Whanganui's historic number 12 tram Mable was lifted to safety this morning.
Badly damaged in the 2015 flood Mable was out of action for several months while repaired.
This morning, with the Whanganui River still rising rapidly, Mable was lifted onto the back of a truck and taken away to safety.
It was a delicate operation, requiring the removal of some of the overhead wiring before the crane operator could hoist the tram aloft.
Mable was one of a fleet of trams that ran regularly in Whanganui in the early 1900s. It was recently restored and is brought out for special occasions.
The tram received damage during the June 2015 floods and had to be sent to Palmerston North for repairs.
A spokesman said with more advanced warning this time it was possible to move the tram to "somewhere where it isn't wet." He declined to specify where for security reasons.
The operation was watched by a handful of onlookers dressed in wet weather gear and many sheltering under umbrellas.
The Chronicle streamed the operation live on its Facebook page.