A very ambitious rail journey was organized in June 2016 with a roundtrip from mid-Sweden up to the very north and then back via the Inland route. Motive power was double-header SJ class B engines followed by a consist of ten coaches and two freight cars - a quite impressive 720 tonne train on this auxiliary line for sure. Enjoying the Swedish wilderness from a train window in a 1940s vintage coach, running slowly over classic track joints on moderate track standard is wonderful. The fact that the trip was performed in June and that we ran during evenings and nights added an extra dimension given the midnight sun.
Following this train was a second service train, headed by two vintage EMD diesels. One objective with this tour was to pull out the two last remains of the Swedish strategic steam reserve, which were hidden in a shed along the route. It was a mind-boggling experience to see how two perfectly preserved locomotives came out in the sun after having been stored for 45 years.
A sincere thanks to the Swedish Rail Museum and the friends of SRM, who organized this great and unique experience.
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