I came across this picked over and crushed remainder of a car when we recently went on a family hike to the ghost town of Lille, Alberta. I believe I know what it is right down to the year but I would like to give others a chance to guess as well. My answer is at the bottom. In between are some additional photos and I will even toss in some bonus photos of the ghost town.
This view of the engine should provide a big hint on the potential make. Not sure why that door handle is sitting on top. The car is situated a couple kilometers away from the town site.
A door as well as the rear of the chassis.
A shot of the steering column.
And a parting shot of the whole car again. That front bumper is remarkably good condition given what the rest of it looks like.
After poking around the abandoned car we continued on to the ghost town site of Lille, Alberta. Located in the mountains of the Crowsnest Pass the town was originally called French Camp when established in 1902 but soon changed its name to Lille. Like many towns of the Crowsnest Pass area it was founded to exploit a coal seam nearby. Random bits of metal and a cleared meadow are the first signs that you have entered the town site.
Lille quickly grew to a population of 400 with many houses, stores, a hospital, post office and hotel. Unfortunately the winding rail line servicing the town with multiple water crossings proved expensive to operate. This combined with labor unrest, relatively low quality coal and an economic downturn in 1912 lead to the mine closure in 1913. While the town was abandoned the Lille town site became a popular destination to visit in the 1920s and 30s before the removal of almost all buildings as well as the rail line. Many of these buildings were re-purposed in surrounding area towns. From the main town site all that remains today are a few sunken areas of old cellars and the foundation for the hotel.
Today is Lille is most known for its Bernard Coke ovens, the only one of its kind ever used in Western Canada. Amazingly the oven was prefabricated in Belgium. Each individual brick was numbered so it could be assembled on site in Lille.
An example of a few of the numbered bricks. The assembly must have been a massive undertaking.
Inside the oven coal was heated to remove volatile organic compounds.
There were once fifty ovens but thoughtless vandals have reduced the structure over the years.
A pile of waste coal remains nearby. Off road vehicles were once allowed onsite but many still drive here despite ample signage.
We spot a few remaining fire hydrants standing guard at the town site as we leave.
Scroll down to see what I believe the car once was …
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A 1949 Plymouth Special Deluxe. Anyone disagree?
No argument on your identification, David. Looks like a 1949 Plymouth P17 or P18 to me, too. The bumper, flathead six and shifter bear it out. That three ribbed bumper was a one year only feature. Poor thing looks like it got run over by a bulldozer.
It’s a great old classic car awaiting restoration!
Looks like long ago it got smashed into a 4X4 play ramp. Really is amazing how intact the front bumper still is.
My wife suggests it’s the twin of the project taking up room in my carport. Some people just can’t see potential when they see it.
LOLing out loud!
It’ll buff right out.
He’s just waiting for that one last part to complete the project.
It ran when last parked, right?
Chrysler flathead 6 is all I can make out.
I thought I recognized that bumper. My family had a 49 Plymouth VERY similar to the one pictured except for being a 2 door Deluxe. Our Plymouth was even the same color as the car pictured. But none of the other pictures were a help to me.
I was gonna guess a ’49 or ’50 Nash Airflyte with the flat-six, but your guess is better.
I was going to say Nash, too, but I will defer to greater minds!
i figured ’49 Mopar from the bumper, but had to check to see if more than one had the triple tier. I learned, to my surprise, that not one of bumper designs between Plymouth, Dodge, DeSoto and Chrysler resembles any of other 3. That is news to me!
Thank you for the tour David. I wasn’t familiar with Lille. Of course it’s often overshadowed by nearby Frank, Alberta, and the site of the Frank slide. Shame about the vandalism. The remoteness of a historical site can be both a help and hindrance to its preservation. Often depending upon its popularity/accessibility.
There are pics online of that crushed car from a few years ago, when it was in slightly better shape.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Slide
The trail head to Lille is not sign posted at all as far as I can tell. I did visit almost a decade ago but neglected to take any photos of the car then.
“Ran when parked”
Also, CC effect of the vintage TV kind.
Last night on You Tube, I watched a few episodes
of “Emergency”, (the Jack Webb show about LA Paramedics, in case you are not familiar) out of nostalgic reasons.
Anyway, they get called to an home mishap where the victim is working on his ’62 Galaxie and the engine falls on him. What a way to go, I think , crushed by an FE !
Except it isn’t. The “engine” was one of these old Mopar flatheads, LOL.
“Negatory, Rampart.” A frequent quote between my brothers and I who grew up watching Emergency 51.
Odd that every victim on that show needed 10cc’s of Ringer’s Lactate 😀 !
Wasn’t 10cc, an English rock group, in the 70’s?
Those original chrome ribbed bumpers were a very popular item for the custom car guys back in the 50s. The Brizz co. out west makes/sells Aluminum aftermarket ribbed bumpers for customs and street rods, I installed a set on a 1947 Chev. Aero sedan street rod that I owned back in the late 90s.
Great find and history! I love exploring ruins – we’re up here in New England on vacation and we’ve checked out Centralia and a few Hudson Valley sites in our travels…