Moving the 205

The service history of car 205 has been covered here. After it was removed from service in Portland, it was acquired by a private owner and stored for many years. In 1993, it was purchased by IRM and moved to Union that December. Three members traveled to Yakima to move the car: George Clark, Dave Diamond, and the late Don Liberko. This is a sampling of photos of the move, by all three of them (credits are thus GC, DD, and DL) in the Dave Diamond collection.

Note: All these photographs are copyrighted and may not be reproduced without permission.

Here the 205 is being moved on street trackage in Yakima, being pulled by a steeple cab. (DL)

George checks out the car prior to having it loaded onto a trailer for shipment to Union. (DD)

Another view in the yard at Yakima, with Dave Diamond. (GC)

The car was then winched onto a trailer still on its trucks, and left Yakima.

Traveling down a long steep grade towards the Columbia River. (DD)

At a rest stop somewhere in Washington state. (DD)

However, the weight of the car with its trucks and motors was too much on the rear of the trailer, and rear tires blew out a couple of times. Here they have stopped after the first blowout; the trailer has been jacked up to take the weight off the rear axles so the tire can be replaced. A young Dave Diamond stands next to it. (DL)

They finally stopped at a truck stop, and the rear truck was removed from under the car, and placed on the gooseneck at the front of the trailer. This distributed enough weight from the rear to the front to enable the trip to continue successfully. (DL)

At the weigh station between Montana and North Dakota. (DD)

Finally, the trailer was deposited at Electric Park. Note the truck on the neck in front of it. (GC)

Fifteen years later, the car is nearing completion of a cosmetic restoration, as documented in regular posts on this blog.