Uncovering America’s roadside relics!

 

Shiers is a fascinating chap because, when he visits the United States, he doesn’t follow in the footsteps of run-of-the-mill tourists. “You can stick Disney World, the Empire State Building, the Las Vegas strip, the Grand Canyon, Yosemite National Park and Hollywood! Unlike most Brits holidaying in the USA, I always give tourist traps a swerve,” he reveals.

 

The talented Brit also avoids big cities and interstates, preferring instead to explore the boondocks on two-lane blacktops. Why? “Because this is where you find the best abandoned vehicles. Over the past 25 years I have explored the barns, fields, ghost towns, deserts and junkyards in all 50 states, trying to avoid being stung, shot, stabbed and bitten, while photographing America’s roadside relics,” says Shiers.

 

These are some of his favourite photographs from a recent trip.

 

 

This 1944 FWD SuCOE is one of 2700 4x4 6-tonne trucks built for the US Army Ordinance Department by the Four Wheel Drive Auto Company (FWD). According to Shiers, these vehicles were capable of carrying heavy loads over rough terrain and they saw active service in Europe and Russia during WW2.

 

“This right-hand-drive example, which has a machine gun turret in its roof, resides in a junkyard in Mountain Home, Idaho. Although it hasn’t turned a wheel in two decades, incredibly it still holds air in all four tyres. The engine and radiator have long since gone, but the transmission and drivetrain are still in place. If you fancy an interesting, largely rust-free restoration project, you’ll need to head over to Idaho with $3500,” explains Shiers.

 

The British writer points out that this 1940s Chevy truck has a face that only a mother could love. “In fact, excepting the Ford Otosan Cargo, it could be the most aesthetically challenged truck I have ever seen!” he notes with a chuckle.

 

It was photographed in an old Nevada ghost town called Gold Point which – as the name suggests – was once a gold mining town. “The mines remained in operation until the 1960s, and this truck probably spent most of its working life servicing them. Note the bullet holes in the passenger door,” says Shiers.

 

Just how this 1960s Ford Econoline ended up in this condition, abandoned in the Nevada desert, miles from civilization, is anyone’s guess. “Seeing as there’s nothing much to do in Nevada (except gambling, drinking and prostitution of course), the bored locals seem to use any dumped vehicle as a target practice. This van is so riddled with bullet holes that it’s starting to resemble an alopecic hedgehog!” Shiers points out.

 

Photographed in a junkyard in northern California, this Mack AC Bulldog is a real rarity. “The AC model, with its distinctive snub nose design, was built for the military, and first went into production in 1916. With its chain-driven rear axle, the truck proved to be unstoppable in arduous conditions, and quickly developed a reputation for reliability on Europe’s battlefields.

 

“The AC actually got its bulldog nickname from the British troops, who reckoned it had the appearance and tenacity of a bulldog. Of course, the truck maker would later go on to adopt the bulldog as its official mascot. By the time production ceased in 1939, some 40 000 ACs had been built,” Shiers reveals.

 

According to Shiers, All American Classics of Vancouver, Washington recently had a massive cull. “Ever-increasing property taxes have forced the salvage yard to sell-off 14 of its 20 acres, resulting in the crushing of 1 200 classic vehicles. Fortunately, this wonderful 1950s White 3000 wasn’t one of them,” he notes.

 

Ford’s once ubiquitous C-series is fast disappearing from America’s roads, but Shiers reports that they’re still plentiful in salvage yards. This one was spotted in Turners Auto Wrecking of Fresno, California.

 

“At least four other truck makers used the same cab, including Mack, FWD and Canadian fire truck specialist Carl Thibault. Despite being in production for 33 years (1957 to 1990), incredibly the Ford C series isn’t the longest-built truck in America. That accolade goes to the Kenworth W900, which is still rolling off the line after 57 years,” says Shiers.

 

Rhyloite, Nevada, 120 miles north west of Las Vegas, is a true ghost town. “Gold was discovered there in 1904, and two years later an estimated 5 000 people called it home. But when the gold ran out, so did the people, and by 1920 the place was deserted. Today the town still has some fantastic stone ruins, including the old school that you can see in the background, behind this late 1940s Ford truck,” Shiers reveals.

 

As can be seen, Shiers fancies ghost towns and his favourite American ghost town is Goldfield, Nevada. At its peak in 1906, it was home to 20 000 people. “It boasted the largest hotel west of the Mississippi (which is still standing today), and famous residents included Wyatt and Virgil Earp. It had schools, theatres, countless bars and even a thriving red-light district,” Shiers reports.

 

Today, following numerous floods and fires, the place is a shadow of its former self. “Some 200 people still live there though, and the vast majority have at least a handful of abandoned cars or trucks on their properties. One that caught my attention was this Model TT, which probably dates from 1924. Note the wooden wheels, and the old railway carriage behind it,” he points out.

 

This photograph of another classic truck that was lucky to escape the crusher’s jaws – a 1952 Autocar U-series COE – was taken by Shiers in Vancouver, Washington.

 

“Autocar started building cars in 1897 and trucks in 1899. It is the oldest surviving motor vehicle brand in the western hemisphere. Today it mainly builds heavy-duty trucks for the refuse, mining and construction sectors,” he reveals.

 

According to Shiers, it’s not uncommon to find an old truck rotting away in a far-flung corner of a UK haulier’s yard. “They’re generally kept for sentimental reasons, with the false belief that one day they’ll be restored. But instead, every year the tin worm feast on them, until eventually they’re well past saving,” he notes.

 

It’s a different story in America’s desert states though, where vehicles can sit outside in the elements for decades without coming to any harm. “This original FWD is a perfect example. It’s over 100 years old yet has nothing worse than surface rust. This appears to be a 1917 Model B 3-tonne truck, probably one of 14 000 delivered to the US Army to help in the European war effort,” says Shiers.

 

Here’s another retired workhorse that travelled the world, before finally being put out to pasture in a Nevada ghost town. “It’s a 1950s FWD HST-COE and was originally built for the US Coast Guard. During its years of active service, it would have helped to build and maintain electric power and telephone communication pole lines in the South Pacific. In its second life it was purchased and used by a Californian water well drilling company. I assume this is when the homemade wooden bumpers were added,” Shiers maintains.

 

In 1864, a prospector exclaimed “Eureka” when he discovered silver deposits in a mountainous region of central Nevada. “That’s how the town of Eureka got its name. Eureka sits on US50, a 3000-mile road that starts in Ocean City, Maryland, on the east coast, and finishes in Sacramento, California, in the west. In total it passes through 12 states, and the Nevada leg is known as The Loneliest Road in America,” reveals Shiers.

 

 

He says that he was as excited as the prospector when he spotted this beautiful 1941 K4 International pickup truck parked outside an abandoned hospital.

 

Cabovers were once hugely popular in the States but began to lose favour in the late 1970s when length law restrictions began to ease up. “This 1980s Freightliner, complete with trailer, was photographed at a bus graveyard in Williams, California,” he reports.

Want to see more incredible pics by Will Shiers? Roadside Relics – America’s Abandoned Automobiles is available on Amazon.