Buzz
Car cemeteries are final resting spots for vehicles, where they gradually deteriorate, overtaken by rust, until they are either salvaged or recycled. These decaying machines often present a haunting yet fascinating spectacle, with many of the largest sites harboring intriguing and peculiar tales.
10. Bolivia’s Train Cemetery
Nestled high in the Andes, in southwestern Bolivia, lies the Salar de Uyuni, the planet's most expansive salt flat. In 1888, during the peak of the local mining boom, British engineers were commissioned to construct a railway network extending to the Pacific. Despite relentless sabotage by the indigenous Aymara people, who viewed the railway as a menace to their traditional lifestyle, the tracks were finalized in 1892.
By the 1940s, the mining industry had crumbled as mineral resources were depleted. With the railway no longer in use, numerous steam trains were left deserted on the salt flats. Today, it remains a surreal spectacle: rows of corroding steam engines, many built in the UK, sit under the relentless desert sun. Unprotected by fences or guards, many trains have been stripped of their metal parts, with remnants scattered across the area. While there are proposals to convert the site into a museum, the trains currently remain vulnerable to both locals and the harsh elements.
9. Chatillon Forest Car Cemetery
For years, the dense forests near the Belgian town of Chatillon hid four car cemeteries, home to over 500 vehicles gradually overtaken by moss and rust. The origins of these vehicles are debated. The most popular tale suggests they were left behind by American soldiers after World War II, who couldn’t afford to transport their cars home, with more added over time. A less captivating theory claims they were remnants of a deserted junkyard.
Most cars dated back to the 1950s and ’60s, with many being rare and collectible. As a result, numerous vehicles were missing parts, either taken by collectors or scavenged by souvenir seekers. The final graveyard was removed in 2010 due to environmental issues, though haunting photographs of the site still exist.
8. Oranjemund Diamond Vehicle Scrapyard
Oranjemund, Namibia, is a small town entirely controlled by Namdeb, a partnership between the Namibian government and the De Beers diamond cartel. Situated near the Orange River’s mouth, it sits atop vast diamond deposits and was established to accommodate mineworkers. The area is heavily secured—armed guards monitor the perimeter, and even airport access requires a permit. Unauthorized possession of diamonds can lead to 15 years in prison, with workers attempting to smuggle gems in creative ways, such as hiding them in their noses or launching them over fences with makeshift crossbows. In one bizarre case, a homing pigeon was found wearing a tiny diamond-filled jacket.
Oranjemund also boasts one of the planet’s largest earth-moving fleets, surpassed only by the US Army. Vehicles entering the mining compound are never permitted to leave, allegedly to prevent diamond smuggling. Some of the rusting equipment dates back to the 1920s, including WWII tanks repurposed for sand clearing. While company executives once proudly displayed the collection, they now restrict photography of the graveyard to protect their public image.
7. Nouadhibou Ship Cemetery
Nouadhibou, Mauritania’s second-largest city with nearly 100,000 residents, is situated in one of the world’s poorest nations. Its port, nestled in a sheltered bay, provides a safe haven for ships from the Atlantic and serves as a gateway to some of the richest fishing areas globally. The port also handles iron ore exports from nearby mines, establishing it as a modest trade center.
During the 1980s, locals started discarding obsolete and unwanted ships in the bay’s shallow waters. Soon, vessels from around the globe were being dumped in Nouadhibou, with local authorities turning a blind eye in exchange for bribes. Today, a diverse array of ships, from fishing trawlers to naval cruisers, rust in the bay. Among the largest is the United Malika, which grounded in 2003 while transporting fish (its 17 crew members were saved by the Mauritanian navy). It has remained there ever since.
Despite efforts to curb further dumping, the number of abandoned ships keeps increasing, though at a reduced rate. As a significant iron ore exporter, there’s little motivation for locals to dismantle the ships for scrap. However, there’s a silver lining—the partially submerged vessels serve as a habitat for fish, with local fishermen often setting nets between them. The government’s plan to create an artificial reef in deeper waters using the ships has seen little progress since its announcement in 2001.
6. Soviet Submarines On The Kola Peninsula
Nestled in Nezametnaya Cove, within the Arctic Circle in Russia’s far north, lies a submarine graveyard from the Soviet era. Beginning in the 1970s, military submarines, many nuclear-powered, were left abandoned in this remote cove on the Kola Peninsula. Soviet shipyards, overwhelmed with orders for new submarines, neglected to dismantle the decommissioned ones.
The area is off-limits without special permission, leaving details about the graveyard scarce. It’s reported that some submarines were dismantled in the 1990s due to fears of water contamination, but recent Google Earth images suggest at least seven submarines still remain.
