Plant City Union Depot

The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad used the station for its West Coast Champion, bound for Tampa and Sarasota and unnamed trains heading in the same direction.[14]

The Seaboard Air Line used it for its Wildwood to St. Petersburg division. SAL trains serving the station included the Palmland, Silver Meteor and the Sunland.[15]

Plant City union depot was restored numerous times with the support of multiple grants allotted, after being listed in the National Register of Historic Places. One major change was to move the two-story tower from the station across the tracks and was completed in April 1987. The idea of adding a restaurant was proposed but not finalized. Some rooms were also restored to serve as art classes for the community.[16] These were made possible from the funds raised by the art council. In 1988, work was performed on the exterior structure of the building with some minor alterations in the interior.[17] In 1997, more grants were given to install bathrooms and air conditioning system.[18] In 2014, the station experienced a major restoration change that stayed till date.

The name “union” was inherited after the merging of the two competing railroad companies, the Atlantic Coast Line and Seaboard Air Line into the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad in 1967.[19] The station was reopened as museum and was renamed in a ceremony that was organized during the first Railfest in February 2014.[20] It is now known as Robert W. Willaford Railroad Museum.

On November 14, 2013, the caboose along with the engine were moved to the actual site.[23] Prior to the arrival of the train, C.J. Bridges Railroad Contractor installed tracks for the caboose. These changes were made under the supervision of the City Commissioner. The two-story building has been equipped with an elevator to give access for visitors with disabilities. A train platform has also been built to display some of the memorabilia that was donated earlier. The 24/7 viewing platform has been built for train enthusiasts to view the few operational trains still passing through Plant City. The brickwork has been renovated and a roof has been built. The platform's model was inspired from Georgia’s Folkston Funnel which is a train station with a similar viewing platform. The station will now have a scanner which record the transmissions between trains like the Folkston Funnel. Plant City's depot is bigger than that of Georgia's as it has a 14- foot tower and a lower deck platform.[24]

Since the opening of the museum, events have been hosted for the public to participate in train-related topics. Each year a two-day Railfest is organized by the museum. The event is free, family friendly and open for rail fans. During the event, train-themed films are projected, free-museum admission is granted, scavenger hunts are organized, tours of the caboose are available and access to miniature train rides are arranged for visitors to enjoy. Each year the activities differ and new activities are organized. There are also fund-raising rallies organized throughout the year. In 2019 the Railfest was on Saturday 13 April. The money collected is used to maintain the collection and to pay the staff working during the week.[25]