In 2007, the San Jose City Council granted a variance for WP668. Building permits were issued for the stairs and electrical. In May 2007, WP668 was moved for a second time by South Bay Crane & Rigging – first the wheel trucks and then the body – onto the very short rail line in the Dickinson-Plocher backyard.
Some weeks before the crane arrived, John rented a very big fork lift to move the wheel trucks from storage to the backyard. As the wheel trucks rolled down the newly-ballasted rail line for the first time, the granite stones went crick-crick-crick as they settled together.
Julie, the South Bay Crane & Rigging’s crane operator, generously invited Paul and Jessica and other kids to sit in her cab. Before the WP668 caboose body could be lifted, one of the wheel trucks had to be turned around. As the caboose body was lifted over the trees, it got stuck and had to be pulled through. (Jessica asked if WP668 could be left in the air as the best treehouse ever.) The caboose had to be spun 90% to align with the rail line, then slowly lowered so that the pin fit into the hole at the top of each wheel truck.
John and Joshua start truck move 
John and Katy on fork lift 
WP668 truck in the air
First truck on the new rails 
Both trucks on the new rails
John and Dennis preparing to load 
Katy with WP668 being lifted onto the flatbed truck
Spinning WP668 caboose wheels 
Reversing the wheels
Dennis Smith of South Bay Crane 
Best picture of WP668 in the trees – by Danek Duvall
WP668 caboose over trees 
John under WP668
Lowering WP668 slowly onto trucks 
Adjusting wheels 
Aligning WP668 pin into truck
Julie with Paul inside crane cab 
Julie, Dennis, and Logan of South Bay Crane 
Max and Beth in crane cab
Jessica with her hand under wheel while the crane was lifted by its outriggers 
Beth inside crane, Paul watching
Except as noted, text and images Copyright 2006-2020 by Katy Dickinson, John Plocher.
All photos are used with permission. All rights reserved.
WP668 Caboose Story 