Eritrea - Rebirth of a Railway - English • Great Railways
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- čas přidán 3. 01. 2024
- Producer NICK LERA took his cameras to the Horn Of Africa in 2002 and 2003 to record the dramatic revival of a war-ravaged mountain railway they said could never be rebuilt. This highly visual portrayal of a railway reborn follows vintage 95cm gauge Mallet locomotives steaming up the Rift Valley escarpment on a series of hairpin bends with breathtaking views on a 2200 meter climb from the Red Sea coast to the mountain capital Asmara, in a distance of only 110 kilometers. The time-warp in this former Italian colony is well illustrated by classic 1930s art deco architecture along with a restored 1930s ‘littorina’ railcar.
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Amazing that they rebuilt their railway with no interference from the IMF or the World Bank, just local tallent getting on with the job and not a private sector consultancy or foreign bank to be seen. Well done Eritrea ❤❤ I hope you thrive.
They have in-house, slave labor.
@StammeringHeights. or willing patriots who want to see their and their neighbours lives get better.
I'm sure the Eritrean government has a copy of "Confessions of an Economic Hit Man" by John Perkins lying around somewhere.
They used slave labour all need to go into the army with out pay
What a good example for the rest of Africa to follow. Even South Africa.
A 93 year old pattern maker and an 82 year old driver, incredible. Hats off to you guys.
Eritrea is simply beautiful.
إريتريا فعلا جميلة ولكن خربتوها أنتم تغراي تغرينيا ربنا يخلصنا منكم ان شاءالله عن قريب
I was raised in Florida USA and had never seen a mountain or valley until I was assigned to Kagnew Station in 1963 when I was 18 years old, I’m now 80 years old remember the natural beauty. Both Eritrea and Ethiopia were and are stunningly beautiful!
What great local enterprise and workers.
Eritrea shows in this film what Africa should be like
Thanks for an absorbing documentary Nick
Italian engineering and architecture and beautiful Eritrean land and people!
Thanks for this wonderful documentary.
Yes and Lets not forget that Eritrean labour built them
Watching these old men reminds me of the heritage railways of the west, only here they are not just restoring an amazing railroad, they are restoring a life line and in it, their country. This railway is astonishing a candidate for a world heritage site. The best of luck to the People and Rollstock of Eritrea.
Thank you🙏🏽
My salute to the ereterian people. Well done. Bravo.❤
Learn to spell first...
@@dianarier8746
If you don't like the heat, stay away from the kitchen.
If you don't like his spelling, don't read his posts.
Face it, English is NOT your mother's language.
Thank you for your encouraging support to the Eritrean people's determination to rebuild their motherland.
I lived in Asmara for 18 months and came away with a great respect for the Eritrean people. They were honorable people who took great pride in their work. My heart has been broken by the political news coming from it in recent years. This video is a breath of fresh air to me. And it reaffirms my faith in a splendid people. Yes. This railroad should be a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Question: how is it that the filming and production are dated 2004 and the video just recently shows up on CZcams?
I lived in Asmara for 18 months also …1966-67 dad was on the U.S. Army.
The film was initially designed for TV release but when ready wasn't eligible on technical grounds, unfortunately being made on the old standard 4:3 screen ratio instead of the new requirement of widescreen 16:9. A period of DVD release was therefore necessary in order to recoup my costs. It's now been put on UTube following the virtual demise of physical media. I hope this answers your question. I'm glad you enjoy the film as much as I enjoyed making it, in large part due to the aspects of the country and its people that you mention. You may also like to know that railway operation for Asmara's townsfolk on Sunday trips on the mountain section, plus a weekly goods run on the coastal reaches (as shown in my film) fell into abeyance following the sad passing of the railway's general manager Amanuel Ghebreselassie (seen in the film chatting to an Englishman in the littorina). Overseas tourists' specials continued for a few years, but other issues, plus the Covid pandemic, put everything on hold until the last couple of years. Starting 18 months ago, tour groups have been welcomed again, and even as I write this a German group are having the time of their lives with steam trips on the mountain section!
