Katy Dickinson

We have the Permits! WP668 Caboose

John was at San Jose City Hall again today talking with the building department. There was an "express plan check" to determine whether we could get permits to build a short set of stairs and also hook up the electrical power to WP668, our backyard caboose. Normally, an "express plan check" is to get permission to build a whole house but because last year we got a variance from the City Council, we had to do this too. It cost $1,132 for today's plan check and the following three permits:

1. Anchoring the steps (and tie downs) to the ground
2. Building the 7 step stairway with banisters and handrails
3. Electrical installation and wiring

Also included in the $1,132 is a city fee for San Jose to operate and maintain storm sewers - this was about 1/3 of the total charge. $1,132 is about 3 times the permit cost for simple stairs and electrical hook up on a regular structure. The caboose is unusual so the city keeps adding special reviews and requirements, which we have to pay for.

At least we are done with the permitting process and our contractor can finally start work!

Posted at 04:15PM Oct 03, 2007 by katysblog in Caboose Project and Other Trains  | 

SEED Event a Success

The SEED Engineering mentoring program big annual event here on Sun's Menlo Park campus last week felt like a success. It certainly was enjoyable to meet everyone in person. We are still collecting feedback surveys but the informal responses were very enthusiastic.

About 80 people from all over the world attended the two day event to hear executives speak, take lab tours, go to dinner together, and spend time getting to know each other. The tours (of the Enterprise Technology Center, plus two usability labs) and the dinner were sold out with waiting lists. We also held two sets of three talks by SEED participants, called the "SEED Showcase", moderated by SEED Poorna Udupi.

The speakers were inspired and fascinating. Executives speaking to the SEEDs included:

• Dr. Greg Papadopoulos, Chief Technology Officer and Executive Vice President of Research and Development
  SEED program executive sponsor
  
• Mike Splain, Senior Vice President, Sun Fellow, Chief Engineer
  4 time SEED Mentor
  
• Dr. Whitfield Diffie, Vice President, Sun Fellow, Chief Security Officer
  4 time SEED Mentor
  
• Diann Olden, Vice President, Global Product Development & Operations, Software
  7 time SEED Mentor
  
• Dr. Sheueling Chang-Shantz, Distinguished Engineer, Sun Microsystems Laboratories
  7 time SEED Mentor
  
• Jud Cooley, Senior Director of Engineering, Project Blackbox
  2 time SEED Mentor
  

More information on SEED is available at http://research.sun.com/SEED/

Here are some event photos:

Whit Diffie:

Diann Olden:

Greg Papadopoulos:

Images Copyright 2007 by Katy Dickinson

Posted at 02:19PM Oct 03, 2007 by katysblog in Mentoring & Other Business  | 

Sisters to WP668 Caboose

In restoring our 1916 backyard caboose, WP668, we have been visiting examples of similar railroad rolling stock to guide our choices in repairs, color, and problem solving. Since cabeese (cabooses?) were not revenue-generating equipment, the railroads sortof kept them in good repair and up to standard, but only sortof. Really, every caboose eventually becomes unique as repairs are made by different maintenance departments along the line using materials at hand.

Last weekend, John and I visited the Western Pacific Railroad Museum (WPRM) in Portola, California. We saw four sister cabeese to WP668. That is, steel strapped wooden bay window cabeese originally created as boxcars in 1916, converted to caboose service in 1943, and retired in about 1975. Here are some details on each of the sisters we have seen so far:

• WP645 is owned by WPRM in Portola but is at a private home nearby. It was very recently repainted. It is complete inside - the only one we have seen with all of its interior furniture, fixtures, and cabinets.
• SN1642 and WP646 are two cabeese in Portola brought to WPRM in last year from the Golden Gate Railroad Museum (GGRM) in San Francisco, from which we bought our WP668. In fact, we had considered buying SN1642 and WP646. It was interesting to see them in their new home. ("SN" means Sacramento Northern, a rail company that bought equipment from "WP" or Western Pacific.) Both are stripped out (empty boxes). SN1642 was repainted and partially repaired when it was used in an exhibit at the S.F. Moscone Center. The WPRM folks said they plan to use it for meetings and birthday parties. WP646 is missing its wheels and has had several fires inside but has its original paint and markings. Someone recently bought WP646 and intends to restore it.
• WP679 is in a public park in Portola (not at the WPRM). It has been repainted and is enclosed by a permanent walkway and wooden deck.
• WP695 is a caboose we saw in 2006, at the Railtown 1897 State Historic Park in Jamestown, California. It is being used as a bunkhouse and is attached to a deck. Some non-railroad windows have been installed by cutting through the steel strapping. It has been repainted.

For more examples of WP cabeese in California, see Central California Rails Caboose Index - W.

Here are photos of the sisters:

SN1642 WPRM in Portola:

WP645 private home in Portola:

WP646 (on a flatcar) WPRM in Portola:

WP679 Public Park in Portola:

WP695 Railtown 1897 Park, Jamestown:

WP668 (in our backyard) San Jose:

Images Copyright 2007 by Katy Dickinson and John Plocher

Posted at 11:15AM Oct 03, 2007 by katysblog in Caboose Project and Other Trains  |