| Posted by Nikko P on January 7, 2009 | |
To be honest, I never even heard of this country until you started posting pictures. These are some of the most beautiful I've seen! Its such a real glimpse into the lives of these central Africans still largely untouched by the outside world!
Is the steam locomotive kept in operation as a functional piece of the system or does it owe its employment purely to novelty?
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It's not so much the steam locomotives that are the novelty, more the railway itself! It was restored, after many years of disuse, by the army as a "special project" after the war of independence from Ethiopia, rather than to serve any pressing transport need. There was - and continues to be - talk of using it to ship freight from the docks at Massawa to the capital, Asmara, but as there is no infrastructure for the transhipment of freight and no diesel locos. to haul it, talk is perhaps all it will ever be in this impoverished country. So for the foreseeable future, the railway is likely to continue seeing no more than a steam tourist train on Sundays at the top end of the line, the occasional antiquated diesel hauled passenger train in the Massawa area, and occasional group charters of the whole line.
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These series of photos from Eritrea provide an amazing glimpse into a part of the world that few have ever seen or will ever see. Many thanks for sharing your photos. I'd definitely give you a PCA vote for this picture if the system were working correctly!
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Is that what you call a 'hump' yard...sorry, couldn't resist :)
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Great shot. I've seen a lot of horses with the trains. This has got to be the first camel crossing shot.
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