From: Biniam Haile \(SWE\) (eritrea.lave@comhem.se)
Date: Mon Apr 27 2009 - 14:17:26 EDT
Monday, April 27, 2009
ModelRailroading.com - Model Train Search Engine
Astounding Narrow Gauge Railway in: Eritrea?
Who would have guessed that one of the youngest nations on the Planet
(Eritrea gained Independence from Ethiopia in 1993 after 25 years of
bloody revolution.) would have a thriving Narrow Gauge STEAM operation?
The line was commissioned by the Italian Colonial Government in 1887,
starting from the Port at Massawa, working slowly upgrade to the Capital
at Asmara, which was reached in 1911.
The Original intention was to connect to Sudans' Railways, to
Mussolini's invasion put an end to that idea. Branch lines sprouted
along its lines, eventually connecting Bascia.
WWII has the Italians lose control of Eritrea to the British, which in
turn fixed the railway and imported a handful of diesel switchers to
handle local work.
The Asmara-Massawa Cableway, built by the Italians in 1931 to haul war
materials, food and supplies to handle the Italian war effort, was
dismantled by British in 1942.
The Cableway paralleled the Mainline of the railway at many points, and
would be an essential modeling detail if one was to model this railway.
The Cableway towers remained in place until the 1980's.
The British, and their usual lack of colonial foresight, left Eritrea
to Ethiopia after the war, which predictably led to unrest.
The 1940's and 1950's were kind to the railway, with plenty of traffic.
In 1965 the Railway carried half a million passengers and two-hundred
thousand tons of freight. However, it was all "downgrade" from there,
the road that linked Asmara and Massawa was upgraded and rebuilt, and
that meant that trucks could finally make it up to the 7,000 foot
capital city somewhat easily.
The Communist Junta, theDerg, destroyed the railway and left it to rust
away. There was a revolution that caused two decades of fighting soon
afterwards.
After the bloody revolution, the new Eritrean state was in shambles, the
Red Sea port of Massawa was most heavily hit.
The Original narrow gauge rail line was very hard hit in the war, having
a lot of it's track removed and reporpused into makeshift frames for
army barracks.
The Bridges were heavily mined, and difficult task to remove them was
completed in the early 1990's.
After the mines were removed, the new Eritrean state decided, as a
matter of national pride, to rebuild the line.
So, ex-soldiers and railroad veterans went back to work, using some
satisfactory rolling stock, and a converted Russian army truck for
motive power along the line while the steam and diesel locomotives were
being restored.
The line took shape through the 1990's and was completed in 2004. The
Infrastructure is gradually being rebuilt as well, as steam locomotives
still need the coal and water in which to propel them.
The original "tank towns" are once again booming over the incredibly
rugged terrain, which gives Colorado narrow gauge a real run for its
money. Spectacular bridges, beautiful Italian style stucco/clay tile
stations, and the 0-4-4-0 mallets and 0-4-0 switchers that traverse this
astounding Narrow gauge railway. Now Tourists from all over the world
flock to this VERY unique railroad.
After watching this video, I think you'll fall in love with this narrow
gauge railway located in one of the most unlikely of places on earth.
Make sure to watch it all! (Click below)
http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docid=-4676207214470794917
<http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docid=-4676207214470794917&hl=
en&fs=true> &hl=en&fs=true
http://modelrailroading.wordpress.com/2008/07/15/astounding-narrow-gauge
-railway-in-eritrea/
Published July 15, 2008 Interesting Websites to Visit , Real Railroading
Eritrean Mallet
<http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/03/Ansaldo_442_steam_lo
comotive_in_Eritrea.JPG>
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