One such accident occurred June 26, 1952, when Mr. Ralph Johnson took a plunge into the Gardner River canyon with his automobile. Chief Ranger Otto Brown responded with Yellowstone Park Transportation Company Service Truck #937, a trusty vehicle used as a “wrecker” or tow truck for its tried-and-true capacity to pull wrecked cars from precarious positions. Using lines rigged across the river and connected to the body of Mr. Johnson’s car, the YNP responders and the wrecker successfully pulled the Johnson vehicle from the river rapids. The following photo series, from the Yellowstone Museum Collection, depicts this recovery operation.
View of recovery operation involving YPT service truck, on left.
YELL27053-1
Johnson vehicle in the Gardiner River, with Ranger Brown on
top and rigged lines attached to the body of the car.
YELL27053-7
Close-up view of the Johnson vehicle being pulled onto the road.
YELL29053-2
The wrecker, which is now an object in the Yellowstone National Park Museum collection, is a White Motor Company 1927 Model 51 Truck and was used in Yellowstone to service motorized vehicles and coaches, until it was retired in 1952. Features include an overhead rail and power take off (PTO) style winch with capstans that was originally outfitted with a steel cable. The convertible canvas top allowed drivers to keep out the rain in bad weather, while relying on a manual windshield wiper.
Service truck in storage.
Photo credit: Lena Muldoon
When our team of Yellowstone Museum technicians first uncovered this truck to begin preventative conservation treatment, we were quick to look inside the many compartments and toolboxes. We found various cables, over 100 feet of heavy rope used on the capstans, chains, metal hooks and pulleys, all used throughout the vehicle’s career assisting with wrecks. We admired the hand painted script and design details across the side of the truck’s side tool compartment reading “Service Truck”, and the iconic Yellowstone Park Transportation Co. Logo features prominently on one of the side toolboxes.
Peek inside the tool compartment.
Photo Credit: Lena Muldoon
After carefully removing all the objects in the back of the truck, which included tires, hardware, tire rims, hitches, and wood blocks, we vacuumed the wooden and leather fixtures with special screens to prevent scraping or damage. This was followed with a thorough cleaning of the metal parts with a gentle soapy Vulpex solution. After several rounds of delicate yet meticulous scrubbing, and a final buff with mineral spirits, the bright yellow paint and metal fixtures finally gleamed. The wrecker’s hardy accessories were replaced in the back of the truck over a cushion of Ethafoam, so that viewers of this old rescue truck may imagine how the hardware was used throughout the park’s early days. We finally replaced the old plastic sheeting with a custom sewn Tyvek cover, a soft but extremely durable material that protects the wrecker from dust and debris while in storage. While the wrecker now sits in retirement, visitors of the collection can imagine the sense of relief stranded visitors might have felt upon seeing the wrecker rumbling to their rescue.
The back of the wrecker loaded with equipment.
Photo Credit: Lena Muldoon
Research note: Information including names and dates found in Yellowstone Museum catalog records for objects YELL106383 (truck) and photos YELL 27053-1,2,7.