>>1288838the issue is fuel supplies and spare parts running out. Those shitholes keep running because they can get the necessary elements to get their transportation working, ie cheap/used vehicles, fuel and parts. They get that through trade from other more advanced places. Basically they live off the crumbs of civilized society.
I'd rather look at how transportation evolved during the earliest industrial days, systems that are reasonably simple to be locally manufactured and powered. First of course animal-powered vehicles, then primitive animal powered railways (for efficiency and assuming that basic manufacturing infrastructure is up and running, I'm talking almost medieval-tier ironworks and stuff), and once basic railways are running, possibly electric railways. Electric railway rolling stock could be feasible if old electric motors are available. Building them would be very difficult, but repairing existing motors could be done, and building rudimentary electric trains isn't very difficult if enough materials can be recycles (old wires and such, which should be reasonably abundant).
