Category Archives: Caboose Project and Other Trains

Last Friday, we drove across the Dumbarton Bridge from Sun’s Menlo Park campus
during heavy traffic. We went slow enough to get some good photos of the
Dumbarton Train Bridge running
parallel to the automobile bridge. According to a history I found:

The Dumbarton Bridge was the first road bridge to span the Bay, and today it connects the built-out Silicon Valley to the real estate of the south-east Bay. The train bridge south of the Dumbarton Bridge was the first rail bridge across the Bay, the Dumbarton cut-off, opening in 1910. Service stopped in 1982, and the rotating span, which allows boats through, is now welded open. … The old Dumbarton Bridge, which opened in 1927, was replaced by a new bridge built next to it in 1982, and the drawbridge in the middle of the old span was removed.

Driving from Menlo Park to Fremont, it almost looks like the rotating span is
moving (motion parallax). Behind the bridge, look for Hangar One and

Moffet Field on the far shore.

photo 1	photo 2
photo 3	photo 4
photo 5	photo 6
photo 7	photo 8

Images Copyright 2008 by Katy Dickinson

This week, we are moving books and bookcases into WP668, our backyard caboose.
We have been planning this for years but we still have to rearrange or
swap furniture, books, and stuff in a variety of rooms and storage areas to
get everything into the right place. Jessica and Paul have been very patient
and helpful.

Jessica and Paul move bookcase

John, Jessica, and Paul

Starting to fill with books

John and Jessica in WP668

Images Copyright 2008 by Katy Dickinson

The Memorial Day long weekend was a very busy time for WP668, our backyard caboose.
We were getting ready for Sunday when we served a brunch to the
winners from the SAMA Auction. We did not
get everything done but the caboose looks great (particularly our new stained
glass windows by
Vince Taylor!). Our guests said they had a wonderful time.

We served them fresh fruit (including cherries from our own tree), eggs and bacon and
sausage, french toast and morning buns, coffee and tea and orange juice and
champagne. Here are some photos from Sunday:

Cherries on tree

Fresh cherries

Table set the night before

New stained glass windows

Brunch guests

Brunch guests

Images Copyright 2008 by Katy Dickinson and John Plocher

WP668, our backyard caboose, passed its first electrical inspection by the City of
San Jose today! John worked from home to be there for the inspector. He
said the inspector knew all about our project and was excited to be the one from
his department who got to sign off. The inspector said if John wanted work
as an electrician, he could get him a job. WP668 only has one more inspection: once
the stair handrail is installed, it and the final electrical are all that need to be
checked.

The original bunkbed and its wall have been reinstalled already. John put up the last of
the ceiling trim and baseboards. Both ladders have been painted and installed.
The stained glass and bookcases arrive on Saturday (we ended up buying bookcases but
we still hope to build in a window seat). John is almost done filling in
the bolt holes on the bay windows (once that is done, I can paint the big WP 668 on
the front). I have almost all of the stones in place in the arroyito of the new cactus
garden. We will be ready for the caboose brunch on Sunday, 25 May.

Work in progress on WP668:

• 24 May – Install stained glass bay window
• 24 May – Install bookcases
• 24 May – Finish painting exterior markings
• 24 May – Fill in trench for electrical conduit
• Install stair handrail (being made now)
• Final stairway and electrical inspection and sign off
• Install roof walk
• Install bay window seat
• Install phone and internet service
• Move in furniture and books

Ladder installed

WP668 side view

View out bay window

Aloe in Cactus Garden

Cactus Garden

John installing bunk

Katy sweeping up

WP668 interior view from the front door

Images Copyright 2008 by Katy Dickinson and John Plocher

Today, I worked from home to keep an eye on the crew who were installing
the new flooring in WP668, our backyard caboose. Wei, the craftsman
from
Armstrong Carpet & Linoleum, did an admirable job. I am so entirely
glad I did not listen to the people who said that

linoleum is easy to install yourself. I do not have the experience,
skill, or patience Wei does. For nine hours, he used very precise simple
and specialized tools, made templates, and took great trouble to get the
measurements on 390 square feet of floor correct to within 1/8″ inch. Our
new floor is alligned, flat, and perfectly fitted.

See

yesterday’s blog for WP668 history and photos of the subfloor going in.
Here are pictures from today:

WP668 – May 2008

Caboose Cactus

Building Permit

1st Linoleum Roll

Starting Linoleum Installation

Linoleum Installation

100# Floor Roller

Rolling Linoleum

Linoleum Installation

Putting Down Glue

Linoleum Fitted to Doorway

Middle and Side Done

Putting Down Glue

Linoleum Mostly Done

Replacing Doors

Linoleum All Done!

Wei’s Tools

Wei’s Tools

Wei’s Tools

Wei’s Tools

Wei’s Tools

Images Copyright 2008 by Katy Dickinson

Today has been a busy day for WP668, our backyard caboose. After much preparation,
the metal roof was installed (by
Wildcat Metals) and the subfloor went in (by

Armstrong Carpet & Linoleum).

Tomorrow, the linoleum floor covering goes down. This is also a school day
Paul, plus Jessica’s first in-person work day at Stanford University Library
(she has been programming for them part-time from Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh,
PA). So, I drove the kids and worked in Menlo Park and John stayed home to work
in San Jose and keep and eye on the two work crews in the backyard. The
photos below show the progression of roof and floor development since
January 2006 when we bought WP668.

Original Roof-January 2006 San Francisco-Golden Gate Railroad Museum

Original Roof-January 2006 San Francisco-Golden Gate Railroad Museum

Original Floor-January 2006 San Francisco

Floor-Jan 2006 San Francisco

Roof Rebuild-September 2006 San Jose

Roof-Sept 2006 San Jose

Roof-September 2006 San Jose

Roof-Sept 2006 San Jose

Floor Rebuild-January 2008

Floor-January 2008

Floor-Jan 2008

Floor-Jan 2008

Metal Roof Install-May 2008

Metal Roof Install-May 2008

Metal Roof Install-May 2008

Cactus Garden from WP668 Roof

Metal Roof Install-May 2008

Metal Roof Done-May 2008

Subfloor Install-May 2008

Subfloor Install-May 2008

Subfloor Install

Subfloor Done

Images Copyright 2006-2008 by Katy Dickinson and John Plocher