We left Oslo fairly early (8:30) to take the train over the mountains to Flam (pronounced "Flom"). This actually involves riding the Oslo-to-Bergen train but getting off and transferring to the Flam train at a little station called Myrdal, in the mountains. This second train is famous, as the steepest standard railway in Europe (that is excluding cog railways). The Flam train has two engines, one at each end, and descends steeply from 866 metres altitude to sea level. The brakes squeal all the way down, which must destroy the drivers' hearing fairly quickly.
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| The first train - the Oslo to Bergen. |
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| Scenes of Norway from the train. |
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| We passed stations with names like "Al", "Roa", "Hval", "Fla" and "Gol". |
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| Lake reflections. |
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| Near the highest point, at over 1,000 metres. The highest mainline railway in Europe. |
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| This is Myrdal, we we left that train and waited for the next. |
Like every train we have been on in Europe these railways are electrified. On the Flam train no seat numbers are allocated, so everyone waited anxiously to see if they would be able to secure a good seat by rushing onto the train before everyone else. As it turned out all seats had pretty good views at various parts of the journey.
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| Passing cyclists! This is a popular trail, from up in the mountains down to Flam. |
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| Our Flam train pulling into the station. |
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| Part way down the Flam train stopped so we could admire the Kjossfossen falls. |
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| Reboarding the train at the waterfall. |
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| Looking back up the steep valley to the Myrdal station we had just left, at the top. |
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| The old Flam church is apparently world famous (but not known to us!) |
The train descended steeply from Myrdal station, brakes screeching, with the steepest slope in the first part of the journey, before gradually levelling out down the last part of the valley toward the sea. Most of the steep part is actually inside the mountain, in a steep loop. In places the tunnel wall opens providing a view down the valley. After the relatively short (one hour ?) ride down from Myrdal we arrived in the tiny town of Flam, on the Aurlands fjord.
