Trains and other things: Kongsvoll, Oppdal

The overall plan is to go by train from Trondheim to Bergen with stops along the way. Also, in Norway it is possible to track all trains online (including freight) which is making my life a bit easier

Today's trip is from Trondheim to Oppdal with a stop in Kongsvoll

Someday it would be interesting to travel along Nordlandsbanen all the way to Bodø

Unfortunately, the railways here are unreliable due to meteorological events. Now it is too warm, so the rails are deformed on the non-electrified sections to Storlien and Bodø

I'm taking this BM73 train, and I'm using Interrail. It is very easy to reserve a seat on Entur.no

With 1st class Interrail pass, the reservation is free and it is possible to travel in Premium car

Which is basically same as the standard car when it comes to seating

But you get complimentary water and chocolate

Free coffee and tea also included

In the restaurant car, it is possible to purchase waffles

At Fagerhaug, the train had to make an unplanned stop due to a signal failure further ahead. There is actually no real stop here, but the train crew allowed passengers to get off during the stop.

I've come far enough in the Dovrefjell mountain area to see the snow

Since there is no platform here, it was necessary to use a stair to get down from the train

Former station building

Some passengers took a walk during the unplanned stop

The stop lasted for 2 hours, but now it is green signal - time to go

Kongsvoll is also a station with basically nothing around, but here it is a scheduled stop.

There is one platform here, but due to the changed timetable, my trains had to stop at a track without a platform, so I had to use the stairs once again.

The station was designed by Erik Glosimodt and opened in 1921 as part of the Dovre Line, which was extended from Dombås to Trondheim at the time. The wooden station was preserved as a cultural heritage in 1997. (Wikipedia)

886 m above sea level

The northbound train is using the platform

El18 locomotive from the late 90's

Many passengers here, but probably only during the summer months

The tourist group is heading to Kongsvold Fjeldstue

There is a waiting area at the station

I do have some time before the next train, so I'm having a short walk here

Here is another Regiontog to Oslo, but it's not the one I'm waiting for

Here is 5702 from Trondheim to Alnabru

El16 2214 and 2201

In the 1970s, the NSB faced a challenge on the steep and wintry Bergen Line, and the El 14 was deemed inadequate for the task. The solution was a thyristor locomotive that had successfully been tested by ASEA and the Canadian Pacific Railway, with the possibility of pulling 50% heavier trains than equivalent diesel-electric locomotives. This was partly due to a system of dynamic slip control, where the speed of traction motors was controlled and adjusted to avoid slippage and loss of adhesion. The Swedish Rc4 locomotives were tested on the Northeast Corridor with success, and NSB also chose to try the units on the Bergen Line. In 1976, NSB ordered six units of a modified Rc4 design, featuring dynamic brakes, increased traction power (from 4x900 kW on Rc4 to 4x1100 kW on El16), and a pointed nose that could force its way through occasional snowdrifts. In 1980, four additional units were delivered, and the final seven were delivered in 1984. The sets were numbered 16 2201 to 16 2217. (Wikipedia)

I have time for another walk, this time with a view

The muskox is a hoofed mammal of the family Bovidae. Native to the Arctic, it is noted for its thick coat and for the strong odor emitted by males during the seasonal rut, from which its name derives.

In historic times, muskoxen primarily lived in Greenland and the Canadian Arctic, specifically in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. They were formerly present in Eurasia, with their youngest natural records in the region dating to around 2700 years ago, with reintroduced populations in the American state of Alaska, the Canadian territory of Yukon, and Siberia, and an introduced population in Norway, part of which emigrated to Sweden, where a small population now lives. (Wikipedia)

I did not see any muskox, which I'm very happy for, but I will see one later in my hotel in Oppdal

15min uphill and I have this view

Time to go to Oppdal

Oppdal

Dovrebanen was celebrating 80 years in 2001

My hotel is located next to the station

It was opened in 1924, just 3 years after the inauguration of the railway

Here it is - a muskox. And I prefer to see it in this condition.

Olaf Skaslien, the founder of the Oppdal skiferindustri. Oppdal slate is a type of Scandinavian quartzite slate quarried in Norway, known for its warm, bright gray shades and natural strength and resistance. This durable material is used in various applications, including outdoor flagstones for paths and terraces, fireplace construction for heat retention, and indoor wall and floor tiles, offering a natural, long-lasting, and low-maintenance finish.