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Sweden deploys vintage trains to battle the snow
www.thelocal.se ^ | 12/27/2010 | TT/The Local/pvs

Posted on 01/02/2011 10:36:49 AM PST by WesternCulture

The Swedish Transport Administration (Trafikverket) has turned to antique rolling stock to boost resources battling the snow and to clear a stretch of track in southern Sweden, according to a report by Sveriges Television (SVT).

The trains, old DA locomotives normally resident in the Swedish Railway Museum in Gävle in northern Sweden, have been dusted off and put back into service to clear the tracks of snow between Mjölby and Alvesta in southern Sweden.

Furthermore a 100-year-old snowplough is in place alongside the tracks in nearby Nässjö, ready to be called into action if needed.

"These are made of stern stuff which can take the winter and we are very happy to be able to help to keep the railways running," said Henrik Reuterdahl at the museum.

The two locomotives were constructed in the middle of the 1950s and are currently equipped with a heavy duty snowplough in order to perform their task.

The harsh winter will mean that costs for the maintenance of roads and railways will soar.

According to the Transport Administration's preliminary estimates, costs for snow removal from roads will increase by approximately 100 million kronor ($14.63 million) compared to previous winters. The figure covers the whole of 2010 and thus part of last winter.

The administration also notes that the budget overrun has been the most extreme in southern areas of the country.

"It has been a busy Christmas period," said Thomas Anderson at the administration.

The record winter has created a slew of problems for the maintenance of roads and railways with low temperatures combined with heavy snowfalls.

"We have not been able to battle the snow with salt as it has been colder than minus eight degrees Celsius in most parts of the country," said Pär Gustafsson at the administration.

The administration's budget extends over the entire 2010 and thus means that a large proportion of the costs of both this and last winter are in the same budget.

The situation could lead to some savings in maintenance in the summer months with cut backs on clearing verges and holding off on relaying roads as a result.

"But we will not pinch on the winter - it will cost what it costs," Pär Gustafsson said.

Dag Rosander at national rail operator SJ was unwilling to speculate as to how much extra cost the winter has incurred.

"We may be able to see a little further on, on the other side of the new year, how it looks."

He pointed out that SJ had strengthened its travel time warranty which may mean that winter will be somewhat more expensive for the company, although he was hopeful that it may attract more passengers to the railways.

SJ has also improved its rolling stock and set up a special department to take care of passengers hit by delays and cancellations.


TOPICS: Culture/Society
KEYWORDS: abb; asea; engineering; engineeringhistory; historyofengineering; infrastructure; norway; rail; railroad; railroads; scandinavia; sj; sweden; trains; vintagetrains
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To: WesternCulture

That’s a good sign for small population Sweden being technologically advanced enough to build its own locomotives back then. Shows high IQ (obviously) and work ethic


21 posted on 01/02/2011 12:22:30 PM PST by dennisw (- - - -He who does not economize will have to agonize - - - - - Confucius)
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To: dennisw
“That’s a good sign for small population Sweden being technologically advanced enough to build its own locomotives back then. Shows high IQ (obviously) and work ethic.”

- Sincere thanks for saying so, but personally, I'm even more proud of what's going on in the field of IT technology these days in Stockholm.

It truly deserves more of international recognition.

Admittedly, this activity is a question of many foreign companies interacting with Nordic companies like Ericsson, Nokia and Telia.

But in any case, the things happening in Stockholm of today on this frontier probably will play a larger role in shaping future technology than anything presently being done in Silicon Valley.

Sorry for sounding like suffering from an inferiority complex, but IT companies like Google and YouTube don't actually contribute much, directly, to technological development. Ericsson does (and I'm not talking about Sony Ericsson phones here..).

Despite its insignificant population viewed in relation to Germany, Japan and the US, Sweden has made substantial contributions to a wide array of technological areas.

In one way, it is thanks to the wars being fought close to our borders in the 20th century that we developed all of these industries and inventions - and we also have profited from contributing to this destruction as well as from taking part in rebuilding neighboring nations after wards.

But it also is worth pointing out that our achievements in the field of engineering and production provided us with a safe path through the horrors of two recent World Wars.

Sweden sure did trade with the Nazis in WWII, but also contributed to the struggle of freedom. We did business with the Allies whenever possible and Swedish material (read military) aid to the Finns played a major role in the Winter War between Finland and Soviet - Stalin's worst military fiasco ever.

