it to drive their kids to school or bring it to the annual Burning Man festival ( Nowak declined to say what he paid for the rail car . ) But plans change . Nowak listed the item last week on eBay for $ 260,000 with a starting bid of $ 169,000 . More than 1,500 people were watching the auction as of Saturday night , though no one had bid . The listing itself was pulled from eBay on Sunday . Nowak , who owns a sound and lighting custom stage design company , had told CNN he and his wife needed the money to fund their next big project , but he declined to provide details . `` My wife and I had plans for it , but we 're kind of strapped for cash , so we figured , let 's put it out and see what happens . '' The listing provided some insight into what Nowak might have had in mind for the cab . `` Some people have train cars in their back yard , imagine your own monorail guest room , or man cave . Mount it on a bus chassis and drive it around ! ! Turn it into your kids ' ultimate clubhouse , '' the description on the eBay page read . `` This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to own a very serious piece of Disney history . '' The listing said the vehicle is available for viewing in Tampa , where Nowak left it with a friend after buying it from a seller in Georgia via eBay last year . CNN could not independently confirm its authenticity . Nowak says he did not receive a title or certificate of authenticity when he purchased the cab but he is confident that it 's the real deal . `` I guess there 's chance it could be a reproduction , but I 'm not too worried , '' he said . The listing promised free shipping , but Nowak is not sure that he 's ready to part with the item . `` I 'm sure I 'd have salty taste in my mouth if it gets sold , but we 'll see what happens , '' he said . `` If this thing gets sold , I know that in 20 years , I 'll look back and think that of all the things I got rid of , this is the coolest . ''
The locomotive has been removed from sale . The front cab of a toy Disney express monorail train is on sale on sale . The seller is a Disney salesman who 's not sure whether he 's ready to proceed with it .