The term “museum” is somewhat loosely applied to the Motor Transport Museum in Campo, California, site of a photo shoot for the Ultra Versus Ultra feature in the HOG 007 edition. “Junkyard” might be a term more likely applied to the collection by a casual observer, but there is no questioning its credentials as a fascinating repository of artifacts chronicling the history of mechanized transport in the United States.

Located in an old feldspar mill in Campo, 60 miles west of San Diego on Highway 94 – a mere stone’s throw from California’s southern border with Mexico – the MTM is just a short hop down the road from the scenic town of Julian, a popular Southern California motorcycle destination.

The feldspar mill itself is quite a sight, soaring over 100 feet from the surrounding scrub and offering spectacular views of the countryside if you’re lucky enough to be invited to climb to the top, as we were. Feldspar is a mineral used in the production of porcelain, so it’s no surprise to learn that the Campo mill, which was built in 1925, was operated through the 1950s by the Standard Sanitary Manufacturing Company. From nearby mines, the raw feldspar was trucked to the mill, ground into a fine powder, and then shipped by rail to be used in the production of tubs, sinks, and toilets.

After the mill shut down, it changed hands a few times and lay dormant until the founders of the MTM acquired the property in 1987 to house their collection of trucks and other vehicles, which includes one of the largest fleets of unrestored vintage Mack trucks in the country, as well as a large collection of stationary engines, power generating equipment, cranes, and other heavy machinery. Primarily consisting of pre-WWII specimens, the MTM provides a rare look into the past of the critical yet under-celebrated trucking industry that has been so crucial to the development of this country and its economy. In addition to the rusting hulks outside, the museum also houses a restoration and fabrication shop as well as a research library.

The Motor Transport Museum is open Saturdays and by appointment, and is well worth a visit if you are in the area. Check out their site for more info. Here are a few images for those who prefer to travel from their desks.

Those of you who have had been lucky enough to pay a visit to the Harley-Davidson Museum in Milwaukee® most likely remember vividly the statue in the courtyard. You know, the one of the hill climber about to take flight – struggling to hang on to his wildly bucking mount as he nears the top. You probably took a picture of it—perhaps with your husband, wife, or best riding buddies standing in front, grinning like crazy people!

Even if you haven’t made it to the Museum, chances are you’ve seen the statue in a photo. This larger-than-life monument has become an iconic image and takes center stage in many of the photos taken of the Harley-Davidson Museum.

If you took the time to look at it closely, chances are you were blown away by the detail. The individual links in the motorcycle’s drive chain. The wood grain in the floorboards. The way every nut, bolt, line, screw, heat fin, buckle, and snap seems to be accounted for. You could examine it closely for a long time and keep making new discoveries.

There’s a good reason this statue “comes to life” the way it does. It’s because the man behind the monument, bronze sculptor Jeff Decker, is as passionate about motorcycles (Harley Motorcycles in particular) as he is about his art. His work is distinctive not just in its beauty, but also its authenticity.

In the cover story of the upcoming issue of HOG magazine (006), we spend some time with Jeff and take a look at what makes him tick. In the article, you’ll discover why he sometimes feels like Jack, of “Jack and the Beanstalk”; why he once thought going to automotive swap meets every weekend must be what every family did; what he dreams about at night; and much more.

To illustrate the article, we enlisted legendary moto-photo man Michael Lichter. The photos he took are every bit as Museum worthy as Jeff’s sculptures.

After you get the magazine, read the article, and see the pictures, come back here for a few more words and pictures. We promise it’ll be worth the “trip.”

(And be sure to tell us what you think by leaving a comment below or sending your thoughts to hogmagazine@harley-davidson.com.)