Caminho de Ferro de Benguela, Benguela Railway, Lobito Bay, The great west gate to Central Africa

The Benguela Railway: The Great West Gate to Central Africa is a digital reproduction of a historical work originally published in 1929. This eBook provides a detailed chronicle of the construction of one of the most ambitious engineering feats of the 20th century in Africa: the railway line connecting the Port of Lobito, on the Atlantic coast, to the rich mining regions of Katanga and Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia). The work describes the construction phases across Angolan territory, guided by the strategic vision of Sir Robert Williams and General Sir J. J. Machado. Through period records and technical analysis, the text illustrates how the CFB was designed to be the shortest and most economical transport route for Central African exports. This edition, published by BICOT, preserves the historical value of a document that shaped regional logistics and economics. A portion of the proceeds from sales supports demining efforts in Angola through The HALO Trust.

Acknowledgements

1. Book sourced and image acquisition undertaken by John Comley

2. eBook editing by Chris Mannhardt