09-29-2012, 04:58 AM
Today we celebrate the 150th anniversary of "my" train line - Kongsvingerbanen, which runs from the RR junction town of Lillestrom east of Oslo in Norway to the city of Kongsvinger near the border with Sweden.
The line was completed in 1862 - during the era of the American civil war, and is the second oldest self propelled public railroad line in Norway. The oldest one was the Oslo - Eidsvold line - known as Hovedbanen - "the main line", which was built in 1854 under the direction of Robert Stephenson from the UK, the son of George Stephenson (of "The Rocket" fame).
Today old Caroline - a steam engine built for the opening of the Kongsvinger Line - was put back into service, to pull a train with 250 passengers from Lillestrøm and up the line. In every town along the way there were some kind of public celebration.
Here are some pictures of the train from my local newspaper's website: http://www.rb.no/lokale_nyheter/article6260356.ece
Too bad my knee got wrenched again on Thursday getting off a class 69 train, so I wasn't able to go down there to look. But that's the way it goes. I am enjoying the pictures anyways. And there apparently was quite a crowd at some of the stations - like here at Årnes station:
http://www.rb.no/lokale_nyheter/article6260373.ece
Grin,
Stein
The line was completed in 1862 - during the era of the American civil war, and is the second oldest self propelled public railroad line in Norway. The oldest one was the Oslo - Eidsvold line - known as Hovedbanen - "the main line", which was built in 1854 under the direction of Robert Stephenson from the UK, the son of George Stephenson (of "The Rocket" fame).
Today old Caroline - a steam engine built for the opening of the Kongsvinger Line - was put back into service, to pull a train with 250 passengers from Lillestrøm and up the line. In every town along the way there were some kind of public celebration.
Here are some pictures of the train from my local newspaper's website: http://www.rb.no/lokale_nyheter/article6260356.ece
Too bad my knee got wrenched again on Thursday getting off a class 69 train, so I wasn't able to go down there to look. But that's the way it goes. I am enjoying the pictures anyways. And there apparently was quite a crowd at some of the stations - like here at Årnes station:
http://www.rb.no/lokale_nyheter/article6260373.ece
Grin,
Stein