Boneyard: Rusty Metal Machines & Nullified Neon Signs

Image courtesy of U.S. Federal Government

Images by Bob Jagendorf

The great pictures above by Bob Jagendorf show the Staten Island boneyard, where several old vessels languish semi-submerged offshore.  One of them is the famed Staten Island ferry, shown in countless films, including The Dark Knight, and a daily feature in New York Harbor.  This corroding scrapper is just one many several in the fleet that has been tooing-and-froing between Staten Island and the city in one form or another since the 1700s.  The cruise liner (left) is the SS United States, built in 1952 and operated until 1969.  Despite appearances, the ship is said to be in sound condition and continues to hold the coveted Blue Riband, previously held by the British.  Various groups have pledged to refurbish the ship, perhaps even return it to service.

Desert Aircraft Boneyards

Images by PhillipC

Take the desert boneyards of Arizona.  This dusty moonscape is the final resting place for many military and civilian types.  The hot dry climate offers the perfect conditions to store old aircraft that may one day be revived and used again.  The faded metal machines lining the desert floor in their thousands make up an “air force” to rival many on the planet.  The mighty B-52 bomber (bottom right) has probably been loitering here since the end of the Vietnam War.  (Here’s one of the not so lucky ones; after years providing spare parts to the active fleet of F-14s, this one is about to be shredded… What would Maverick think?  This is what he flew in Top Gun!)

Davis Monthan, Arizona

Images by omnibus

Arizona’s biggest and most famous boneyard, Davis Monthan Air Force Base, is a place like no other.  Home to around 4,000 surplus military machines, all of them inventoried and numerically identifiable, this is where the U.S. government sends its warplanes when their flying days are over.  Many will be scrapped after lying silent for years, others cannibalised for parts, while others still have a far more fiery fate in store for them.  The F-4 Phantom (above, top left and bottom right) is one of the most successful warplanes ever built, and is being honoured for its achievements by flying one final mission as a target drone – where each one will literally be blown out of the sky during missile firing trials!  It almost makes this sunken old Phantom seem like a lucky survivor.

Images by Webbaliah

The white latex (above right) covering the jet’s air vents, intakes and panel joins helps keep moisture out of all the nooks and crannies, limiting problems brought about by corrosion.  Combined with the dry heat of the fearsome desert sun, it explains why these Cold War machines can be brought back to life years after being laid up in the desert.  Unfortunately, someone left the cockpit open, which is bound to have scuppered the good work done by the protective coatings!  As for this other old Air Force machine, the word “Rescue” looks somewhat ironic nowadays.

Middle Eastern Boneyard

Images by jonmallard

The spoils of war!  Here’s a slightly different and certainly more redundant boneyard resident.  This captured Mig 21 has taken a battering over the years, and today looks more like a rusting trophy for the American soldier taking a break beneath the old tail fin.  This is not one that will be put to use any time soon.  For more of these, check this out.

Neon Bonyard

Image by Lord Jim

Images by Lord Jim

Even glitzy neon signs get chovelled up and recycled one day. It’s hard to image that these bright and gaudy specimens that one lined the boardwalk or hung above some cheesy roadside diner could end up amongst the rubbish.  But hese images by Lord Jim show how they can still look cool in a junk yard!  With the sunlight beaming down and the neon lighting turned off, the yellow duck looks positively hypnotised.  It’s definitely slightly surreal…

Image by Elsie esq.

Image by lawrence baulch

Images by vitalyzator

Ah yes, the train!  Stalwart fixture of many a proud boneyard, they’re cumbersome, heavy, rust like the best of them and can sustain years and neglect – not to mention provide valuable amounts of scrap metal.  These proud machines lie derelict at the end of an arduous life and a job well done.  It’s possible some of them might be renovated as museum pieces, but with most of these it’s looking unlikely.  Boneyards across the world abound with old train carcasses, so if you want one for your garden, you shouldn’t have too much trouble finding a candidate!

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