Trip to Finland - April 2018
General Notes
Ten days in Finland, mostly on the Branch Line Society's "Central & Northern Finland Freight Line Tour" trip from 20th to 24th April 2018.
Operating Company Abbreviations:
- VR - formerly Valtionrautatiet (national train operator in Finland)
Track gauge
1524 mm gauge unless otherwise stated.
| Place | Arrive | Depart | Train | Traction details & notes |
Tuesday 17 April 2018
| Timperley | 07:32 | Metrolink tram 3014 (standard gauge) | ||
| Altrincham | 07:40 | 07:47 | '288' | Bus |
| Manchester Airport (MAN) | 08:12 | 10:25 | AY1362 | Finnair Airbus 319 OH-LUC push-back 10:35, take-off 10:51 from runway 23R |
| Helsinki Vantaa Airport (HEL) | 15:10 | 15:51 | 'P' | landed 15:08 on runway 22R, on stand 15:16 - VR EMU Sr5 sets 037+052 |
| Tikkurila | 15:59 | 16:34 | S9 | VR EMU Sm3 7007 |
| Parikkala | 19:28 | 19:36 | 749 | VR DMU Dm12 4411 |
| Savonlinna | 20:29 | Today's photos | ||
| New passenger track today: Kouvola - Parikkala; Parikkala - Savonlinna. | ||||
| Overnight: Hotel Pietari Kylliäinen, Olavinkatu 15, Savonlinna. | ||||
| Notes Flight from Manchester to Helsinki, then via the main line to Parikkala and the branch to Savonlinna. Savonlinna only sees about 6 trains per day. |
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Wednesday 18 April 2018
| Savonlinna | 09:30 | 742 | VR DMU Dm12 4411 | |
| Parikkala | 10:23 | 10:32 | IC1 | VR EL 3211+6C |
| Joensuu | 11:47 | 11:54 | 761 | VR DMU Dm12 4414 |
| Nurmes | 14:00 | 15:40 | 762 | VR DMU Dm12 4414 |
| Joensuu | 17:45 | Today's photos | ||
| New passenger track today: Parikkala - Joensuu; Joensuu - Nurmes. | ||||
| Overnight: Hotel GreenStar, Torikatu 16, Joensuu. | ||||
| Notes The main aim for today was the branch from Joensuu to Nurmes, which only sees two trains per day. |
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Thursday 19 April 2018
| Joensuu | 07:00 | 720 | VR DMU Dm12 4409 | |
| Pieksämäki | 09:12 | 09:22 | IC74 | VR EMU Sm3 7203 |
| Mikkeli | 09:59 | 10:51 | IC63 | VR EL 6C+Sr2 3213 (P) |
| Kuopio | 12:20 | 12:45 | IC713 | VR EL 3001+3C |
| Iisalmi | 13:42 | 16:11 | IC70 | VR EL 3001+7C delayed 10 mins crossing IC65 at Lapinlahti |
| Pieksämäki | 18:10 | 18:16 | S148 | VR EMU Sm3 7203 arr 6 late / dep 8 late |
| Jyväskylä | 19:09 | Today's photos | ||
| New passenger track today: Siilinjärvi - Iisalmi. | ||||
| Overnight: Hotel Cumulus City, Väinönkatu 3, Jyväskylä. | ||||
| Notes Today's plan revolved round fitting in Siilinjärvi - Iisalmi. |
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Friday 20 April 2018
| Jyväskylä | 07:00 | 1921 | VR DL Dr13 2343 BLS Railtour | |
| Via Lohikoski (2 km stub of original route to Haapajärvi before 1964; reverse 07:10/07:18) - Jyväskylä [2] (reverse 07:27/07:40) - Suolahti (08:18/08:30) - Suolahti harbour (08:46/08:58) - shunt to end of line (reverse) - Suolahti (reverse 09:18/09:20) - tractor factory (reverse 09:34/09:40) - Suolahti (reverse 09:53/10:05) - Äänekoski (10:13) - Saarijärvi (break, to cross timber train, but that failed so our loco was used to rescue it; 10:42/12:42 dep 160 late) - Keitelepohja (13:55/14:51, 129/126 late) - Haapajärvi (reverse 16:12/16:40, dep 118 late) - Pyhäsalmi - Pyhäkumpu copper mine (reverse 17:22/17:37, ~120 late) - Pyhäsalmi (reverse) |
