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On behalf of the Ocean Gate Historical Society, located in Ocean County, NJ, I am writing to inquire about any help for the restoration of a caboose. The society has just purchased a caboose from Amtrak and moved it to their grounds. The caboose was built in 1918 by the Pennsylvania Railroad and refurbished by Amtrak between the 1970s to the '80s. During this refurbishment, Amtrak replaced the original sink and stove. The new stove used kerosene as a fuel, which some of it is spilt on the floor and still stored in a tank. The paint on the inside is pealing, which might cause a hazard during the restoration because it might contain lead. The outside is heavily rusted in small, scattered spots. The windows are intact except for a missing door window.
The society is planning to turn the caboose into a museum which will be open to the public. Any help or knowledge of other organizations that can help would be greatly appreciated.
Thank You!
Sincerely, J. Silverman Co-Curator at OGHS
MPALMER Member # 125
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I would recommend checking with other museums in your state/area that have done this.
I am affiliated with a museum in California, and last year the museum acquired an old Santa Fe diner (built 1950). Before any repair work could begin, we had to have the car inspected for asbestos, lead, and other hazards. It turned out there was some asbestos in the pipe linings and the floor material, and a professional service had to be called to remove the asbestos. (That is not something that can be done by volunteers in our area).
Also, if you are going to open it to the public, you will need to consider access for those in wheelchairs, etc. This is especially true if you will be using the caboose to house items for sales (souvenirs, etc.)
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