So good to hear it''s going on! @@NicholasLera-kd5tj
Not sure if the UNesco monolith will be very welcome considering their part in the Eritrean’s past travails.
This is a wonderful uplifting story of inspiring self help and literally the beating swords into plough sheers. It’s a venue worthy of anyones bucket list and hopefully that will ensure it will continue to exist. Thanks for sharing this with me. ❤
A stunning film beautifully filmed @@NicholasLera-kd5tj
Great people and amazing country, I spent about 4 years 1994 - 98 and left just before Ethiopia attacked Asmara airport around Easter in April 1998.
Ethiopia attacked? Are you sure!!! 🤨🧐 ...
@@dianarier8746 I was already out of Eritrea and was told by my Eritrean friends that Ethiopia attacked at the Asmara airport. I used to live in Samble complex.
@@dianarier8746 yes very sure.
@@dianarier8746Yes they .I was there.
@@dianarier8746
How soon did you forget that the Ethiopian TPLF missiles, bombing Asmara?
It's too bad you can NOT deceive all the people, all of the time.
Great. And hope Courage
My brother 🇪🇷 from 🇸🇴 somalia.
We must Come back 2country. Like before
Just realised that Asmara station lies at an altitude of 7628 feet and that makes it higher than the Ghoom station in Darjeeling railway at 7407 feet and how many of us have heard of Asmara Eritrean railway as compared to the often mentioned Darjeeling railway. The Darjeeling railway is much older though. Not only that, the Eritrean railway of more than 100 km, literally leaves behind Darjeeling railway by miles. Well done Italians! By the way I grew up in Darjeeling admiring the railway there and I still do but the credit must be given where it is due.
Thank you for a very well produced documentary, free from sensationalism. What a fantastic journey Eritrean Railways has undertaken. It shows Eritrea's faith in the future. Greetings from Sweden 🇸🇪.
Rather an amazing country... viva Eretrea
The way they rebuilt so much from practically nothing is amazing. And the result must be one of the most interesting rail journeys in the world. Superb camera work and editing.
Yes, both!
I think this is the best railway documentary ever made.
So interesting and illustrative.
I believe you, you're right
I spent some time in Asmara on a project in 1991, I took the trip down to Massawa, visiting the war graves, fond memories.
I lived there for 2 1/2 years and took the Litorina to Massawa once. A lot of memories, especially of the Asmara scenes in the introduction. I walked or road past the cathedral almost every day. The drive down the Massawa Road is also memorable.
MY BLESSED & BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY ERITREA! THANK YOU SO MUCH GREAT RAILWAYS!
Absolutely fantastic film. I love my country and miss it every day. The film gave me different perspective of the beauty of the land scape and how blessed we are to have this country. ❤🇪🇷❤️🇪🇷🌹🙏🏽
Where are you now my friend
This is a fabulous documentary, well narrated with magnificent camera angles, giving real insight into the workings of this wonderful railway.
I am Somali and I love Eriterians brother and sisters ❤❤❤❤ I really enjoyed it
Somalia is the only independent nation who stood by the Eritreans for decades since the inception of the Eritrean independence struggle.
Therefore, Eritreans are honored to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Somali people.
Peace & love to our Somali brothers & sisters.
The best train journey of 21st century. ❤ to Eritrea.
Really 😢 ….
@@user-yz6ip7ft5r
Oh yeah,,, Some of us enjoy the scenery & the pleasure of riding the train in the old fashion way, more than racing in electric bullet trains desperately trying to reach our destination & catch up with our breath.
What a wonderful documentary. Let us hope that some country like India that has a large experience in railway engineering and management helps Eritreans to establish a fully functional railway system with both the steam and diesel engines. India did have a big meter gauge system before. Now almost every line is a broad gauge in India and electrified too. But they have the knowledge.
Ohh You so Kind❤❤❤❤
It's all the bridges with the Roman arches that makes this rail line so Italian.
