Tonight, we actually entered the Mansfield Depot Caboose for the first time. The end doors of the caboose were covered with plywood so we had to take the plywood off. When I tried to open the door, it appeared to be locked from the inside. I had to climb through the side window to unlock the door from the inside. After I got inside, I realized how eerie it was to be in the caboose. The last people to be inside the caboose were people eating at the restaurant in July 2003. The tables were set for the next day. It was like we took a step back in time to 2003. For the most part, the interior is in excellent condition. The only problems noted was that the floor near the end with the fire damage is warped up, probably a result of the fire. The closet doors on that end will not open.
Outside the caboose, Xian Clere worked with Bernie Thompson, who owns the General Store across the street. Bernie brought his tractor over to generate power to run the sawzall. They were able to cut off the battery box and air handling unit.
Meanwhile on the back side of the caboose, I was able to remove the lean-too around the electrical boxes. We were able to use the length of triplex to pull down the weatherhead.
On Sunday, we need to disassemble the air handling duct work under the caboose, finish removing the electrical boxes, and start moving some of the stuff to the museum. We owe a great deal of thanks to Bernie Thompson, his wife, and two boys for their help and support with this project.
No comments:
Post a Comment