Restored caboose to be showcased at Pioneer Village event

The newly restored 1940s Milwaukee Road caboose will be one of the featured attractions at the Ozaukee County Historical Society’s  Planes, Trains and Automobiles event this Saturday, Sept. 12.

The event will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Pioneer Village, 4880 Highway I in the Town of Saukville at the northern end of Hawthorne Hills County Park.

The event will include a car show, with all makes, models and ages. 

Also featured will be Grafton’s Astrowings RC Plane club, the Metro Model Railroad Club and the Kettle Moraine Ballast Scorchers model railroad club. 

In addition, the Milwaukee Repeaters amateur radio club will be on hand.

A silent auction will be held with items donated by many local businesses. Food and beverages also will be available for purchase.

OCHS will be celebrating the restoration of its 1940 Milwaukee Road rib-side caboose.

Thirty years ago, in March of 1996, OCHS board member Bob Williams and his wife Eileen donated the caboose to sit in front of the Cedarburg train station at Pioneer Village. 

The Milwaukee Road built 315 rib-side cabooses between 1939 and 1951. In 1940, there were only 25 cabooses built with stock numbers 01875-01899. OCHS owns #01887.

The restoration project started with fundraising in 2022. Wherever possible, local contractors were used, but much of the work was done by a team of volunteers. 

After removing the lead paint and asbestos, the rotted wooden sub-floor was removed only to show the rusty steel frame was not salvageable. 

The frame was cut out in sections and replaced with new steel on all sides with the help and donations of Cedarburg Landmark Preservation Society, Jackson Welding and Brian Rychtic Welding of Grafton. That left only the steel sides and roof.

With help from the Milwaukee Road Historical Association and Milwaukee Road archives, the rebuilding process began. 

The entire floor was replaced with a three-layer system similar to the original design,  except for the cork that had been used for sound-proofing. 

The interior walls were insulated and the ceiling and walls were constructed using the original blueprints. 

The desk, lockers, bunks all had to be built, as well. The seat frames were restored and new seat cushions were fabricated by Abracadabra Furniture Refinishing of Grafton. 

The exterior was coated with the original Milwaukee Road caboose orange.

The restoration team, known as the “Caboosters,” included retired engineers Tom Van Groll, Greg Ziegler, Mike Hecker, Eddie Arguello, volunteer Paul Olson and Mary Ann Velnetske, president of the Ozaukee County Historical Society.

There will be live music from  3 to 5 p.m. by FBI and the Untouchable Horns. Admission is $8 for adults, $6 for seniors and students. OCHS members. Children under 5 are free.

Proceeds benefit Ozaukee County Pioneer Village and Ozaukee County Historical Society.

For more information about Ozaukee County Pioneer Village, visit www.ochs.co.ozaukee.wi.us.