Throughout continental Europe the vast majority of preserved 19th century railway bridges are designed the Italian way. Tens of thousands of Italian railway workers were employed in many European countries from the mid 19th century until the outbreak of WW1. Even though the engineers who planned the track layout usually were locals, the experience the Italian workers had with certain design principles were put into good use.
I'm Italian and this is new to me, but I've heard this railway with more than 200 tunnels and bridges was built by Indians brought in by English. The Italian rule should have been later.
@@GianniBarberi No British and probably used local labor, since this was built while being an Italian colony. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eritrean_Railway
A truly wonderful, interesting video of an absolutely beautiful country one hears little about, other than when wars break out. Those steam trains are magical and the people who restored them deserve medals, along with all those people who restored all that track work by hand!! That rail bender was great to see. Thank you Nick for this video and all the others I (Ian) watch.
"Absolutely beautiful country?" Are you blind? It's a firewood-stripped desert at best and a bombed out desolate fourth-world backwater everywhere else.
The history of the railroad is interesting along with the Lion of Judah gate leftover from Ethiopia's glory days. As in the rest of Africa, the railroad is a product of outside countries attempts to bring civilization to Africa (while exploiting it in the process.)
It's a desert, not "firewood-stripped". As for being "bombed out", that was neither the Eritreans' nor the Europeans' fault. They've done well by Eritrea and its people, and I wish them great success in rebuilding what War destroyed. @@mikestirewalt5193
@@mikestirewalt5193
It is very beautiful though.
@@mikestirewalt5193 You do have a sense of humor! You are however, absolutely correct on - " the railroad is a product of outside countries attempts to bring civilization to [a colony] (while exploiting it in the process.)"
@@mikestirewalt5193 Ethiopian glory days? The lion of Juda? What have you been smoking? No one can mistake the era of the Freemason puppet king with glory unless you belonged to the tiny elite that have benefited at the expense of the many. Just like the zionist Israeli are uprooting olive trees in Palestine, the war criminals in Ethiopia have done the same to Eritrean landscape. Hundreds of trucks were hauling tree logs every week from Eritrea to Ethiopia. Their excuse was the freedom fighters are hiding in the trees. In Eritrea everything was targeted for burning including its mountains. You have a hell of a nerve to criticize Eritrea after the devastation you left behind. Everything you planned and did to Eritrea, will come back to burn your country into ashes.
What an amazing railway - and film! Thank you for making this, it must have taken some incredible logistics and planning to film. So much more than a railway film, too - the history, the old engineers, brought out of retirement to perform miracles (totally unfazed!), the scenery, the old engines, somehow still doing the Impossible... Just fantastic.
More than 60 years ago I experienced travelling from the Netherlands to Paris in a steam train. I did not know until I opened the window and closed it right away. A once in a lifetime trip.
Thank you very much for doing excellent documentary film. I am an Eritrean and I am happy to learn about railway history.
What a wonderful video. It's great to see the Eritreans have a pride in re-building their railway.
@dylansabasteanski2361why do ppl say stuff like this. The railway was rebuilt in the 90s way before Eritrea became an oppressive dictatorship. No body was forced to rebuild it, Eritreans who used to work on the railway during the 1930s and 40s rebuilt it.
It is backward trend downfall of Eritrea economy while modern hyrdoelctric powered container raiway system is built in neighbouring Ethiopia transporting high volume containers from Djibouti port to Ethiopia daily. This is progress
@@joyaku3078 maybe china can help build a railway in Eritrea like they did with Ethiopia. The Chinese did an amazing job building that railway.
@@joyaku3078دا م تطور انت م عندك حاجه تكوله وتشيل ضين من دول وماتقدر تدفعو واختضادك منتهي إثيوبيا يحكموها الغرب للعملاء ولي هسي عمله وارتريا يحكمها من شعبا ويطورها شعبها ماتغرن ارتريا بي إثيوبيا إثيوبيا دي مامكانها يقولو نحنو مافي دولة استعمرتنا والشعب كل شهر ينتضر رديت UNوتقول تطور
The Chinese are after their interests in Africa.
