The VDVA tour to Norway and Denmark took us north. Trondheim and Bergen were new destinations for us and re-visiting Oslo after many years was also nice. We drove to Göteborg by car (using the Grenaa – Halmstad ferry) and left the car near the airport. From there we flew to Trondheim (via Bergen) where we joined the VDVA tour and later from Trondheim to Bergen. Oslo was reached via the very long but extremely scenic train ride from Bergen (Bergensbanen). Many of the VDVA tour members did take the Kiel – Oslo ferry (and back) and took trains when we flew. Most VDVA members also used a ferry and the Flamsbana to go from Bergen to Oslo but this was too expensive for us (everything in Norway is way more expensive than what we are used to at home – Sweden and Denmark also but Norway is even more pricy) and we heard it was unpleasantly full of tourists.
Our first stop Göteborg allowed us to ride the T7B5 tramcar which originally ran in Oslo as a party tram. Of the 4 prototypes of this class (the Göteborg car is one of them: CKD 0025) and 4 series cars (all except 0025 went to Moscow) only one other remains: 3326 in the Moscow museum (as no. 7001). We visited the tramway museum again but were sad to see that none of the M29 cars operate during the summer. We returned to Göteborg after Oslo (by train) to pick up the car and managed some more photos.
Göteborg (SE) – July
short videos of the tramway tunnel station at Hammarkullen
Trondheim (NO) – July
We arrived a day ahead of the VDVA group and had our own charter (private hire). We requested one of the interurban trailers for photos only as our group was rather small (5 people). Also the rarely used two axle car 21 (built in 1914) of the town system was used for a ride from the depot to the outer terminus (it was not used next day by the group). Only the “interurban” Grakallbanen survives – the city lines were closed in stages up to the late 1980s. Today it is called line no.9. Next day the VDVA group arrived and we were about 35 people total then (a few more joined us from Bergen onwards).
regular operations (includes some buses and general views)
museum cars and charters (private hires) – part I (without the VDVA group)
museum cars and charters (private hires) – part II (with the VDVA group)
Thameshavnbanen (NO) – July
This electric railway is situated near Trondheim. It was Norways first electric railway (it did carry some passengers until 1963 but the main purpose was always carrying ore). It closed in 1974. Since 1983 it is a museum line. Unfortunately the line was not running when we visited it – they hope to re-open to the public in June 2024. They moved some of the equipment out for us with a diesel shunter and we managed to see all the equipment they have. The line and specially the depot (and adjoining industrial museum – apart from the original car sheds everything is brand new) has been heavily modernised in recent years. Only one passenger motor car survives (the “King’s Car” – originally the private car of the line’s owner Christian Thams) together with three passenger trailers. Various electric locomotives and freight wagons (many ore cars) are on show.
Bergen (NO) – July
Flying to Trondheim we had already seen the new light rail system during a short stop-over here. Returning ahead of the VDVA group (which travelled the long way via Oslo by rail) we explored both lines of this light rail system. Unfortunately the trolleybus line was suspended (replaced by buses) and we saw not a single vehicle. The museum tramway and the technical museum was very much enjoyed by everyone. We also went on the Flyoibanen funicular. The weather both in Trondheim and Bergen was fairly good, with just a few showers (it rains a lot in Bergen) and many lenghty sunny spells.
museum and museum line
light rail and Floibanen
