Most people come to Uyuni, Bolivia, at an altitude of over 3,600 meters, to add their own small grain of human at the largest salt desert in the world. In this wild, natural place, one doesn’t necessarily expect to discover the carcasses of steam-powered monsters. At the end of the 19th century, a railway line made it possible to transport minerals such as tin, silver and even gold mined in Bolivia to the Pacific Ocean. By exporting its riches by ship, Bolivia dreamed of a phenomenal economic boom. But in 1904, as a result of the War of the Pacific, it lost its access to the sea to Chile. Since then, the trains have been left to the ravages of time in a cemetery that resembles an open-air museum. It’s 24th December and Bolivians are adding color to their day with family visits to the site, while I’m preparing to spend a white Christmas in the middle of the Salar.