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| Iisalmi | 18:44 | arr 108 late Today's photos | ||
| New passenger track today: Haapajärvi - Iisalmi. | ||||
| New non-passenger track today: Jyväskylä - Lohikoski; Jyväskylä - Suolahti (and branches) - Haapajärvi; Pyhäsalmi - Pyhäkumpu mine. | ||||
| Overnight: Hotel Iisalmen Seurahuone, Savonkatu 24, Iisalmi. | ||||
| Notes Day 1 of the Branch Line Society railtour. |
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Saturday 21 April 2018
| Iisalmi | 10:17 | 1922 | VR DL Dr13 2343 BLS Railtour | |
| Via Sukeva (10:53/11:06) - Murtomäki (11:29/11:40) | ||||
| Otanmäki line | 12:30 | 13:00 | 1923 | full traversal not possible due to track condition |
| Propel to Murtomäki (13:51/14:01, reverse) | ||||
| Talvivaara | 14:28 | 15:10 | 1924 | to level crossing before the works gate; loco ran round the train in the works sidings |
| Via Kajaani (15:50) - Lamminniemi branch (16:06/16:33) - Kajaani (opportunity to check-into hotels; dep 18:06) - Kontiomäki (18:30/19:00; shunt via triangle) - Vuokatti (19:23-19:38) | ||||
| Lahnaslampi | 20:00 | 20:15 | 1925 | |
| Via Vuokatti (20:41/21:16) - Kontiomäki (21:40/22:05) | ||||
| Kajaani | 22:29 | Today's photos | ||
| New passenger track today: Iisalmi - Kontiomäki. | ||||
| New non-passenger track today: Murtomäki - Otanmäki (partway); Murtomäki - Talvivaara; Kajaani - Lamminniemi; Kontiomäki triangle; Kontiomäki - Vuokatti - Lahnaslampi. | ||||
| Overnight: Hotel Kajaani, Onnelantie 1, Kajaani. | ||||
| Notes Day 2 of the Branch Line Society railtour. |
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Sunday 22 April 2018
| Kajaani | 08:33 | 1926 | VR DL Dr13 2343 BLS Railtour | |
| Via Kontiomäki (08:59/09:01) - Ristijärvi (09:29/09:31) - Hyrynsalmi (10:12/10:14; reverse through timber loading loop) - Pesiökylä (11:03/11:05; highest point on VR network at 243.76 metres above sea level) | ||||
| Ämmänsaari | 11:38 | 13:19 | 1927 | VR DL Dr13 2343 BLS Railtour |
| Via Pesiökylä (13:50/13:52) - Hyrynsalmi (14:41/14:58) - Ristijärvi (15:37/15:39) - Laajakangas branch - Kontiomäki station (17:00/17:05) - (push back to north, then pull towards Oulu via triangle track) - Vaala (18:31/19:13) - Pikkarala (20:30/20:34) | ||||
| Oulu | 20:52 | Today's photos | ||
| New passenger track today: Kontiomäki - Oulu. | ||||
| New non-passenger track today: Kontiomäki - Ämmänsaari; Laajakangas branch. | ||||
| Overnight: Best Western Hotel Apollo, Asemakatu 31-33, Oulu. | ||||
| Notes Day 3 of the Branch Line Society railtour. |
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Monday 23 April 2018
| Oulu | 06:50 | 1928 | VR DL Dr13 2343 BLS Railtour | |
| Via freight yards south of Oulu - Hirvineva (08:32/08:34) - Raahe (09:19) - shunting to Lapaluoto harbour | ||||
| Raahe | 10:10 | 1929 | VR DL Dr13 2343 BLS Railtour | |
| Via Oulainen (11:18/11:23) - Ylivieska - Kangas (11:37/11:43) - Kokkola (13:09/13:58) - Ykspihlaja väliratapiha (14:18) - shunt to old station | ||||
| Ykspihlaja väliratapiha | 15:18 | 1920 | VR DL Dr13 2343 BLS Railtour | |
