A group of Lake Wales students have taken it upon themselves to restore a piece of local railroad history. They're looking to their community to help them get the job done.
- Caboose at Lake Wales Depot Museum dates back to 1926
- Restoration effort idea came from Lake Wales High School IB student
- To donate to the effort, visit gofundme.com/caboose-restoration-project
The railroad caboose at the Lake Wales Depot Museum dates back to 1926. Both inside and out, it's seen much better days.
"The caboose was allowed to deteriorate by a previous organization, and we're trying to set things right," said Robert Connors from the Lake Wales Museum Association.
Adding to the toll time and the elements have taken, the caboose was recently vandalized, according to former Lake Wales Mayor Alex Wheeler.
"[Vandals] splashed paint, just busted everything they could," said Wheeler.
Photo: Stephanie Claytor, staff
Lake Wales High School International Baccalaureate student Grady Owens proposed the idea to restore the caboose.
“It’s heartwarming, it’s astounding, its emotional," said Owens. "I love railroads, I love anything history. You know just being apart of restoring something this old is amazing.”
Owens recruited about a dozen of his fellow IB students to help him with the restoration effort.
“It’s something that we learned, to not be so selfish and to do stuff for our community,” said Owens.
From railroad spikes to lunch pails, the caboose is a treasure trove of history. The group's goal is to preserve that history for generations to come.
“It tells the story of how this country was settled really, by the railroad and how this region of Florida was settled, because it was opened up by the railroads," said Connors.
The group is looking to the community for help in completing the restoration. They need additional volunteers to help with the work, and they've also started a GoFundMe campaign to collect donations to fund the remainder of the project.
To find out more and/or to donate to the effort, visit gofundme.com/caboose-restoration-project.
Robert Connors from the Lake Wales Museum Association and student Sarah Mossad are part of the group working to restore the caboose to its former glory. (Stephanie Claytor, staff)