August 30, 2017
Restoring more than memories
Mack truck brought back to life
By ALYSSA ADAM
Driving along the countryside of North Dakota, it’s a common sight to see old, deteriorating vehicles in fields and tree row, parked for many years. These classics seldom get the opportunity for new life and the place they were left years ago turns into a final resting place.
This was not the case for old “Gus #9,” a 1946 Mack EGX1D dump truck, parked behind a shed in the woods of Waubun, Minn. for 44 years.
After the truck was given to Tracy Diefenbach of Garrison, it got a new lease on life.
Tracy is the fourth generation owner of Gus. She said in 1945 her great-grandpa, August Vagts, ordered 13 1945/46 Mack trucks for his contracting company. Gus was number nine in the fleet of custom built trucks.
In the 1950’s, when August Vagts Contacting went out of business, most of the equipment and vehicles were scrapped. However, Gus survived and was given to August’s daughter, Betty Ingebrigtson, and her husband, Paul.
Paul used the truck to haul wood until the brakes gave out and he hit an oak tree. He pulled the truck to the top of the hill and that’s where it sat until Betty gifted the truck to Tracy in August, 2015.
“When my grandma gave me this truck I was pretty excited,” Tracy said.
This was not the case for old “Gus #9,” a 1946 Mack EGX1D dump truck, parked behind a shed in the woods of Waubun, Minn. for 44 years.
After the truck was given to Tracy Diefenbach of Garrison, it got a new lease on life.
Tracy is the fourth generation owner of Gus. She said in 1945 her great-grandpa, August Vagts, ordered 13 1945/46 Mack trucks for his contracting company. Gus was number nine in the fleet of custom built trucks.
In the 1950’s, when August Vagts Contacting went out of business, most of the equipment and vehicles were scrapped. However, Gus survived and was given to August’s daughter, Betty Ingebrigtson, and her husband, Paul.
Paul used the truck to haul wood until the brakes gave out and he hit an oak tree. He pulled the truck to the top of the hill and that’s where it sat until Betty gifted the truck to Tracy in August, 2015.
“When my grandma gave me this truck I was pretty excited,” Tracy said.
