Railway-building in these twin countries has been attended always with grave difficulties, owing to the rugged nature of the country and the extreme hardness of the rock. When the sea is left, and the interior plateau is gained, the full brunt of the Arctic weather is experienced, and it is of a character to deter the most intrepid engineer.
One of the most momentous enterprises that has been carried to fulfilment in this northern country is the trans-Norwegian railway, whereby Christiania is brought into direct communication with the Atlantic seaboard at Bergen. Owing to the prodigious difficulties involved, however, it occupied some thirty years to carry the scheme through, although the line is only 306 miles in length.
TRAIN EMERGING FROM REINUNGA TUNNEL, 5,217 FEET LONG, IN DISTANCE, SHOWING SNOWSCOOP-PLOUGH ON LOCOMOTIVE
WHERE THE SNOWPLOUGH WORKS IN SUMMER
MYRDAL STATION, SHOWING ENTRANCE TO GRAVEHALS TUNNEL, 17,420 FEET IN LENGTH
MYRDAL STATION IN WINTER, SHOWING DEPTH OF SNOWFALL
THE BERGEN RAILWAY