What an eye opener this film is. I'm certainly going to visit. Thank you so much.
You will be welcomed with open arms.
@@ancharotube7658 Thank you so much!
@@Richard-fs9un you are most welcome🙏
My university was built inside the historical factory of Ceretti & Tanfani (the company still exists) , the main company that built the cableway Massaua-Asmara (other 2 companies manufactured the steel cables and the diesel engines), the corridors were full of compositions made up of the original casting models for all the pulleys, arms, etc.
hope you can share the images and videos of it
@@bibi-vr5zf not really. Has been a long time since the last time I was in my "Alma Mater" and I have no pictures.
But
Here under the roof you can see a few wheels/pulleys
maps.app.goo.gl/ViwT7XZmXDShLtRB9
And here the old secondary gate in rationalistic style (the main was older) with still the factory name on it
maps.app.goo.gl/zRp8TkzGKrTwMxmn8
There are plenty more wooden forms for pulleys etc inside some corridors of the low central buildings called B8 but I can't find images of the interiors
What a great railway and wonderfully filmed .🇬🇧
Very enjoyable documentary, thanks so much , I learned something I've never known about Africa.
Entirely astounding! I want to go and live there!
Kudos to both the present-day Eritraean government for remediating/restoring/reinvigorating this astonishing legacy and to various previous Italian governments and engineers for its initial building and equipment.
Idiot governments of the Global north-west and global soth kindly take note!
Soon i will... from CANADA...UR WELL COME ANY TIME...READY TO HELP WITH A COUPLE OF THINGS.
BORN 1955 IN THE CENTER OF THE CITY...
Good Luck...!!!😛😂😛 Visit first.
Eritrean is most amazing as displayed in this movie. That they were in able to rebuilt is a testament to the Italian and Eritrean ingenuity.
😂😛😛😂😝😝😝😂😂😂😛😛😛
@@dianarier8746😭😭😭😭😁
The Italians, having such a mountainous country were very adept at make roads and railways through this type of terrain.. A wonderful film, and I only hope that they get the whole railway working again soon..
The Italians didn't have a lot of colonies in Africa therefore they focused their resources on building the few that they had.
The problem with keeping the whole railway open is that the section between Nefasit and Ghinda in the lower reaches of the Rift Valley is constantly at risk from rock falls. Check 43.10 in the film. The ground here consists of millions of years of loose material cascaded from the higher mountain reaches where the railway is so spectacular. Unfortunately it isn't sustainable to re-establish the gangs of workmen fomerly stationed at Ghinda for rock clearance, just for a few tourist trains a year. The current policy to bring back container freight traffic to make the railway economically viable has not so far been implemented. The scores of tunnels on this 95cm gauge railway are barely wide enough except for passing through at walking pace, meaning either the trackbed in them has to be lowered, a huge task, or special rolling stock has to be obtained, a huge investment. It would be no exaggeration to say the Eritrean Railway management is between a rock and a hard place on this issue.
@@Animalsandwildlife.7527 nice romanisation they built them whilst denying the indigenous people the rights to walk freely in their own country.
@@BF-bb5us I think there plan was to live there forever they way they built it.
Thank you from Thailand. Excellent documentary video clip on railway I have ever seen.
Thank you from USA for sharing your documentary.
THANK YOU FROM BRITISH COLUMBIA. GREAT, GREAT VIDEO.👍👍👍👍👍
Outstanding documentary, hats off to the production team and camera guys, but biggest acclaim to the people of Eritrea. Having run a vintage train in Cape Town for seven years some 18 years back, and the total lack of support from National Railways and Government as to preservation and future vintage tourist potential, with incredible existing structures, lines and experience expertise, it is such a waste as to what steam and historic railways could have been for posterity in South Africa. Well done Eritrea.
Its a wonderfull railway, kudos to the people involved in its revival and upkeep. Like the Italian engineering, their hardware was certainly upto the task. I remember reading that back in the day, the firm of Lancia even built railcars which they even exported to Czarist Russia. Their railway in Somalia would also be a good viewing. Thanks for posting.