5. Barry Scrapyard
In 1955, British Railways, newly nationalized, unveiled a plan to decommission a significant portion of its aging fleet. This included approximately 650,000 wagons and 16,000 steam locomotives. Overwhelmed by the volume, British Railways’ yards couldn’t handle the task, leading to the sale of many trains to private scrapyards. One such site was the Woodham Brothers scrapyard in Barry, South Wales. Initially, steam locomotives were dismantled soon after arrival, but by autumn 1965, owner Dai Woodham shifted focus to scrapping the more manageable wagons flooding the yard.
The abandoned steam locomotives, left exposed to the elements, quickly became a tourist hotspot in Barry. Steam train enthusiasts recognized the yard as a treasure trove for rare locomotives, many of which were unavailable elsewhere, fueling the growing network of preserved railway lines across the country. The first locomotive was “rescued” in September 1968, with the pace accelerating through the 1970s. Ultimately, 213 steam engines were saved for preservation, surprising even Dai. The final locomotive departed Barry in March 2013.
Dai, who passed away in 1994, reportedly took great pride in his role in preserving these engines for future generations. Today, many of the locomotives from his yard continue to operate on heritage railway lines across Britain.
4. A Motorcycle Graveyard In Upstate New York
Near the Erie Canal in Lockport, New York, stood an old warehouse that gained legendary status among motorcycle enthusiasts. Once owned by a man named Kohl, who reportedly operated several motorbike dealerships, the warehouse housed a vast collection of motorcycles. Kohl acquired cheap Japanese bikes and leftover stock from defunct dealers, accumulating an astonishing number of vehicles. He purchased the building in the 1970s to store his collection, eventually selling it, contents included, in 1997. Kohl passed away in 2002 at the age of 80.
The buyer, identified only as Frank, planned to use the warehouse for a motorcycle parts business. However, the building had deteriorated significantly, and Frank couldn’t justify the repair costs. Eventually, the warehouse was shut down by local authorities, preventing access to the collection. By November 2010, all the bikes had been removed, with many likely sent to scrap.
Photos of the graveyard first appeared in April 2010 on Flickr, sparking interest among motorcycle enthusiasts. Some managed to purchase rare bikes and parts before the collection was cleared. Photographer Chris Seward aptly described it: “It is definitely one of the most eerie, strangest places I have ever been.”
3. The Arizona Boneyard
Officially called the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, the Boneyard is a massive aircraft storage facility in the Arizona desert, managed by the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (AMARG). Spanning an area equivalent to 1,430 soccer fields, it houses over 4,200 aircraft valued at approximately $35 billion, making it the largest military aircraft graveyard in the world.
The aircraft at the Boneyard are categorized into four groups: Category 1000 includes planes preserved and ready to fly if needed, Category 2000 consists of aircraft used for spare parts, Category 3000 holds planes in good condition that may be redeployed, and Category 4000 contains outdated models destined for museums or scrap. Among Category 4000 were many iconic B-52 bombers, dismantled following a 1991 arms reduction treaty with Russia.
Arizona’s arid climate makes it ideal for preserving aircraft, minimizing decay. AMARG emphasizes that the facility generates revenue by selling parts, countering claims of wasteful spending. The Boneyard’s fame has even led to the availability of guided tours for visitors.
2. Chernobyl Disaster Vehicles
Following the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, not only were people and structures impacted by radiation, but so were the numerous vehicles used in firefighting and cleanup efforts. Most of these vehicles now reside in large graveyards, with the biggest located at Rassokha, awaiting their final disposition. However, some vehicles, like the initial fire trucks that reached the disaster zone, had to be buried deep underground due to severe contamination.
At the heart of many graveyards are the firefighting helicopters, whose pilots and crews suffered some of the worst radiation exposure. Alarmingly, locals have been caught trying to scavenge metal from these vehicles, despite the extreme dangers. Ukrainian police have arrested several individuals for attempting to salvage an Mi-8 helicopter used in the operation, which they planned to repurpose as a cafe.
1. RAF Folkingham
RAF Folkingham, located in Lincolnshire, UK, initially opened in 1940 as a decoy airfield for RAF Spitalgate, complete with mock aircraft and personnel. It was transferred to US control in early 1944, where Douglas C-47 Dakotas based there played a crucial role during the D-Day operations.
The airfield returned to RAF control in April 1945 and was decommissioned in 1947. British Racing Motors, a Formula One team, later repurposed the runways as a testing ground. It was reopened by the RAF in 1959 to house Thor thermonuclear missiles before its final closure in 1963, after which it was sold for agricultural use.
Currently owned by Nelson M. Green & Sons Ltd., the site stores hundreds of vehicles used for spare parts sourcing. The collection includes vintage Caterpillar bulldozers, fuel tankers, cranes, tractors, and military trucks and armored vehicles from World War II. Among them is a DUKW amphibious vehicle, used during D-Day, and three pads that once held Thor missiles. The vehicles remain lined up, awaiting their ultimate fate.