Again, apologies for perhaps sounding overly patriotic - hope that does not violate the rules of this forum:)

Regards!

22 posted on 01/02/2011 1:16:18 PM PST by WesternCulture
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To: WesternCulture

I was in Sweden last month for Nobel Week and I remember going from the Arlanda Airport to Stockholm seeing a lot of buildings with common technology names like Sun (now owned by Oracle) ! Really liked Stockholm and would like to return sometime but during the Summer season !

> But in any case, the things happening in Stockholm of today on this frontier probably will play a larger role in shaping future technology than anything presently being done in Silicon Valley.


23 posted on 01/02/2011 2:17:51 PM PST by CORedneck
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To: WesternCulture

Yes. It is very good news. Hopefully other countries in the region will be able to utilize it so Putin can no longer shut the gas off in the middle of winter. It is good that Poland and Germany are not hostage to Russia.

This is going on all over the United States in Texas, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and other states.

The city of Fort Worth which is right next to Dallas is sitting on top of a huge amount of natural gas.


24 posted on 01/02/2011 4:18:14 PM PST by Frantzie (Slaves do not have freedom only the illusion of freedom & their cable TV to drool at)
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To: WesternCulture

I love my Saab!


25 posted on 01/02/2011 4:23:41 PM PST by joe.fralick
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To: Dr. Sivana
The harsh winter will mean that costs for the maintenance of roads and railways will soar.

Willie promised that rail wouldn't cost nothin! We'd even get free wifi!

26 posted on 01/02/2011 4:29:16 PM PST by Grizzled Bear ("Does not play well with others.")
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To: dennisw

ASEA and Brown Boveri (Swiss company) merged to become ABB which is one of the largest engineering, big generators, electrical, water works, you name it they make it company.

Sort of a more ethical Nordic-Swiss version of General Electric (GE) - GE the very slimy pro-Obama pro-Saudi pro-China scum company HQ’ed in Connecticut. GE really is a scum company.


27 posted on 01/02/2011 5:26:55 PM PST by Frantzie (Slaves do not have freedom only the illusion of freedom & their cable TV to drool at)
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To: CORedneck
Glad to hear you enjoyed our capital.

You seem to be the kind of visitor we enjoy making feasts for.

Since half a century, American IBM has been one of the major employers in Stockholm. Today, every IT company around the World wishes to establish themselves here.

Why?

Stockholm offers hot blonds, 400 year old shipwrecks and expensive shopping. Thanks to its business life, it also is one of the capital cities around the Globe featuring the strongest regional economic growth of all her competitors.

Stockholm also is predicted to surpass Berlin and Rome in population size within 20 years.

No, I don't live in Stockholm, I live in Gothenburg. But why deny the fact that Stockholm, rapidly, is reshaping northern Europe like no other city is able of.

28 posted on 01/02/2011 5:27:57 PM PST by WesternCulture
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To: Frantzie

Don’t forget us at Groupe Schneider.............


29 posted on 01/02/2011 5:32:55 PM PST by eyedigress ((Old storm chaser from the west)?)
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To: smokingfrog

Ah yes, panties with 50 knots in em I would say. But DAMN if they don’t work. Imagine that.


30 posted on 01/02/2011 5:36:18 PM PST by Danae (Anailnathrach, orth' bhais's bethad, do chel denmha)
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To: Frantzie
“ASEA and Brown Boveri (Swiss company) merged to become ABB which is one of the largest engineering, big generators, electrical, water works, you name it they make it company.

Sort of a more ethical Nordic-Swiss version of General Electric (GE) - GE the very slimy pro-Obama pro-Saudi pro-China scum company HQ’ed in Connecticut. GE really is a scum company”

- Yes, but don't forget what GE has meant to millions.

The base of American companies is the spirit that once made America the greatest industrial power on Earth - and furthermore a power that guided humanity through one of its worst crises ever; the disaster of the 20th century.

Never count European spirit out, but also never count American spirit out.

Agree?

31 posted on 01/02/2011 5:38:13 PM PST by WesternCulture
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To: WesternCulture

Sadly many big businesses in America have become incredibly corrupt in being so close to Obama. They put their global operations over the country where they started. GE and others care more about profits from Saudi Arabia, China, etc to the detriment of America. GE was behind getting rid of incandescent bulbs in the US for those crappy mercury filled Chinese “green” bulbs.

