Williamson caboose rejuvenated

By John Ellisnews@pikecountygeorgia.com Restoration of the city of Williamson’s Caboose Museum started on Monday, Feb. 18 as restorer Stephen Cooper, along with the help of Ledarius Henderson and Joe Messier, started the project inside the caboose. They first removed the caboose’s old carpeting and installed new molding while preparing for other upcoming jobs inside the historic caboose. They pressure washed the exterior and plan to maintain the integrity and original look of the caboose as much as possible. The exterior will be sanded down and painted with two coats of red paint to keep the original color scheme and the hand rails will be painted brown. The roof will have a more sloped look when finished.’We would welcome anyone who would like to volunteer some of their time to help with the city of Williamson’s beloved caboose restoration project,’ said Stephen Cooper. ‘It would be wonderful to get the community involved and anyone is welcome to come and help with sanding and other projects. It would be a lot of fun to work on the project with the community. We are looking forward to having the caboose finished before the Williamson Wisteria Festival in April.’The time frame for the project is about three weeks and will include the construction of a larger deck area outside of the caboose door.The main stairs will also be rebuilt and widened to six feet across for easier access. Adjacent to the caboose will be a concrete pad and deck area with picnic tables and a stand up grill as well as a new sidewalk. During days of inclement weather, the crew will work inside the caboose and on the outside during nice days. The caboose contains many vintage railroad items on display, including items of local historic significance. The Caboose Club still meets at the Caboose each week. Anyone interested in helping with the restoration project at the caboose can contact Williamson city clerk Karen Brentlinger 770-227-8380.