Two Volunteers Help Restore Monterey Caboose For Community

The Monterey Depot Museum Caboose got a new coat of paints thanks to two volunteers stepping up.

Monterey Depot Historical Society Volunteer Larry Vaden said he and Jimmy Whitaker heard there was a need to repaint and the two offered their services. Vaden said it was the rare occasion that overcast weather conditions helped an outdoor paint job.

“The clouds kept the heat off the steel on that car,” Vaden said. “Especially if you’re working on top, it’s like working on top of a hot stove. So with that rain coming off and on through there it really helped us out.”

Vaden said there was only primer on the caboose, which now features a bright red and yellow. Vaden said he and Whitaker are proud of the job they did.

“We just wanted to go ahead and get it painted because it was only a primer that was on there,” Vaden said. “I know the children will appreciate it, with its bright colors.”

Vaden said he was born in Monterey and still visits every two weeks to teach painting to senior citizens. He said he will always have a love for Monterey and still calls it home.