Moving a 737-200
So, you finally got the wings off... Now the easy part, transport.
But wait! This little load is almost 5 metres wide 6 metres high and 30 metres long! You need a specialist company like Toll (Heavy Haulage) to take over.
The day was Wednesday March 27th 2019. Toll arrived at Perth Airport early with their expert crew. Today we would be moving the 737 fuselage and a wing. News film crews were airside with us and couldn't get enough information, following us along the journey.
The runway at Perth Airport was temporary closed as the Toll truck headed for the gate out to Dunreath Drive where more news crews and plane spotters waited. Delicately maneuvered under the road bridges on Roe Highway, with only short delays for the surprised traffic.
Finally underway, we past many onlookers along the the road sides. As we entered Midland, large crowds of wellwishers lined the footpaths. On to Mundaring and there was even a couple of guys in a scissor lift getting a birds eye view. All the way to beyond Sawyers valley the townspeople gathered.
Our convey held up little traffic at slow speed as we finally entered York. We paused to allow the large crowd a close up view. The primary school had taken a break and students gathered at the fence to watch, as the volunteer fire brigade gave the aircraft a water-cannon salute. Onwards through the wheatbelt this was an unusual sight to see. Not one single power line was damaged as the truck weaved its way around the back roads of town. The going slowed down as we pulled onto the gravel road. Cameron road is rough in a car, so there was just only one way to carry a Boeing 737 down a country road, slowly. Our very kind neighbour Greg had given us permission to dismantle his fence and gate allowing us to travel through his paddocks to White Gum. There were people and equipment everywhere and Dave was on the bulldozer ready to pull up the hill if the truck had trouble. After a dusty arrival we turned into White Gum Air Park, the, moving very slowly across the paddock the trailer wheels were sinking into the soft sand as we made a gentle turn.
Deeper and deeper the trailer sank, but Bulldozer Dave and the White Gum Farm crew came to the rescue! With a great deal of excavation, pulling and shoving, cussing and cursing we finally began to move again! The prepared pad and truck ramp worked perfectly. Stools were placed under the lifting beams and the trailer gently lowered the fuselage. She was home!
The journey from Perth Airport to White Gum was approximately 90kms and took around two hours. The distance from where we got bogged to the final resting place was about 150m taking us another two hours!
Our thanks to all involved on that day. Thanks to the Toll Crew who had a great deal of patience with us...
