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Nuclear subs
Yesterday, we showed you where submarines go to play (underwater … with rich people), and today we’ll show you where they go to die. These nuclear-propelled submarine reactor compartments float rusting in the Russian bay of Chazma, just a handful among the many out-of-service subs in Russia’s fleet, one of the world’s largest. (North Korea has more — about 700 according to the U.S. State Department.)
Locomotives in Bolivia
These trains outside of the town of Uyuni in Bolivia have long stopped locomoting, and now sit in eerie silence in the midst of one of the world’s largest salt flats, Salar de Uyuni. The trains come from all over the world, as do the tourists who come to see them.
Not cleared for takeoff
Sometimes known as the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group, but usually just called “The Boneyard,” this Tuscon, Arizona facility is the sole repository for out-of-service government aircraft. Planes that come here — more than 4,000 at this point — are either there for long-term storage, or are destined to be picked apart and either recycled or sold for scrap. Needless to say, it’s a slow process. If you want to get a closer look (and you don’t work at the Boneyard), check out the Pima Air and Space Museum nearby.
Davey Jones’ Boat Ramp
There are plenty of nautical boneyards in the world, but many of the most notorious are in neglected corners of the world. This one in the Bay of Nouadhibou, Mauritania, boasts over 300 rotting ships, left there by seafaring litterbugs who knew local authorities would turn a blind eye in return for a little kickback.
Then there are the now-famous (thanks to a heart-rending 60 Minutes piece) ship-breakers of Bangladesh, who deconstruct supertankers and cruise ships from all over the world — without shoes or gloves in many cases — for pennies a day. It’s a brutal industry that supplies more than 80% of Bangladesh’s steel, and plenty of crazy pictures like this one:
More on the ship breakers in a blog by our own Mangesh.
Via Deputy Dog.
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Didn’t “The Boneyard” make a cameo in the 1987 Patrick Dempsey hit Can’t Buy My Love?
posted by KP on 9-27-2007 at 11:37 am
I live within a few miles of the Boneyard, and I’ve been to the Air and Space museum several time. It’s an eerie place to drive by–all those plane parts scattered all over the place–but sometimes you catch a glimpse of something really cool, like a bomber that’s still in good condition.
posted by Freezair on 9-27-2007 at 12:21 pm
In the town where I live, there is a locomotive buried in the lower part of the town. (the town has an upper and a lower, literally below the bluff) It was sucked under the silt when the lower part of the town flooded in the 1880s, pretty interesting.
posted by Laura on 9-27-2007 at 12:45 pm
well, i live in the great lakes region. think of all the boats undert he lakes that have crashed there. people have been crashing there since people started coming here. lol
they have a perfectly preserved horse and carriage full with horses under the bluff of lake keuka in new york. it’s down so deep it doens’t unfreeze during the year, but they also can’t bring it up.
posted by Sue on 9-27-2007 at 2:27 pm
“The Boneyard” plays an important role in Don DeLillo’s Underworld. Thanks for highlighting this.
posted by Trent on 9-27-2007 at 2:30 pm
“Tucson”, not “Tuscon”. Born and raised there – graduated from Rincon HS and the UA (BA Sys Eng)
I grew up a few miles from that BoneYard. My uncle worked there from the end of WWII until his retirement. I looked forward to the weekends when we’d go to his workplace and watch them use a giant guillatine (sp?) to destroy Mitchell bombers after the avionics were removed.
Movie made there, can’t remember the name, starred Don Johnson. Something about ‘Marlboro Man’…
posted by Doc on 9-28-2007 at 7:57 am
I remember reading that the ‘Boneyard’ was the only military dept. that actually turned a profit!!! I don’t remember the number, but I believe they recieve more than one million tourist annually.
posted by Sam on 10-4-2007 at 9:06 am
That Boneyard is actually Davis Monthan AFB and is still actively used everday by the miltary.
posted by Skip on 10-4-2007 at 12:39 pm
I was certain that carhenge would make the cut. I believe that it’s the only thing to see in Nebraska. You can fing out more at carhenge.com
posted by Olson on 10-6-2007 at 9:39 am
The tanker being broken up on the beaches of Bangladesh kind of reminds me of the sandcrawlers from Star Wars.
posted by Wilson on 3-9-2009 at 10:01 am
In Walla Walla, Washington there is a great old John Deer graveyard. There’s a story behind it, I was told, about the county wanting to come in and take the land, but it was just farm land. so the guy put all these old tractors on it so it would be considered industrial and he’d get more money. Not sure if it’s true or not, but either way, it was a very cool place to randomly stumble upon while out there. I’ve linked to my flickr page which has some pics I took there.
posted by Gayle on 3-9-2009 at 1:39 pm