HATS OFF to italian railroad builders. I can not imagine the challenges they faced then
The Eritreans build it by hand inch by inch. This why they knew how to fix it from nuts and bolts to designing the replacement.
Yes the challenges of watching the indigenous people building them
After WW2 when the britsh came they destroyed more then 600 industries and the cable way was stolen by them and shipped off to Pakistan and then they left, there is a saying in Eritrea while Italians build the British destroy, anyway thanks for this amazin documentary I enjoy it specially how the elders were working hard to rebuilt the railway despite their old age.
Elderls trained by Italians 50 years earlier
@@laurencedarabia2000 yeah know i ain't dumb
Simply ridiculous. It was the British that defeated the Italians and restored Haile Selassie to power in 1941. Haile then followed well laid trails of nepotism taking everything of value for himself and his family. He then allowed all the infrastructure built by the Italians to fall into ruin. The Italians were masters of engineering and railroad building, that 100 years later, the bridges and roadbeds can be put back into service.
@@leehale5828 what you babling about Eritrea was not part of Ethiopia it was part of Italian empire the British defeated the Italians and restored Haile Selassie to power in 1940 , in 1942 the British defeated the Italians in Eritrea and govern it and when they were governing Eritrea they destroyed industries and cable ways until they left.
What are babbling about? Like I said "It was the British that defeated the Italians and restored Haile Selassie to power in 1941. Haile then followed well laid trails of nepotism taking everything of value for himself and his family." It took a civil war for Eritrea to regain its independence from Ethiopia. Eritrea was annexed / federated into Ethiopia in 1950. Civil war followed and Eritrea finally got its independence in 1993.
If to want to feel sympathy for Eritrea forget about the Italians and Brits and take a hard look at Haile Selassie. It is also worth remembering that the Italians built the cableway along with significant infrastructure in the Port of Massawa. They paid for Eritrea's and Ethiopia's freedom in blood and took possession of the Italian infrastructure as war reparations. You should perhaps stop looking back and placing blame and instead focus on the future.
@@heavent883
Truly remarkable. Thank you. I can only try to imagine what it took to make, with all those lineside shots. We visited the line in 1998, before the lines were relaid and it is marvellous to see the progress made. Congratulations to all.
Great information ℹ️ history thank very much from Eritrea 🇪🇷
Amazing sight! The commitment of those elderly experts is quite touching.
on my language Asmara mean love, what a lovely capital name they have
I am from Eritrea I was wondering in what language is Asmara mean Love? Just for my knowledge
@@nigistyhaile8429 formal indonesian language, we have so many slang and local language btw
Interesting/informative/entertaining. Excellent photography job enabling viewers to better understand what the orator was describing. Much hard physically demanding work. Replacing/repairing miles of rail way line.🚂🚂. The Gov't made a worth while endeavor. Replacing the rail way🚂🚂. Along with the harbor docks😉. Enjoying this presentation from the comfort of my computer room. Along the " Space Coast " 🚀of Florida 🐊🐊🐊. Wishing viewers & residents a safe/healthy/prosperous (2024). 🎭🎭
Kudos to the Narrator and also the film crew.
It is just explained and shown -that was it, and that's what we have now. and that was the reason why--.
No condescending voice.
No - Houston we have a problem - hooplah...
Wonder though,if one would go back now, 2024, and film.What would one find now?
Agree! They deserve the Oscar if it was awarded by skill ❤
Fantastic video the views breathtaking 👍
Very good documentry ,old railway man is the real hero of this film.Time traveling train
Superb photography and awesome achievement by the railway workers.
'De stoker en de machinist...'....
What dedication! What teamwork!
Waaaaaaaw
Thank you dear
May Our God beless Our Beloved Eritrea and it's Beloved People 🙏🙏🙏
This is a wonderful look into this story of a railroad in this little known country. You have covered it all,the trains,the rebuilding and the people who made it possible. I also wish to say that the narrator has a rich voice that is a pleasure to listen to. I really enjoyed every minute of this video as I sit here in South Korea where no steam locomotive runs.
