Eritrean transport

This painting is displayed in the reception area of the Sunshine Hotel in Asmara. It depicts the main modes of transport available at that time between the port of Massawa and the capital city of Asmara. The camels continue to provide heavy transport in many places, whilst the railway has been rebuilt and sees occasional trains. The other mode was the 76km long aerial ropeway that was completed in 1937.

The ropeway was constructed by Ceretti and Tanfani S. A. of Milan. The motors were to be supplied by S. A. Franco Tosi of Lengano. The cables were the responsibility of S. A. Giuseppe & Fratello Redaelli of Milan. Finally all the physical work of digging and building the materials was contracted locally. Construction took only 16 months even though the terrain was rugged and rose from sea level to a height of 2340m at Asmara. Each car could hold about 300 kg (660 lbs.) and could be covered to keep out the elements. When operating at full capacity, the tramway could support about 1520 cars at once. At capacity the tramway was able to deliver 30 tonnes of goods an hour, 24 hours a day.

The painting is inaccurate as it depicts the ropeway as a single rope system, whereas it was actually a two rope system with a fixed rope on which the cars ran and a separate hauling rope to which the cars were attached.

After the British ejected the Italians from Eritrea in 1941 the ropeway saw reduced use and was soon abandoned with the diesel engines that drove it being taken for use elsewhere. There is an excellent booklet about the system which is available on line at www.trainweb.org/italeritrea/teleferica1.htm .