GE is very close to Obama and the Saudi Royals. Many of the banks, Warren Buffet, Bill Gates and others are friends of Obama.

Hopefully things in America will improve but many big American businesses today with Obama remind me of companies with mussolini in Italy or hitler in germany.


32 posted on 01/02/2011 6:01:50 PM PST by Frantzie (Slaves do not have freedom only the illusion of freedom & their cable TV to drool at)
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To: Frantzie

Never heard of them.... Interesting. Thanks


33 posted on 01/02/2011 6:03:13 PM PST by dennisw (- - - -He who does not economize will have to agonize - - - - - Confucius)
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To: Frantzie
“Hopefully things in America will improve but many big American businesses today with Obama remind me of companies with mussolini in Italy or hitler in germany”

- Glad you can still feel optimism.

The people who rule big corporations often are attracted to such spheres of societal and international influence because they are in possession of unique skills and are offered the opportunity of making a great deal of money. They are not evil. Neither are corporations.

If consumers are dissatisfied with GE, they could buy bulbs made by a competing manufacturer.

34 posted on 01/02/2011 7:27:34 PM PST by WesternCulture
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To: WesternCulture

What I mean to say is that the same industrial/mechanical smarts the Swedes had building locomotives 60 years ago translates into IT+other hi-tech smarts today you posted about. It’s just a younger generation doing it.

Sweden now has 9 million people. When you had 4-5 million people you were building locomotives and automobiles (Saab Volvo) which is more impressive than the USA doing it with our 120 million people in the year 1920

BTW a lot of our early American inventors grew up on farms. Farmers are always trying to eliminate back breaking labor so they always have an incentive to come with new and better mechanical ideas for planting, growing, harvesting, storing food and cotton. Plus the backbone of American farming is ethnic Germans

And now farmers have hi-tech help in the form of GPS and laser guided tractors and thermal imaging to tell when crops should be harvested


35 posted on 01/02/2011 7:30:40 PM PST by dennisw (- - - -He who does not economize will have to agonize - - - - - Confucius)
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To: WesternCulture

Sweden joined the EU but kept your own currency. SMART!


36 posted on 01/02/2011 9:45:57 PM PST by dennisw (- - - -He who does not economize will have to agonize - - - - - Confucius)
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To: WesternCulture

http://www.sylvania.com/AboutUs/

Osaram which is a German company that sells light bulbs under the Sylvania name in America. I try to avoid American companies friendly to Obama.

My phone service is from Deutsche Telekom because AT&T and Verizon are friendly with Obama.


37 posted on 01/02/2011 9:53:04 PM PST by Frantzie (Slaves do not have freedom only the illusion of freedom & their cable TV to drool at)
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To: Dr. Sivana

Someone needs to explain to our friend in Sweden, Western Culture (WC), who Willie Green is. Willie appears to be gone but he used to post about light rail and high speed rail projects in the USA which were Obama projects. Useless projects where the train service would never make any money and they are design to funnel huge amounts of money to unions and Obama’s corrupt friends.

One example was the DEAD city of Detroit. Maybe Detroit could use some eteam power trains.


38 posted on 01/02/2011 9:56:37 PM PST by Frantzie (Slaves do not have freedom only the illusion of freedom & their cable TV to drool at)
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To: dennisw

The whole farm belt in Texas, I think is German and Czechs. Sweden’s Saab fighters are very impressive.

The small super car start up Koneigsegg in Sweden started by using a Ford V8. Now it is cast the block in the UK but it is their own engine This is a small company making a road car that puts out 806 hp, gets an average of 14 mpg and 18 mpg highway and will do probably 240 mph though the company says it will do 250 mph. I think their were former Saab jet engineers.

Sweden makes some really cool stuff.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koenigsegg_CCX


39 posted on 01/02/2011 10:05:27 PM PST by Frantzie (Slaves do not have freedom only the illusion of freedom & their cable TV to drool at)
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To: Frantzie

Farming in the center of the United States. From Texas up through Colorado, Nebraska up to Michigan and North Dakota. All dominated by German American farmers. They are our real agricultural producers. You can thank them for our exportable farm surplus that brings in billions from foreigners

Of course by now some of these guys are only half or part German extraction


40 posted on 01/03/2011 4:58:44 AM PST by dennisw (- - - -He who does not economize will have to agonize - - - - - Confucius)
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