International Railroad Discussion > Eritrean Steam

After the Caucasus tour it was time to head to Somaliland and Eritrea for Young Pioneer Tours Somaliland and Eritrea tour. No railroad related activities in Somaliland but in Eritrea we wrode the by charter only steam operation out of Asmara. The railway was built by The Kingdom of Italy between 1888 and 1932 and linked Asmara the capital with Massawa on the coast. There's a 2.5 kilometer altitude difference between Asmar and Massawa so the scenery on the line is very spectacular.
Asmara is an interesting city. It was planned by the Italians to be the capital of their new African Empire and still has many fine examples of 1920s and 30s Italian Modern architecture. 
Eritrea is often referd to as the North Korea or Cuba of Africa due to the government related complications to travel there. Having been to both North Korea and Cuba several times, I'd say the comparison is valid.  Though a bit closer to DPR Korea than Cuba.
1st picture is the Ansaldo built 0-4-4-0 tank engine used for the excursion.
2 The builders plate
3 servicing the engine



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/02/16 00:32 by GettingShort.

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4. The coach. It's builders plate indicated it was constructed in 1912.
5. Rounding a curve just out of Asmara.
6. Starting down 

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6. The breakman
7. At the return point a track vehicle possibly supplied by the Soviet Union or cobbled together in Eritrea.
8. Watering

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10. View of the cab
11. Another
12. No idea but then I've never really had the slightest interest in steam.

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Ditto my comments from the Euro list.  Great photos.  What is a Young Pioneers tour? 

Young Pioneer Tours is a tour company owned by Gareth Johnson that specializes in tours of North Korea, Eastern Europe, the unrecognized countries, and Iran and a lot more. Look them up on the internet. It's a great company and the people you meet on the tours are the best. 

Coach Interior

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I think this picture symbolizes the pride of Railwaymen the world over.

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I was very surprised to see steam still running in Eritrea. Tour operators including Far Rail Tours have been told "no" at every recent request to run a photo charter. And coal is in very short supply (some of which was provided by Far Rail). It is probably the most fantastic rail line I've ever photographed with such varied scenery, great engineering, and lots of local color to work into the photos. As for the tour company you went with, why do people still run tours to North Korea?  They are supporting a failed, evil, and dangerous regime that would happily detain,  and convict Americans and probably anyone else for the slightest trumped up reason reason. Tour dollars should not be supporting the real "Dear Leader." 

YPT chartered the train several months ago and from what I could see seemed to have the same sort of close working relationship they have with the KITC, Korea International Travel Corp. the DPRK's travel group. 
AS for your other comments. I'm not going to make excuses for the government of the DPR Korea, they can take care of themselves. I've traveld there twice, the country is not what western propaganda, yes propanganda, much of what we hear is generated by the ROK and groups like the Unification Church (Moonies) who control a good deal of the souths media, leads you to believe it is. No it's no paradise but neither are large swaths of the American rural South and they actually imprison fewer of their people than the US does. There's also no need to bring up the toll in human lives suffering and the distruction of nations US foreign policy has inflicted on entire continents the last 30 years. Korea is a piker by compairson. 
 
Getting arrested there takes a REAL effort. The last guy pulled a stunt that if he had tried the same thing in Thailand or any Gulf Arab State would have landed him in similar are far worse trouble. Disrepect the leader of many countries and you will end up in trouble fast. He did more than we've been told by the media. He made an effort throughout the trip and his final stunt of taking a poster with the leaders name on was only the last. TRy that with a prominent portrait of the Thai King and see what happens to you, or Lee Kuan of Singapore or any Arab Monarch, or pull that stunt in the right sort of pub in the UK.  I've been on a tour with several very outspoken but respectful members and the Koreans are very tollerant, they have heard it all and just let it slide. Opinions are like a$$holes everyone has them. When you're a guest in someones home you behave by the house rules, I know a difficult concept for millennials, but that's the way the world works. 
Very little of the price of a Korea tour is leftover for anyone, the price of fuel, bus rentals, food and lodging take most of the cost of a tour Espescialy the fuel.  

One important upside is the exposure both groups of people get. Travelers see that the DPR Korea is not what the media tells us it is and the Koreans see that foreigners are people  not demons or monsters. Plus many Koreans have better jobs than they would have.
Nothing is black and white and common knowledge is usually uncommonaly wrong. The DPRK is an unusual and fascinating travel destination for anyone who's willing to open their mind even a little. 
If you're will to do that even a little I can without reservations recomend Young Pioneer Tours, they are simply the best at what they do. I'm 63 and have made a dozen trips with YPT the last 4 years, they are like family now as are many of the other travelers I've had the pleasure of getting to know

