That’s a LOT of iron and steel …sheesh …
The UK had something similar in Barry, South Wales albeit on a smaller scale. During the late 50’s, 60’s and early 70’s when the rail rolling stock was being modernised a scrap yard in Barry held the old steam locos prior to scrapping.16,000 locomotives were scrapped eventually along with 650,000 wagons.
The Hogwarts Express was saved from the site and restored.
Sweden kept old steam engines in storage in case we needed them again if the supply of petroleum to the refineries should dry up in wartime. We could still produce electricity but diesel would be a problem, plenty of forests to get firewood for steam engines.
Most went to scrap but some were saved for museums and by enthusiasts.
We kept them hidden away, one or two in each location, on short spur tracks out in the forests. Sometimes they were concealed in large barns and the tracks hidden.
Living close to “The Bear” makes us secretive …
Google maps today of the last storage location
Aerial photo from around 1975 when the shed was still there.
The two engines in that shed, the last of the emergency storage, were taken out and pulled to museums in 2016. They had been meticulously preserved and could be fired up.
This picture which is a few years old shows early French TGV trains waiting for the scrap…
H.P.
Looks like a graffiti problem in France, too.
That breaks my heart. I see some high short hood units in that first photo.
