Forgotten Lands, Places and Transit

Just outside the desert frontier town of Uyuni, Bolivia—a gateway to the world’s largest salt flats—lies a surreal tableau frozen in time. Strewn across a barren, wind-scoured plain, dozens of steam locomotives and railcars slump in an eternal repose. This is the * Cementerio de Trenes *, the Locomotive Graveyard in English, a haunting monument to ambition, industry, and the relentless march of obsolescence. Google Maps Street View of some of these locomotives Bolivia’s history is deeply entwined with the tracks of its railroads, the echoes of its mining past, and the stories of progress and decline that have unfolded in its rugged landscapes. Among the most evocative symbols of this history lies the eerie yet captivating locomotive graveyard of Uyuni.  The sight of rusting locomotives has made the train graveyard an international destination for photographers across the world, and it would not surprise me at all to learn that it inspired the Train Graveyard in Final Fantasy 7, al...

The Division Street Bridge in Lockport, IL is currently closed to all traffic (including pedestrian traffic) and hidden behind growth. It once carried traffic across the Des Plaines River, although lost importance once the IL 7 bridge was completed. Forgotten Lands, Places and Transit photo (Jan. 2025) The bridge approach is only accessible via IL 53 on the west side of the Des Plaines River/Sanitary Ship Canal. Forgotten Lands, Places and Transit Photo (Aug. 2018) According to HistoricBridges, "this abandoned bridge which is closed to all traffic carried Division Street over Des Plaines River.  " Division Street Bridge over the Des Plaines River " - Courtesy of Lewis University. At one time an additional bridge, a swing bridge which is today gone, would have carried the street over the Sanitary and Ship Canal to the east as well.  Lockport Historic District, Chicago Sanitary & Ship Canal, Swing Bridge, Sixteenth Street, Lockport, Will County, IL ( Library of Congres...

Across the rolling hills and rugged landscapes of western Ireland, one can find peculiar relics of a dark chapter in the island’s history. These are the Famine Roads—routes that climb into the hills, twist through valleys, and often end abruptly, leading nowhere. Their haunting presence is a testament to the desperation and suffering endured by countless Irish peasants during the Great Famine of 1845–1852. "One of the many roads to nowhere built during the Famine" (Image via sboins on Reddit ) The Great Famine , or Án Gorta Mór, was a catastrophic period in Ireland’s history, marked by mass starvation, disease, and emigration. Over one million people perished, and another two million fled the country, profoundly altering Ireland’s demographic and cultural landscape. In an era dominated by the rigid doctrines of laissez-faire economics, relief efforts were minimal, and assistance often came with cruel conditions. Under the Poor Law and its amendments, relief programs were esta...

In addition to the abandoned railroad , Route 66, and its two interstate highways, my hometown of Bolingbrook has (had) another gem that piqued my interest as a kid, one that I never got to see, Old Chicago Amusement Park. Today's blog represents the culmination of the most research and work I've done on anything on this website, mostly because I was attempting to make a book out of this, but I eventually found that I could not discuss much beyond what has already been said about this place. That being said, I believe that a blog is more than sufficient for what has been done toward this project already, so with that in mind, I hope you enjoy today's foray into the nostalgia of Old Chicago! Image of the Chicago Loop roller coaster. (Image via Bolingbrook Historical Society.) Like many kids growing up, I was fascinated with amusement parks. One of my favorite places in the entire world was  Six Flags Great America , located in Gurnee, Illinois. You can imagine my excitement,...