European Railroad Discussion > Finse dusk meets

A meet at 22:40 local time today (20 minutes late). Note something is parked on what I would call the "house track"



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/06/16 22:16 by NH2006.

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Another one from last week, and a rare double header on an unknown passenger train that showed up at 23:15 once last week

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At 60 deg 36 min N, it's never getting very dark there this time of the year.

Ray

Hmmm, picnic tables, and lots of snow in what is almost the middle of June?? Do they get any summer up there where it never gets dark?

Paul Ramer
Cincinnati, OH

At 1:32 am(Norway time) a westbound freight headed from Finse to Bergen. Passenger train due Finse 1:38 am arrived 1:50 am and waited for a westbound freight to Bergen. That freight went through Finse at 1:54 am.  Train to Oslo departed about 2 mins. later.

It's also a long way up, altitude wise, which keeps the snow on the ground. Somewhere around Anchorage Alaska for latitude. Some of us Europeans are a lot further north than many Americans, especially those of us in the Nordic countries or even the UK.

pramer Wrote:
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> Hmmm, picnic tables, and lots of snow in what is
> almost the middle of June?? Do they get any summer
> up there where it never gets dark?

Back in 2008 I was in Narvik at the end of May beginning of June, we had one or two days of very pleasant warm sunshine, surrounded by snow. And of course no darkness to speak of.

Paul asked: "Do they get any summer up there where it never gets dark?"

​It does get dark, at least briefly, in the summer at Finse, since it is south of the Arctic Circle.  As to getting summer, here are three photos from July 27, 2006 at or in the vicinity of Finse, Norway.
​1 - Looking west along the tracks from Finse station
2 - Fireweed along the tracks near Haugastol - East of Finse
3 - Steam Rotary Snowplow on display at Finse.

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Neat!  Love the old rotary!

So that snowshed is primarily to keep the mainline switches free of ice and snow?  I noticed there's one at the other end of the siding, too.  Do they have those for most mainline switches at higher altitudes?  (I saw several exposed 2 to 1 mainline switches near Bergen.)

The altitude, as shown on the sign on the webcam, is 1,222 meters, or 4,009 feet, above sea level.  At that latitude you are above the tree line.  Yes, the "tunnel" is to protect turnouts from snow.  Even though the sun does technically go down for a short time at night this time of year (since as noted Finse is south of the Artic Circle), it never really gets dark, just dusk.  I experienced that from time I have spent in summer with relatives near Lillehammer, and also time I spent in Fairbanks, Alaska.

You are correct.  Although the sun always sets at least briefly, Finse remains in "civil twilight" for about seven days in the period around the Summer Solstice. 

See http://www.timeanddate.com/sun/norway/finse

Bergen itself is sea level, and facing west so tends to get plenty of rain, but, because of the Gulf Stream rather less snow. Less need for snowsheds in such circumstances. Think Juneau Alaska as a North American comparison.

Or, on further checking not Juneau but perhaps more Vancouver, ie somewhere that gets lots of rain, but, right on the coast, little snow.

So WoodwardEJ did you go to Finse because you saw it on the webcam or did you go before you saw the webcam. Either way that would be cool to be somewhere that we all have seen here on the webcam. I liked the pictures

Jim