Category Archives: Caboose Project and Other Trains

I have finally started building the WP668 caboose home page at
http://wp668.org. I am not done
adding 2008 photos but I have already included a brief 1916-2008 history,
the historic photos I have from 1973-1974, a selection of photos from
2006-2008, and a reference section. Of course, there are more details
and photos on this blog but it is good to have one web location for the
basic WP668 story. Enjoy!

Since 9 July, we have been in the SEED 2008-2009 Mentor Matching Cycle.
That is, the 84 Engineering mentoring program Participants (Mentees)
have created and prioritized their 15-name Mentor Wish Lists and I am
in the process of sequentially contacting
the highest priority potentially available mentor for each of them.
In about a month, 81 or 96% have been matched so
far. There are two terms being matched at the same time:

• September 2008 – September 2009 Recent Hire Term
  
  which already has 22 out of 23 matched
• September 2008 – March 2009 Established Staff Term
  
  which already has 59 out of 61 matched

More information on the SEED worldwide Engineering mentoring program
is available at
http://research.sun.com/SEED/

John finished restoring the first window on WP668, our backyard caboose,
last night. There are four more vertically sliding windows plus the
bay windows that slide side-to-side. This first window told us much about
how WP668’s windows were put together and how we can fix them up while respecting
their history.

Part of our work is research. For example, although most of the glass in WP668
was destroyed by vandals during storage, the few original pieces of window glass
are etched with the brand Duolite. A search found the

Types of Auto Glass Offered by PPG in 1957 web page which says:

“Published to the Trade by PPG in 1957

Pittsburgh Safety Glass is manufactured to meet the exacting requirements of the American Standard Safety Code for Safety Glazing Materials for Glazing Motor Vehicles Operating on Land Highways (A.S.A. Z26.1 – 1950) …

DUOLITE SAFETY SHEET GLASS

Two pieces of Pennvernon Sheet Glass of similar thickness laminated together with an interlayer of Vinyl plastic to provide greatest elasticity and resistance to breakage at all temperatures. Safety Sheet Glass does not have the true vision of Safety Plate Glass, but does have an equal safety factor. Duolite is not recommend for use in windshields as here true vision is necessary for safe driving. Thickness 1/4″.”

WP668 was originally built as a boxcar in 1916 and converted to caboose service
during World War II. Since 1950 is date of the referenced safety standard, this
probably means that all of the glass in WP668 was replaced with the new safety
glazing within ten or twenty years after its 1943 conversion from boxcar to caboose.
The sheets of Duolite glass are heavier and thicker than regular glass and the edges
are lined with bubbles.

In addition to restoring the first window, John has made screen inserts which
keep the air flowing through WP668 (with few bugs). Here are photos of the
window work in progress:

Duolite glass brand (backwards)

Original sash, no trim

Restored window sash

John and new window screen insert

Inside window view

Window with screen

John installing sill

John in WP668 window

WP668 Caboose

Inside WP668

Eleanor Dickinson WP668 Portrait

Before trim install

Window trim install

New trim done

Just needs putty

John back to work

Images Copyright 2008 by Katy Dickinson

I am working from home in WP668 (our backyard caboose) today. WP668 is very
comfortable except when summer’s late afternoon sun hits the roof. John has been
working on restoring the caboose windows for the last week or so. He designed
screened window inserts to let in a cross breeze while keeping out bugs. The original
caboose fittings included wide metal mesh screens to protect windows against rocks
(or vandals?), not bugs. We removed the window trim during painting last year and
have gone back and forth discussing whether to buy new or restore the original
windows we have.

The difficulty is that the windows installed in 1943 have no framework other than
the caboose itself. That is, on five of the windows, the sash holding the glass slides
straight up between the inner and outer wood walls. On the bay window, the two sashes
move horizontally along built-in metal slots. We haven’t found any windows for
sale (standard or semi-custom) anything like what we have. We could go to a custom
historical window manufacturer but that would be a very expensive solution.

Last weekend, John took apart one of the windows to check its condition. It is clear
that the walls of the caboose were painted much more often than the window frames.
However, after much scraping, the wood on the first window is solid and the original
railroad safety glass is intact. So, that window will be reinstalled with new trim and
sill. The rotted original trim and sill are providing the pattern for the replacement
pieces. John said he found over a dozen rusty nails in one piece of trim. Repairs
during active rail service were hasty…

I will post photos when I have more to show…

It is easy to have fun being a railroad enthusiast (aka “train nut”) here in
Northern California, even if you don’t have a caboose in your own back yard.
Here are some local and regional delights:

Real Train Nuts – from WP668, our caboose

Places to Stay

• 
  Featherbed Railroad Company Bed and Breakfast Resort
  sleep in a caboose on the shores of Clear Lake
• 
  Railroad Park Resort
  sleep in a caboose in Dunsmuir, near Mount Shasta

Short Trips, Dinner Trains, Excursions

• 
  Amtrak’s Coast Starlight one of the 10 Greatest Train Rides on Earth
  (not a short trip but a grand one)
• 
  Amtrak’s Capitol Corridor
  Bay Area to Sacramento and the
  California State Railroad Museum, passes
  Drawbridge ghost town
• 
  CalTrain ride the commuter train from San Francisco to Gilroy and back,
  get off and walk to lunch in Menlo Park, Palo Alto, California Ave./Palo Alto, or
  Mountain View
• 
  Napa Valley Wine Train
  between Napa and St. Helena through the wine valleys
• 
  Niles Canyon Railway near Fremont, Pleasanton (rent a caboose for
  your birthday party!)
• 
  Railtown 1897 State Historic Park in Jamestown
• 
  Redwood Valley Railway 5/12 Scale Narrow Gauge Passenger Railway (trains are 5/12 the size of a full-size locomotive), Tilden Regional Park above Berkeley. You can ride on
  the trains.
• 
  Roaring Camp Railroads beach or mountain rail route, Felton, near Santa Cruz
• 
  San Francisco Cable Cars in The City
• 
  Shasta Sunset Dinner Train in McCloud (base of Mount Shasta)
• 
  Skunk Train, Sierra Railroad Dinner Train, Sacramento River Train
  three former working rail lines now offering a variety of tours, meals, and
  entertainment
• 
  Yreka Western Railroad’s Blue Goose Yreka excursion train
• 
  Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad Fish Camp excursion train

Museums

• 
  Cable Car Museum in San Francisco
• 
  California State Railroad Museum Old Sacramento – take Amtrak from the Bay Area
  then walk to this wonderful museum
• 
  California Trolley and Railroad Corporation in San Jose

• 
  Golden State Model Railroad Museum in Point Richmond
• 
  Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum in Nevada City, California
• 
  South Bay Historical Railroad Society museum and model train club in
  Santa Clara Railroad Depot
• 
  Western Pacific Railroad Museum at Portola northwest of Lake Tahoe
• 
  Western Railway Museum in Suisun

Image copyright 2008 by Katy Dickinson

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

Lately, with local gas prices being more than $4.50/gallon, I have been
working from home several days a week rather than spending $20/day on gas.
Or rather, I have been working from caboose. There are still many small
projects to complete but after two years WP668, our backyard caboose,
is now fully functional!

When I work from WP668, I have my 12-year-old cockatiel, Princess Birdie, for
company at my desk. Here are some current caboose photos, by day and by night:

WP668 by day

Bay window desk

Princess Birdie

WP668 by night

WP668 by night

Fake rock night light

Images Copyright 2008 by Katy Dickinson and John Plocher