The Rusty Farm Collection

The Rusty Farm is a part of my Rust In Peace collection that I decided to add to this site since not only have I spent many years taking pictures of cars and trucks, I also took time along the way to photograph hundreds of pieces of old rusty farm machinery and related items. I never spent the time educating myself on the farm machinery side of it as I have in the automotive side. However, I did grow up on a farm and understand most pieces of equipment and what they were used for on a daily basis out here in rural America. Because of that on this page you will find more photos than stories or information that go with each picture, unlike my other pages I have spent my life developing to share with you on this ever changing book of Rust In Peace.

This past holiday season when I was in the Dodge City Kansas area for Christmas with my in laws, Actually they live in Wright which is 6 miles east of Dodge City, I went out to do some inrustigating in the area. 
I found the old fuel hauler I just posted above along with this old combine that reminded me of one my Grandfather had when I was a kid. 
Most of these old combines had engines that were purchased from Ford or who ever the combine manufacturer used at the time. 
My Grandfathers has a 4 cylinder model A Ford engine on it that had never been ran in the field after they replaced it so it would be ready for the next season. 
I was told he upgraded that year and never traded it in when he got his new combine, so there it sat with that brand new engine on it over the years and was never used again. 
I was just a very young kid when it was still at his farm and had no idea that old rusty combine had that motor sitting on it. 
At any cost, it was hauled off for scrap in the later years and that old brand new model A never got a chance to run hot or run at all. 
That is kind of a shame, but if we wanted to tell those stories you need to get in line, as it would be a pretty long one. 
For what ever reason, I have always wanted to take an old rusty engine like this and rebuild it on a stand, just to sit and look pretty and never let one drop of rain or a crystal of snow park it’s stain on it ever again. RIP

Oliver Pull Type Combine

John Deere Ear Corn Elevator

Oliver Tractor

2 Row Pull Type Corn Picker

Twin City Tractor

Allis Chalmers

H Farmall painted John Deere green

Early Silage Blower

Allis Chalmers

John Deere Combine

Oliver With Loader

Sitting in a pasture in western Nebraska a few winters ago was this gas powered portable buzz saw. 
When I find something like this I think about the men that ran this that obviously had no concern for safety and just needed to get the job done. 
Not only does the blade have no shielding what so ever, neither does the drive belt coming off the motor. 
In today's world could you see a crew of men working around this thing cutting up logs to make into posts or lumber or whatever they needed when your insurance man shows up to talk about renewing your insurance for next year? 
I am not saying, I believe we should throw away all our safety shields across America, but I do believe if we had to build some of the great structures, bridges and unbelievable projects that were accomplished before OSHA and every other safety program that has saved the world today, they would in no way be done. 
Think of the tallest buildings back east that were built without one safety strap. The bridges thousands of cars cross everyday to take people to their destinations that were built by hundreds of men without one benefit or concern of, what if I fall? 
These were the days when tough was proven by actions and endurance, not by how you dress or what you drive, like we see so much of today. 
I have great respect for those men and women that went to work hungry, worked long days and asked for nothing but to have a job to come back to tomorrow. 
I am sure many of them were told, if you fall, you are fired on the way down, when you hit the ground, you are trespassing, but that did not stop them from taking crazy chances daily for pay we could find in change laying around on the ground today by a gas pump. 
Next time you are driving across one of those huge old bridges or looking up at those buildings in the big cities, take time to think about endless amounts of energy and risk it took to bring that masterpiece into existence. 
Take time to think about all the men and women that go to work everyday as I write this to make all our lives better, that work endless, thankless jobs, without one ounce of recognition or the smallest gesture that may resemble a thank you. 
The long and the short of it is, if you put your energy into the people around you first and worry about yourself last, you will become first to so many people, the last thing you will ever need to worry about is yourself. RIP