Abandoned classic cars are usually associated with barns and junkyards, but many of them have been left to rot away in the woods. Some have been discarded so many years ago that you need plenty of luck to locate them in overgrown vegetation. But old cars aren't the only things you're likely to find while wandering through a pathless forest.
Professional explorers also run into abandoned houses, farming equipment, and even airplanes. Bruce Wilson, who is mostly known for reviving old trucks and tractors, recently found a 1950s diesel locomotive rotting away in the woods. Well, "found" might not be the best term here because this thing isn't exactly hidden from sight, but it's definitely been abandoned for years.
Bruce documented the train while off-roading with some of his friends. And he found the somewhat mysterious locomotive vandalized and missing a few parts. They're saying the owner bought it to turn it into some sort of amusement train ride, but apparently, that never happened and the old locomotive is just sitting on disused tracks.
At first glance, it's like any other train that's been decommissioned, but this locomotive is, in fact, an important piece of American rail transportation. Because you're looking at a 1950s ALCO RS-3.
Built by the American Locomotive Company from 1950 to 1956, the RS-3 is a diesel-electric locomotive. It was introduced as a replacement for the RS-2 and used by many railroad operators across the U.S., Canada, Brazil, and Mexico. ALCO built a total of 1,418 RS-3 locomotives, 1,265 of which were made for American railroads.
The RS-3 was powered by a turbocharged, four-stroke V12 diesel engine and four traction motors. It was rated at 1,600 horsepower, 100 horses more than its predecessor, the RS-2. The massive locomotive was able to pull up to 61,775 pounds (28,021 kg) and hit a top speed of 85 mph (137 kph).
Even though production stopped in 1956, the RS-3 served for decades and some might still be in use as of 2022. This locomotive here was used in Tennessee for many years and it seems it was still in operation in the early 2000s.
The train is not completely abandoned though. I did a bit of digging and it seems the owner is still around running a shop in the area. And apparently, he was forced to retire the train in 2010 when the tracks were sold and the new owner would not allow the locomotive to continue using them.
Sadly, it had many of its parts stolen and its windows smashed in the few years it's been sitting in the same spot. It won't run and drive anytime soon, but maybe it will be saved at some point. Because this locomotive should be in a museum.
Ask Ciprian about cars and he'll reveal an obsession with classics and an annoyance with modern design cues. Read his articles and you'll understand why his ideal SUV is the 1969 Chevrolet K5 Blazer. Full profile
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