Monterey Caboose Under Renovation

The Monterey Depot Historical Society set to begin renovations at the Monterey Depot Museum to turn a railroad dining car into a community room.

Monterey Depot Historical Society Member Rafferty Cleary said the renovations will add more to the depot museum and fulfill a common request from the public to walk inside the dining car. Cleary said currently the dining car is off-limits to the public for safety reasons.

“Because of its current condition, we can’t allow that to happen,” Cleary said. “We’ve got an opportunity to fully renovate the dining car and to get it open and accessible to the public and just add another amenity to the museum when folks come and visit but also another attraction for the town.”

Cleary said he is hoping the renovations will be complete by summer. Cleary said once complete it will be one of the more unique attractions in the Upper Cumberland.

“To my knowledge, I don’t think that there is anywhere in close proximity that will offer this,” Cleary said. “So we are excited about that and it is another attraction for the town of Monterey and another way to draw visitors in and hopefully to disperse them throughout our community and spend more money at our shops and restaurants and attractions in town.”

Cleary said the non-profit is also looking into implementing an Airbnb inside the caboose adjacent to the dining car. Cleary said the Airbnb proposal is not official but would compliment the renovated dining car nicely.

“We just thought if we got money left over and them being side by side we are going to make one accessible to the public we might as well make the other accessible to the public,” Cleary said. “Being able to live and sleep inside the caboose just presents a whole other element and opportunity.”

Cleary said many places have seen success with turning train carts into places where people can stay. Cleary said the final budget for the project is not known as they are buying materials for the project as they go.