Bummer
As an Ethiopian/ somali I love eratria ❤❤❤❤ thanks 🙏
No such call ethipian somali u either somali or ethopian wah what means somali eotho no no budy u have
Identity crisis Or Wht
@@Uus998 የጣልያን ሱማሌ ለቀሰ።
Why you mad @@Zeyede_Seyum
Wonderful story. It shows human inginuity at its best, they did their best with what they got.and and it was very satisfying, thank you for a wonderful story.
Well done. Hard work and determination made it possible. Excellent video.
Congrats to all these employees, workers etc, that support the new era of railway in their country, despite the bad conditions in material stock, funding, technological progress.
It’s amazing they did all of this themselves! I’m really impressed by the people, and now I wanna visit to ride this railway!
In 1981 I did join the Italian military service in Sardinia and with the Littorina it took 7 hours to run the 200 km from Golfo Aranci to Cagliari
Tremendous and highly inspiring ! Thank you for the adventure...❤❤❤
Excellent photojournalism! I enjoyed it from Botswana.
Absolutely fascinating. I had looked at history of this railway before and was amazed to see that it was running again. So sad that so much suffering continues in Africa.
Beautiful landscapes and peaceful country on the surface❤❤❤
Tremendously restored with minimum infrastructure and back to normal. Good work Eritrea
We did the same thing on the Welsh Highland Railway about 2005/6/7 ish when l was in the Army !! Except we didn't go scouring the local countryside for abandoned sleepers and rails and have to watch out for mines !! We laid the track in the Abergaslyn pass and through the tunnel towards Porthmadog !! The rail bender is called a Jim Crow by the way !! We used them on the Lydd Target railway in Kent !
So, you did not do the same thing😂😂😂😂😂
@@steffenrosmus9177 Yes we did !! We put tracks back down on a railway that had been closed and gone for more than 20 years (over 70 years in fact ) and which no one ever expected to be re-opened !!!
The British took what the italiens built in Eritrea
@@henoktesfom1674 Not the fault of the British that the Italians are total losers !!!
@@henoktesfom1674 The Italians took what the Eritreans built in Eritrea !!!!! 🙄🙄🙄🙄
Thanks for a wonderful ride through Eritrea.
Unbelievably well shot footage of an incredible railway. Full of interesting information, Amazing that a railway can be brought back to life after so long.
Greetings from Bahrain... I'm overwhelmed with the excellent videography. Appreciatiating the efforts made by you. It's unbelievable that such a railway exists. Want to visit Eritrea, but it's difficult to obtain visas. Maybe someday it will be possible.
You know how you watch a longfrom video and kinda skip through the less interesting/boring parts? Yeah... nothing of the sort happened for this video. This was a-MA-zing. Mad respect for the people of Eritrea for being able to revive and seemingly still maintain this historical route. I watch a crapton of trip report videos from some of the bigger "railway Tubers" but sadly never came across this gem despite them traveling routes in arguably way more dangerous countries. Maybe this is not for Noel Philips but DowneyLive, Nonstop Eurotrip, Superalbs... come one guys... this is right up your alley.
I 💕 it
Thanks. Great report!
Beautiful restoration. India can gift a few locomotives & coaches
Thank you for this wonderful documentary
Extraordinary! Thanks. I learned a lot.
And the best is
They prepare wonderful coffee...on board.
An excellent documentary! A jaw dropping work repairing the locomotives and put them to work. I will sure remember that rail bending device.
Nice Eritrea Railway Earth Railway beauty
Wonderful, many thanks
Thank you, appreciated the amount of time you have taken to walk us through the journey. The explanation of the skills used was fascinating.
Fascinating, absolutely fascinating! A very well done documentary.
Thank you for this Beautiful story!!
I miss you my beloved Massawae, my childhood city. Be Blessed.