GettingShort Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> YPT chartered the train several months ago and
> from what I could see seemed to have the same sort
> of close working relationship they have with the
> KITC, Korea International Travel Corp. the DPRK's
> travel group. 
> AS for your other comments. I'm not going to make
> excuses for the government of the DPR Korea, they
> can take care of themselves. I've traveld there
> twice, the country is not what western propaganda,
> yes propanganda, much of what we hear is generated
> by the ROK and groups like the Unification Church
> (Moonies) who control a good deal of the souths
> media, leads you to believe it is. No it's no
> paradise but neither are large swaths of the
> American rural South and they actually imprison
> fewer of their people than the US does. There's
> also no need to bring up the toll in human lives
> suffering and the distruction of nations US
> foreign policy has inflicted on entire continents
> the last 30 years. Korea is a piker by
> compairson. 
>  
> Getting arrested there takes a REAL effort. The
> last guy pulled a stunt that if he had tried the
> same thing in Thailand or any Gulf Arab State
> would have landed him in similar are far worse
> trouble. Disrepect the leader of many countries
> and you will end up in trouble fast. He did more
> than we've been told by the media. He made an
> effort throughout the trip and his final stunt of
> taking a poster with the leaders name on was only
> the last. TRy that with a prominent portrait of
> the Thai King and see what happens to you, or Lee
> Kuan of Singapore or any Arab Monarch, or pull
> that stunt in the right sort of pub in the UK.
>  I've been on a tour with several very outspoken
> but respectful members and the Koreans are very
> tollerant, they have heard it all and just let it
> slide. Opinions are like a$$holes everyone has
> them. When you're a guest in someones home you
> behave by the house rules, I know a difficult
> concept for millennials, but that's the way the
> world works. 
> Very little of the price of a Korea tour is
> leftover for anyone, the price of fuel, bus
> rentals, food and lodging take most of the cost of
> a tour Espescialy the fuel.  
>
> One important upside is the exposure both groups
> of people get. Travelers see that the DPR Korea is
> not what the media tells us it is and the Koreans
> see that foreigners are people  not demons or
> monsters. Plus many Koreans have better jobs than
> they would have.
> Nothing is black and white and common knowledge is
> usually uncommonaly wrong. The DPRK is an unusual
> and fascinating travel destination for anyone
> who's willing to open their mind even a little. 
> If you're will to do that even a little I can
> without reservations recomend Young Pioneer Tours,
> they are simply the best at what they do. I'm 63
> and have made a dozen trips with YPT the last 4
> years, they are like family now as are many of the
> other travelers I've had the pleasure of getting
> to know

Well said!!!

 

Will MacKenzie
Dundas, ON

GettingShort Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> YPT chartered the train several months ago and
> from what I could see seemed to have the same sort
> of close working relationship they have with the
> KITC, Korea International Travel Corp. the DPRK's
> travel group. 
> AS for your other comments. I'm not going to make
> excuses for the government of the DPR Korea, they
> can take care of themselves. I've traveld there
> twice, the country is not what western propaganda,
> yes propanganda, much of what we hear is generated
> by the ROK and groups like the Unification Church
> (Moonies) who control a good deal of the souths
> media, leads you to believe it is. No it's no
> paradise but neither are large swaths of the
> American rural South and they actually imprison
> fewer of their people than the US does. There's
> also no need to bring up the toll in human lives
> suffering and the distruction of nations US
> foreign policy has inflicted on entire continents
> the last 30 years. Korea is a piker by
> compairson. 
>  
> Getting arrested there takes a REAL effort. The
> last guy pulled a stunt that if he had tried the
> same thing in Thailand or any Gulf Arab State
> would have landed him in similar are far worse
> trouble. Disrepect the leader of many countries
> and you will end up in trouble fast. He did more
> than we've been told by the media. He made an
> effort throughout the trip and his final stunt of
> taking a poster with the leaders name on was only
> the last. TRy that with a prominent portrait of
> the Thai King and see what happens to you, or Lee
> Kuan of Singapore or any Arab Monarch, or pull
> that stunt in the right sort of pub in the UK.
>  I've been on a tour with several very outspoken
> but respectful members and the Koreans are very
> tollerant, they have heard it all and just let it
> slide. Opinions are like a$$holes everyone has
> them. When you're a guest in someones home you
> behave by the house rules, I know a difficult
> concept for millennials, but that's the way the
> world works. 
> Very little of the price of a Korea tour is
> leftover for anyone, the price of fuel, bus
> rentals, food and lodging take most of the cost of
> a tour Espescialy the fuel.  
>
> One important upside is the exposure both groups
> of people get. Travelers see that the DPR Korea is
> not what the media tells us it is and the Koreans
> see that foreigners are people  not demons or
> monsters. Plus many Koreans have better jobs than
> they would have.
> Nothing is black and white and common knowledge is
> usually uncommonaly wrong. The DPRK is an unusual
> and fascinating travel destination for anyone
> who's willing to open their mind even a little. 
> If you're will to do that even a little I can
> without reservations recomend Young Pioneer Tours,
> they are simply the best at what they do. I'm 63
> and have made a dozen trips with YPT the last 4
> years, they are like family now as are many of the
> other travelers I've had the pleasure of getting
> to know

Thank you.   A few on TO seem to have a need to insert their political views of the world into every thread as if most of us give a s**t.  And if you think we're always the guys in the white hat, talk with any older person in Central American countries controlled by the United Fruit Company (Chiquita Banana).   Not a pretty picture.  I won't even get into Chile in 1973.

Amazing photos! Never thought Eritrea would be a destination.

I was in Eritrea in 2004 for a week's worth of photo charters on the railway.  The organizer had to fly in a supply of coal from South Africa but otherwise the trip went smoothly and I got some great photos.   I understand a change of management a couple of years ago, and a change in government attitude towards the railway, has made things difficult in recent years.  

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