Today, Chris Gremich and his young son came over to work out details
on the design of the stair rails for W668, our backyard caboose. Chris
is the master welder who already made the replacement roof ladders for
WP668 (he is “The Iron Expert” of CG Designs in San Jose,
CA, phone: 408-313-3706). Within the next month, we hope to have our new
stair rails, which will also allow us to complete the final inspection
and get sign off on our caboose work permits, at last!
The new rails will be made of steel piping that is similar to the
handrails and grab bars already on the caboose platform. WP668 has leaf
springs which cause it to rock very slightly on its wheels, so the new
rail will be attached to the wood-and-Trex stairs but not to the
caboose itself.
Chris’ 8-year-old son looked at the historical photos of WP668 in
service then asked his Dad if they could have a train engine in their
backyard. Here is a photo of the caboose stairs as they are now
with a temporary hand rail:
Image Copyright 2008 by Katy Dickinson
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