Tuesday 21st February 2012

Time for tea? Desert truck graveyard

Stills, not moving image for a more reflective Time For Tea?

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Last week's Jaguar XKR-S Convertible trip had a pretty lunatic schedule but, credit due to Jaguar, the launch team certainly made the most of it. And our coffee stop en route to living out Top Gun fantasies makes today's slightly different Time For Tea? entry.

No moving images today but instead some stills from the incredible truck graveyard at the Motor Transport Museum in Campo, California. It's no secret of course that in the arid desert air vehicles rust differently from the way they do here, the weathered paint, faded logos and twisted, rusting panels all adding an incredibly atmospheric collection of vehicles. Whipped by a fierce, dust-laden desert wind all it needed was a mournful Ry Cooder soundtrack and the scene would have been complete.

Space and the gentle rate of decay mean some incredible artefacts, some dating back 100 years, some more recent. From workhorse trucks and tractors to the odd Porsche or Triumph that never made it home to the boulevards of San Diego or LA, the collection is as diverse as it is incredible. A lucky few of these relics are being slowly restored by the team of volunteers on site but most will never turn a wheel again.

If you want to know more about the museum you can visit the website here.

 

 

 

 

[ali4390]

Something quite sad but quite cool about that place. Would love to spend an afternoon exploring.

[b14]

Great photos. I'm always intrigued by abandoned cars - at one point, all of these were brand spanking new, shiny and with 0 miles on them, the new pride and joy for some lucky man somewhere.

Now they sit rusting away, never to drive again. Makes you wonder what the fate of your current car will be (I'm sure the fate of mine will be the crusher eventually, as is the way in this country).

[leon9191]

Wow sad but interesting place

[ugg10]

b14 - could be lucky and be resurrected as a kit car (until that avenue of clean healthy fun is legislated out of existence)

[TobesH]

Quite a few of those old beasts for sale, some circa $500 - worth more as scrap. There's as solid looking chrome bumper MGB there for $500. Seems cheap.

[Low Pro]

Its Tuesday today :P mmmm Rust

[soad]

Rat-look anyone?

ali4390 said:

Something quite sad but quite cool about that place.

Suppose so.

[Itsallicanafford]

...there's a great scrap yard on the B656 just south of Hitchen in Herts...its crammed full of really old stuff...well worth a nose about...

[morgs_]

That TR6 :O If I'm ever concerned about mine that will make me feel better lol.

Very eerie look to it, almost like a faded photograph.

[Frik]

Why couldn't you have posted this up last week when I was in the area! Looks fantastic.

[typezerora]

great photography

[DaveL485]

Itsallicanafford said:

...there's a great scrap yard on the B656 just south of Hitchen in Herts...its crammed full of really old stuff...well worth a nose about...

Holy crap!

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=51.900912,-0.24274...

[Itsallicanafford]

DaveL485 said:

Holy crap!

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=51.900912,-0.24274...


That's the puppy, to be honest I have only been in once when I was 15 (I'm 37 now!) but I can remember it was massive, still drive past, must think of an excuse to have another poke about...

[Urban Sports]

[Fleckers]

who else is watching Desert Scrap yard Kings ?

[Dr G]

I like rust

[scholesy]

scarily, if you look at the 3rd photo down, it looks like someone has been murdered in the truck :s

[Maximum Bobs]

typezerora said:

great photography

Sarcasm?

[skinhead85]

some good pics though...made a nice new wallpaper for my laptop

[RichardR]

That TR6 looks like all it needs is a good wash!

Mind you, I was looking at the photo on a Blackberry so I might not've spotted all the finer details!