Trucks, Tractors, and Rusty Relics
Just like she doesn't understand my infatuation with old abandoned buildings, my wife also doesn't understand my fascination with abandoned, rusting old vehicles. (I'll admit: it's a tiny bit easier to understand a man's fascination for old cars and trucks than abandoned old buildings…but I digress.)
All that aside, however, I suppose my fascination with old rusting heaps parked out in fields, found in the woods, half-submerged in a lake, etc etc began years ago, long before I knew what "classic" or vintage vehicles were. Like the aforementioned abandoned buildings, I suppose the sight of these old beasts sitting out in the elements made me wonder what happened to bring them to the end of the road. And how did they get out there in those places anyway?!!
This is a collection of several of my favorites that I've spotted over the years, from a variety of places. Somewhere along the way, these old workhorses just reached a point where they couldn't go any further, and mercifully got put out to pasture somewhere.
NOTE: As in the "Central Wyoming" collection, many of the photographs here were snapped with an entry-level 2Mp Minolta "point-and-shoot" or an iPhone camera. The lesser image quality and "noise" may be a bit more noticeable in some of these photos.
It wasn't the reason I stopped, but while I was taking a bunch of photos from various angles of this beautiful old beast in central Texas, I was astounded to discover that this old place she's parked at is the "Old Crawford Mill" used in the 2003 remake of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre film. The truck is not seen in the film, however, as the students' car was parked in this spot while they waited to meet the sheriff (played by R. Lee Ermey).
There were no identifying marks of ANY kind on this classic old workhorse left to the elements but a few "experts" who claim to know their vintage trucks - along with comparing that perfectly round spot on the front of the radiator (where it appears the emblem once resided) - all but assures me this is what's left of a 1929 Dodge stakebed truck. I found this beauty in a "tractor graveyard" out alongside the highway in Homa Hills, Wyoming back in November of 2016 but according to Google Maps Street View, the entire collection - including this one - are all gone. Hopefully someone managed to save this one; I'd love to see it restored!
I met a very interesting gentleman who owned this old dumper - and a lot of other property, as well! - who gave me more information than I wanted to know about this old truck....then he proceeded to tell me "It still runs. You interested?" LOL As if I had any use for a dump truck. Although, looking at it now, I'm willing to bet people would get out of your way!
Images like this old tractor are what piqued (and still does!) my curiousity about these old workhorses left sitting out in a field. What's the story behind this old beast that has obviously been sitting here untouched for months...probably years? Did it just "up and quit" in the middle of a workday, and the owner never came back to get it running? Did the owner (morbid thought!) climb down at the end of the workday, with every intention of returning to finish what he was working on...only to never see the light of another day? Did someone just decide this was as good a place as any to park it, and then never gave it another thought? Who knows how this old stud got out here but it's obvious he was put out to pasture, and never thought of again. What stories these majestic old beasts could share with us!