CORRYTON, Tenn. — Deep in the woods near House Mountain State Natural Area, you’ll find an agricultural relic that looks more like an old train than a tractor.
The Russell brand steam-engine tractor is an unusual heirloom that was passed down to Scott and Teresa Boyer.
Teresa Boyer said the original owner was Jeff Day, who saw a return on his high-tech investment by taking the machine to farms throughout the country to thresh wheat. Boyer said Day eventually sold the machine to Joe Strong, who used the steam engine to saw lumber on House Mountain. A great deal of the wood supposedly went to the construction of Norris Dam in the 1930s.
The elongated steam-engine tractor eventually made its way to the Boyer family. Now the steel relic no longer runs. It sits in the shade along a muddy driveway.
Teresa Boyer said her family is moving to a new home and cannot take the tractor with them.
So, what do you do with a massive steam-tractor that weighs a tremendous amount and doesn’t run? Boyer listed it for sale on Facebook marketplace.
Boyer said she was shocked at how quickly the sale picked up a full head of steam. At one point, she was receiving 45 offers an hour to buy the old steam engine tractor.
Many people messaged her to say she was selling the antique machine at a price far below its actual value. The sale price of almost $3,000 is possibly less than what the materials are worth for scrap metal. But moving the old tractor and keeping it would cost thousands.
Ultimately, Boyer said she found the right buyer. The new owner plans to restore the tractor, although the success of the effort will depend on whether he can find remaining parts on the ground and safely haul the machine out of the woods.
Boyer said she deleted the item from Facebook on Tuesday after it was sold. However, she continued receiving messages about the tractor from interested buyers throughout Wednesday.
The response proved to Boyer the oldest of engines can still have plenty of pull in the 21st century.
