Swedish steam celebrates main line’s centenary
A RARE main line steam special in northern Sweden was run in late September to celebrate the centenary of the opening of the Sveg – Brunflo section of the lengthy Inlandsbanan line which connects central and northern Sweden. The line was built in stages between 1912 and 1937 and the Sveg – Brunflo section that opened in 1922 connected the southern half of the route to the existing line to Östersund from Stockholm, which had opened more than 40 years earlier. Construction of the northern section of the route beyond Östersund to Gällivare took until 1937.
The centenary train between Östersund and Överhogdal was hauled by SJ 2-8-0 No. E2 904 built in 1907 (by NOHAB Number 833), owned by the Swedish Railway Museum at Gävle using its stock.