THE SANTA FE CABOOSE THAT SITS BY THE OLD DEPOT MUSEUM GOT A MAKEOVER LAST WEEK. JASON MIDYETTE, FROM BENDINA, IS A RAILROAD ENTHUSIAST WHO RESTORES OLD RAIL CARS AND HE HAPPENED TO BE IN OTTAWA A COUPLE MONTHS AGO AND NOTICED THE OLD CABOOSE AND OFFERED TO REPAINT IT WHEN THEY WERE READY. THAT OPPORTUNITY CAME LAST WEEK AS THE GOEPPERT FOUNDATION GAVE A GRANT FUNDING THE PROJECT. HE EXPLAINS HOW IT GOT TO OTTAWA IN THE FIRST PLACE.
WITH THE ORIGINAL RED PAINT, AND ALL THE ORIGINAL LETTERING AND INSIGNIA, HE SAYS IT SHOULD LAST 20 YEARS OR MORE. THE CABOOSE IS ONE OF 100 BUILT BY THE SANTA FE RAILWAY IN TOPEKA IN 1949 AND ACTUALLY RAN ON THE TRACK IN FRONT OF THE OLD DEPOT MANY TIMES. IT WAS DONATED TO THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY IN 2012 BY RON AND DEANNA KIMES WHO HAD USED IT AS A POOL HOUSE IN THEIR BACK YARD.
