rogerfarnworth
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- 21 Feb 2018
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Over Christmas 2018 I have been reading through a number of old copies of 'The Railway Magazine'. Most of the magazines were from 1950. I found an article about the Flam railway in Norway and thought that members of the forum might be interested.
It was the plan of the 'spiral at the head of the valley that grabbed my attention.
http://rogerfarnworth.com/2019/01/01/the-flam-railway-in-1950/
It was the plan of the 'spiral at the head of the valley that grabbed my attention.
http://rogerfarnworth.com/2019/01/01/the-flam-railway-in-1950/
...Before the mainline from Bergen to Oslo was completed, it was proposed to supercede this steep and winding road by a railway from Myrdal to Flam. The rise to Myrdal was 2,800 ft., the majority of which occurred in the short length at the head of the valley. Exceptionally severe gradients were unavoidable. It was obvious that, if the railway was to be operated by adhesion, it would be necessary to increase the length of the line by a spiral. The idea was, as a result, shelved for a number of years.
The railway was authorised in 1924, and construction began almost at once,
with the boring of Vatnahalsen Tunnel, near Myrdal. This remarkable tunnel is 1,000 yd, long, and describes a reverse curve of 7.5 ch. radius in the mountainside, on a gradient of 1 in 19. The upper portal is 132 ft. above the lower. About 700 yd. of the bore were driven from the lower level. Only a small staff was employed, and ten years were occupied in the construction of the tunnel..
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