Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Park caboose gets major renovations

The caboose at the Gurdon park got a fresh coat of red paint this week and new plywood floors.

The caboose, which was located on Front Street for many years while being basically ignored, was moved to the park in 2005. Gurdon Mayor Clayton Franklin said it would be a playhouse for area children.

Franklin said Sept. 7, "We did get the bars on the windows pretty quickly so the kids would not fall out. "But painting it was a volunteer effort with donated paint so that took a little time to work into the volunteers schedule. The painting is now done.

"Wed like to thank Troy Efird, of Troys Body Shop in Prescott, for taking a couple of days and doing a great job."

Efird said Sept. 1 he would put approximately 10 gallons of caboose red paint, donated by the Union Pacific Railroad, on the city caboose.

Tambra Childres, city treasurer and recorder, said she has been overseeing some of the project.

"I am hoping Troy will go ahead and put the new Union Pacific decals on the caboose as well so they will be sure to be straight," she said.

Childres said Rick Shelton, of Gurdon, was scheduled to install the plywood floors over the next few days and paint them and the walls gray, to match the existing interior.

According to Childres, the wood was donated by International Paper.

"I intend to approach the Gurdon High School art teacher, Debbie White, to see if I can get her and some art students to paint the seams inside the caboose or do something nice inside that will make it look more colorful," Childres said.

She said the Gurdon Street Department workers have been cleaning tree limbs and brush out of the way between the caboose and the volleyball court at the park.

Franklin said, "As soon as we get the wooden floors installed and the inside painting done, the kids can begin using the caboose as an official playhouse. When we get the work finished inside and the decals on, our caboose will be first rate.

"With the playhouse project finished, we will have a sharp park."