Tag Archives: sleeping car

photography

To the Station! Swedish Hotspot; Luleå.

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This northern town is a port city on the Gulf of Bothnia where iron ore from mines north of the Arctic Circle is trans-loaded to ships. There’s a traditional passenger station that serves sleeping car trains that originate here for Stockholm and points south; a coach yard and sidings.

Markku Pulkkinen, Matti Mäntyvaara, Asko Räsänen and I arrived in early afternoon. We had lunch in the station restaurant and observed the action.

The combination of low-level platforms, ground-level switching activities to make up trains, and conventional locomotive hauled consists made for some proper old-school railroading! And that’s just the way we like it. Only the Kiruna-Narvik service appeared to be provided by a modern wedge-shaped electric multiple unit.

X-T1 panoramic composite of the second Stockholm sleeper at Luleå.
X-T1 panoramic composite of the second Stockholm sleeper at Luleå.
X-T1 photo.
X-T1 photo.
Luleå is old school; traditional station building with restaurant, low level platforms, plus loco-hauled sleeping car trains with long consists of bogie carriages. All good. Long may it last.
Luleå is old school; traditional station building with restaurant, low level platforms, plus loco-hauled sleeping car trains with long consists of bogie carriages. All good. Long may it last.
Lumix LX7 photo of a sleeping car.
Lumix LX7 photo of a sleeping car.
Since I my visit in 2002, the local passenger service has been 'improved'. (The improvement is the wedge-shaped EMU at right.)
Since my visit in 2002, the local passenger service has been ‘improved’. (The improvement is the wedge-shaped EMU at left.)
An empty iron train led by IORE electrics (the most powerful on the planet) rolls through the station on its way north.
An empty iron train led by IORE electrics (the most powerful on the planet) rolls through the station on its way north.

The low northern sun provided some great light for photographs, and I made the most of our visit working with my FujiFilm X-T1 and Lumix LX7 to make digital photos.

I was bemused when a young British girl complained to her father when he went to make a photo of the Rc6 electric on a sleeping car train, ‘Daddy, don’t do that! Why do you make a photo of the train?’ Surely this child needs to be sent to camp for re-education! I blame the internet and/or television.

A track-level view of a Stockholm sleeper at Luleå. My FujiFilm X-T1's flip down screen and heads-up display with level makes it easy to take low angle photos of trains.
A track-level view of a Stockholm sleeper at Luleå. My FujiFilm X-T1’s flip down screen and heads-up display with level makes it easy to take low angle photos of trains.
It's a long way from Luleå to Stockholm by train.
It’s a long way from Luleå to Stockholm by train.
A second empty ore train rolls through Luleå. These big modern Bombardier-built electrics replaced the old Dm3 siderodders, but I'll forgive them for that.
A second empty ore train rolls through Luleå. These big modern Bombardier-built electrics replaced the old Dm3 siderodders, but I’ll forgive them for that—they’re still pretty impressive!
An Rc6 works the coach yard as the empty ore train heads northward to beyond the Arctic Circle.
An Rc6 works the coach yard as the empty ore train heads northward to beyond the Arctic Circle.
Modern high-capacity ore wagons are a contrast with the old six-wheel jennies from a century ago.
Modern high-capacity ore wagons are a contrast with the old six-wheel jennies from a century ago.
One of the classics is on display near the station. Luleå respects its heritage.
One of the classics is on display near the station. Luleå respects its heritage.

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photography

Night Trains in Daylight!

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Finland is a great place to make railway photographs. Two of my favorite features of the country are the long days of summer, (in late July the sun remains above the horizon to well after 10 pm), and the overnight sleeping car trains.

Low rich sun light and long unusual-looking consists of sleeping cars and auto-carriers make for many photographic possibilities.

During my visit three night trains served Oulu in each direction daily. These run between Helsinki and northern cities at Kemijärvi, Kolari, and Rovaniemi.

Not every evening is clear and bright. Too often it rains. But last Saturday evening the sky was free of clouds and the air was clear, making for nearly ideal conditions.

These views are of IC 266 (Rovaniemi – Helsinki) led by a pair of Soviet-built Sr1 electrics. At Oulu cars are added to the train using a Dv12 diesel, which provides ample time to make photographs of the train arriving and standing at the station.

VR overnight train IC 266 approaches Oulu, Finland on the evening of Jul 25, 2015.
VR overnight train IC 266 approaches Oulu, Finland on the evening of Jul 25, 2015.
VR overnight train IC 266 approaches Oulu, Finland on the evening of Jul 25, 2015.
VR overnight train IC 266 approaches Oulu, Finland on the evening of Jul 25, 2015.

My host, Markku Pulkkinen, explained the train’s daily routine, suggested locations for photographs, and provided transportation. I made these images with my FujiFilm X-T1 digital camera. The challenge of working with very low sun is navigating the shadows successfully.

IC 266 has a long station stop at Oulu.
IC 266 has a long station stop at Oulu.

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