Barnhart was tasked with transporting a 485,500-pound transformer from the Pasha Terminal in Los Angeles to a substation outside of Ely, Nevada, a distance of over 500 miles. The transformer was 35’2” long, which required the use of Barnhart’s GS- 800 girder transport system. The team received the transformer from ship’s hook and secured the cargo.
The girders of the GS-800 had 5 feet of vertical lift to raise and lower the load, which came in handy on a long transport. Its axle spacing was compliant with the regulations of West Coast departments of transportation (DOTs). Barnhart arranged escorts, obtained 12 city permits, three county permits and two state permits and worked with DOTs and utility departments along the route.
The convoy weighed 992,175 pounds and could only average 20-25 mph. On bridges, it was restricted to 5 mph with no other vehicles. Some mountain passes were taken at 3 mph. The last 7 miles of dirt road had to be plowed twice due to snowfall the night before.
At the site, the transformer was offloaded onto a 500-ton slide system to be rough-set on the pad. Despite temperatures that were single-digit during the process, the job finished ahead of schedule.