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Bechtel’s Impact Report

WaaTeeKaa

WaaTeeKaa on jobsite in the 1920s

Meet WeeTeeKaa

WaaTeeKaa is a century-old railroad car. In the 1920s, early generations of the Bechtel family turned the railcar into a home on wheels as they moved between remote job sites in the western United States.

From 1988 to 2018, the railcar stood next to our long-time headquarters in San Francisco and served as a company museum.

WaaTeeKaa came to our new headquarters in Reston, Virginia, in 2023 as we celebrated our 125th anniversary. The updated museum showcases Bechtel’s people and projects since 1898. Climb aboard for a virtual tour that makes seven stops at key moments in our history.

All aboard! Step inside The WaaTeeKaa Experience

 

What is WaaTeeKaa?

  • WaaTeeKaa, a century-old railroad car, was a home on wheels for Steve Bechtel, his wife Laura, and their two kids Steve Jr. and Barbara—allowing the family to live at remote job sites around the country. 
     
  • Clara Bechtel, the wife of company founder Warren Bechtel, named WaaTeeKaa after the way her three sons pronounced their names as toddlers: Waa for Warren, Tee for Steve, and Kaa for Kenneth. 
     
  • From 1988 to 2018, the railroad car was based in S.D. Bechtel Plaza, next to our long-time office in San Francisco's Financial District, and served as our company museum. 
  

 

WaaTeeKaa in the 1920s.
Go Deeper: The History of WaaTeeKaa

Why now?

  • As part of our 125th anniversary celebrations, WaaTeeKaa has been reimagined, and will reopen as our company museum this fall. 
  • WaaTeeKaa will be open to the public. Visitors will experience interactive exhibits including highlights of past megaprojects such as the Hoover Dam and the English Channel Tunnel. 
  • A virtual tour of the railroad car will also be made available. 
  

WaaTeeKaa in 2023 in Reston, Virginia.
View the Latest: WaaTeeKaa Construction Updates

WaaTeeKaa Through the Years