It's amazing to see those steam locos built in 1915 still hauling those trains climbing bravely, if I had a chance I'll go there to trip, this country is as my home state here in Brazil, high altitude and a lot of fun !!!
La più bella linea ferroviaria del mondo, progettata e costruita dagli italiani e riattivata dagli eritrei. Osservate la precisione del tracciato e la maestria con cui sono stati edificati in pietra i ponti ed i contrafforti. E' un monumento all'ingegno ed al lavoro umano, dovrebbe entrare a fare parte dei siti Unesco come patrimonio dell'umanità. Grazie Eritrea per aver preservato tutto questo!
Sono Locomotive (Ansaldo Mallet serie R.440) mantenute in una condizione incredibile di efficienza, immagino con risorse limitatissime. Bravo il personale eritreo!
Thank you for this glimpse of these locomotives. The atmospheric views and sounds are literary...novelesque, the landscape and people timeless....your chapter format great fun!
A beautiful video of a magnificent railway with wonderful mallet locomotives. You've captured the country and its people as well as the railway with great skill - congratulations.
THANK YOU for another great video! Add this to the list of 'must see' places! How wonderfully well maintained those engines are! All appear to be running like Swiss watches! Some of our railway museums could take a lesson from the maintenance crews there...
Dwayne And just think, this system was bombed out of existence during their War for Independence, by the Ethiopians. To get it back in some sort of running order is a credit to the Eritrean people, as a symbol of that independence, Sure the engines pre-date independence, but you've got to work with what you've got. Good on you Eritrea!!
I want to pause and appreciate that 13:28 shows 7 cars and 8 pistons. It is really cool to see a railroad that needs a lot of power for its steep grades, and also rounds curves that make the flanges sing.
Watching the crew cranking the turntable and the transfer table gives a new meaning to black power. Those guys sure bust their butts to keep the line in operation.
Great video of a fantastic railroad. Nice little mallets with no tender. I wonder how can they do mainline work without it. I guess they make frequent fuel stops These locomotives do not seen to use coal as fuel as they do not smoke so much. Are they fuel oil fired ? These little railroad should be a major tourist attraction in a wealthy country. Congratulation to the people of Eritrea for keeping this jewel operational.
_"Nice little mallets with no tender. I wonder how can they do mainline work without it."_ They're tank engines. Water is in the saddle tanks on each side of the boiler. Fuel is in a bunker located behind the cab. Still, they do have a more limited supply of fuel and water than a more conventional locomotive with a tender.
Das ist ein wunderbares Video mit noch wunderbareren fauchenden Dampflokomotiven. Was für eine grandiose Streckenführung, was für schöne Brücken und Tunnels !! Dieser höllisch schöne Lärm und der weisse Dampf der in den blauen Himmel steigt !! Bravo Eritrea so etwas zu erhalten . Wo kann man Spenden ?
...thanks for posting this and your other videos...the quality and definition are excellent...and this is the only way I will ever be able to see these railroads and countries...
Quante cose belle abbiamo realizzato in Eritrea, grazie a quello che abbiamo fatto noi italiani, viene oggi considerata la Perla d'Africa! Io sono stato e posso dire che è meravigliosa Asmara in particolare.
Ils ne l'ont pas seulement maintenu, mais complètement réparé après les destructions opérées par les Ethiopiens pendant la longue guerre libération de l'Erythrée.
Breathtaking railway and landscape! Among the most interesting I have ever seen! And incredible well photographed!!! Thanks for documenting this. Does some still arrange trips there?
Thank you for your nice comment. I know two companies which organise railway tours to Eritrea: Tanago and Farrail. Both have websites. Next tour to Eritrea in January 2019 by Farrail.
You are absolutely right. Unfortunately, the littorinas are out of order, even though I was said that the necessary spare parts have been made available to the railway. I already regard myself as extremely privileged to have seen four workable steam locomotives. Next step: going at last to Massawa (you have to keep dreaming!)
For the Eritrean locomotives, you may take a look at the Italian model manufacturers. Similar locomotives ware used in Italy. As for the Nilgiri ones, it is a bit more complicated. However the DFB is restoring two 0-8-0 locomotives (from Vietnam), which are pretty similar to those in the Nilgiri. That may be of interest for a Swiss model manufacturer.
It is 2500 meters drop down to the port. 20 miles straight line, but is 65 miles driving or on train. If you go more than 25 miles an hour you will be flying in the mountains. This track was even harder to build than the Pyramids.
Unfortunately, nowadays, when the Eritrean government restores the forest, they grow eucalyptus trees, because they stand the climate and provide a lot of fire wood. They also sterilize the ground...
Thansk for share the video: A country so charming but unfortunately does not respect human rights (there are Jehovah's Witnesses arrested for more than 20 years without charge)