| Via push back to Kokkola (15:32/15:33) - Kolppi (15:59/16:03) - Pietarsaari (16:23) - shunt to Alholma | ||||
| Pietarsaari | 17:16 | 1921 | VR DL Dr13 2343 BLS Railtour | |
| Via Pännäinen (17:30/18:00) - Kovjoki (18:09/19:05; visit to Nykarleby Jernväg heritage railway) - | ||||
| Kovjoki | 18:09 | ??:?? | SL 0-4-0T "Emma" (600 mm gauge) (built 1937 in Finland) BLS Charter Nykarleby Jernväg heritage railway | |
| buffer stops beyond run-round loop | ??:?? | ??:?? | SL 0-4-0T "Emma" propel to loop then run-round (intended DL 1955 failed) | |
| Kovjoki | ??:?? | 19:05 | 1921 | VR DL Dr13 2343 BLS Railtour |
| Via Raunio (19:46/19:51) - Lapua (20:13/20:19) | ||||
| Seinäjoki | 20:41 | Today's photos | ||
| New passenger track today: Oulu - Tuomioja - Ylivieska - Kokkola - Seinäjoki. | ||||
| New non-passenger track today: Tuomioja - Raahe; Kokkola - Ykspihlaja väliratapiha; Alholma branch; Nykarleby Jernväg heritage railway. | ||||
| Overnight: Hotel Cumulus City Seinäjoki, Kauppakatu 10, Seinäjoki (1st of 2 nights). | ||||
| Notes Day 4 of the Branch Line Society railtour. |
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Tuesday 24 April 2018
| Seinäjoki | 08:00 | 1922 | VR DL Dr13 2343 BLS Railtour | |
| Via push the train towards south, and pull via the freight yard towards Kaskinen - Kaskinen (10:55) - shunt to harbour and industrial sidings | ||||
| Kaskinen | 12:15 | 1923 | VR DL Dr13 2343 BLS Railtour | |
| Seinäjoki | 14:36 | 15:23 | IC445 | VR EL Sr1 3104+2C |
| Vaasa | 16:17 | 17:04 | IC442 | VR EL Sr1 3104+2C |
| Seinäjoki | 17:58 | Today's photos | ||
| New passenger track today: Seinäjoki - Vaasa. | ||||
| New non-passenger track today: Seinäjoki - Kaskinen. | ||||
| Overnight: Hotel Cumulus City Seinäjoki, Kauppakatu 10, Seinäjoki (2nd of 2 nights). | ||||
| Notes . |
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Wednesday 25 April 2018
| Seinäjoki | 10:34 | 482 | VR DMU Dm12 4408 via Haapamäki | |
| Jyväskylä | 13:22 | 13:39 | IC153 | VR EMU Sm3 7203 |
| Pieksämäki | 14:25 | 15:26 | IC68 | VR EL Sr2 3244 + 6C via Kouvola (reverse) |
| Helsinki | 18:39 | |||
| Central Railway Station | 18:56 | 'M' | Helsinki metro | |
| Ruoholahti | 19:00 | 19:51 | 'M' | Helsinki metro |
| Central Railway Station | 19:55 | 20:40 | 'M' | Helsinki metro |
| Ruoholahti | 20:45 | Today's photos | ||
| New passenger track today: Seinäjoki - Haapamäki; Hillosensalmi - Kouvola. | ||||
| Overnight: Hotel Holiday Inn Helsinki - West Ruoholahti, Sulhasenkuja 3, Helsinki. | ||||
| Notes . |
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Thursday 26 April 2018
| Ruoholahti | 05:40 | 'M' | Helsinki metro | |
| Central Railway Station | 05:44 | |||
| Helsinki | 05:56 | 'P' | VR EMU Sm5 sets 71+54 | |
| Airport | 06:24 | |||
| Helsinki Vantaa Airport (HEL) | 08:15 | AY1361 | Finnair Airbus 320 OH-LXM push-back 08:23 take-off 08:35 from runway 15 | |
| Manchester Airport (MAN) | 09:15 | ??:?? | Landed 09:10 on runway 23R, on stand 09:17 | |
| Timperley | ??:?? | |||
| New passenger track today: none. | ||||
| Notes Heading home. |
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Summary
An excellent trip with a well organised railtour days and other travels on the Finnish rail network.