A truly remarkable feat and so beautifully filmed! :Didn't you have and earlier version of this-)
Fantastic film. The amount of time effort and resource you’ve put into the production is mind boggling. Thank you for sharing.
Amazing Eritrean 🇪🇷 🇪🇷 🇪🇷
Excellent documentary thank you for the makers and the participants I really enjoyed it
Well done Nick Lera and his film crews for a well crafted and filmed piece of this railway and it's history and equipment.
To upgrade a little the rail stock here are still few lines in Italy that still use the 950 mm gauge and diesel . I’m pretty sure that they could get some donations of older stock but still usable. Could be very useful especially for freight. The 950 mm gauge ( 1000 mm from center to center rail ) has been used only by the Italians.
Am sure they will benefit from that even even Italian tourists who will want to go and experience their past and enjoy beach time by the red sea.
About 10 years I was able to go on a tourist charter train over this line. It was an amazing experience . I understand that although charter trips are still occasionally run by a German company, the railway has fallen into disrepair and it is no longer possible to make the complete trip.
That is very sad news indeed. Let's hope that they get it running again. Terrible to do all this work and then let it go again.
Excellent n exceptionally magnificent presentation. Thank you for showing Hugh effort in bringing light to the hard working people of Ere. It takes one to know one❤❤❤❤❤
Thank you Sir for making this video.We Eritreans love you very much.🇪🇷
Eritrea always the sprit we can do.!! 🇪🇷✌🇪🇷✌🇪🇷✌🇪🇷✌
Wow everything in this video was just superb:
1/ The fact that these awesome trains are brought back into service and they look just like my drawings of trains when I was a little kid (I did switch to drawing diesels as I grew older, I mean, GE locos were just too awesome to ignore haha), but this train in this scenery (gorgeous) looks like a model train and straight out of a fairy tale (of a train nerd hehe)
2/ The narration was beautiful, editing funny and perfect
3/ 18:25 - YEAH BUDDY!! HIP HOP MUSIC being invented
4/ the train machinist is the GUiness World of Records triple holder: 1 - quietest man alive; 2- Happiest man alive; 3 - Luckiest man alive
5/ This video actually made me consider that next time I get some free time for vacation, I'll just go to Eritrea and take this train from town to town and chill with locals, cause the people were precious in so many ways, the faces of hard working men and women, not making fuss and smiling, laughing, kids running around happy and being lucky to actually have a steam train out of a movie part of their childhood environment in 2024
6/ Had no idea that Mussolini was so involved with the place, I despise colonizing and nations which even today maintain their desire to exploit what\s not theirs (aka stealing), UK, France, almost every EU nation (today Germany with the EU) based their wealth on resources they hauled from these places, its shameful... and while Italians obviously did exploit the resources etc, they were well just too: Italian.. They were Italian of course,. so they were "fabulous", feathers and uniforms and all, probably too fabulous to remain successful colonizers who only built the basic and necessary for hauling out the goods... but Italians and Mussolini wanted to do this in style capishe, ee?, building these bridges in style,. the viaducts, tunnels, stations, buildings within towns, even the restored fiat bus thing on tracks... so in a way, this colonial episode might be forgiven cause at least the locals now have something to work with, and by the look of this, they will make great income on this railroad just for tourism, which they can then reinvest in something more sustainable. I wish them all the luck, really do!
Thank you very much for doing excellent documentary film ❤👍🇪🇷
Absolutely, EXCELLENT!
très très bien bon courage à tous ces gens
Great documentary!
Excellent documentary! Getting the cameras into position must have been challenging!
This is a huge win for this little country. Plus , what a great treat for fans of Steam railroading!
Beyond anything in the U.S. & such charm. In a Country I've never heard of.
Well done film.
Thank you.
P.j.Signs Carpinteria Calif.
I just chanced upon this video & by the way this channel looked it could have been slow & boring but I ended up enjoying it so much & I was fascinated by the presentation that I now became a subscriber....looking forward to more videos of this kind of subject