Now, let's see how I can explain this.... 
In Sweden, since 1930-1940s, large parts of the railroad system is powered by electricity. (The main railways earlier than that) The voltage on the incoming high-voltage wire is typically 220, 130, 70 or 50kV 3 phase. This voltage is transformed down to 6.3 kV. Transformation takes place at power stations that is placed in a building (an in some few cases in mountain stations) The huge rotary converters is mounted on railway bogeys so that they could be wheeled into place in to the building. I have a report about an ordinary abandoned mountain plant like that here: http://www.28dayslater.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=41664
The good thing with having the equipment on the train wagons was/is that it was easy to draw them to the workshop for maintenance.
But there was another good reason....
In the 1930s, the Swedish military strategists started to recognize this dependence of fixed deployment a serious vulnerability, what happens with the electricity supply to the railways if it comes to war and bombings...?
Then they began to build backup power stations, some was a simple random tracks where you could set up the mobile facility, others in the form of simple sheds, and that some facilities built in mountains where the wagons could be protected against air strikes. Establishments in mountains are in different locations across the country. Some are relatively centrally located, while the majority is in "middle of the forest".
Already in 1943, construction of the first mountain plant for backup power stations started, which then followed by a number of similar in the 1950-1960s.
The times have now changed, the Cold War became less cold in the 1990s, and it decided to close the system with backup power stations. Some plants are shut down/closed forever, some have new private owners, and some are waiting for their fate.
Actually not that exciting to visit, after once visited a plant. But is well massive concrete structures in the rock, and fun to play with lighting.
Pictures in the report are from several different visits/sites, links to various visits/sites further down in the post.
/B
More pictures from different sites of abandoned backup power stations Swedish railways:
Glömda rum/Civilforsvar-Totalforsvar/ReservkraftstationAngermanland
Glömda rum/Civilforsvar-Totalforsvar/ReservkraftstationOstergotland
Glömda rum/Civilforsvar-Totalforsvar/ReservkraftstationVasterbotten
Glömda rum/Civilforsvar-Totalforsvar/ReservkraftstationVasterbotten2
Glömda rum/Civilforsvar-Totalforsvar/ReservkraftstationVastergotaland
Glömda rum/Civilforsvar-Totalforsvar/ReservkraftstationVasternorrland
In Sweden, since 1930-1940s, large parts of the railroad system is powered by electricity. (The main railways earlier than that) The voltage on the incoming high-voltage wire is typically 220, 130, 70 or 50kV 3 phase. This voltage is transformed down to 6.3 kV. Transformation takes place at power stations that is placed in a building (an in some few cases in mountain stations) The huge rotary converters is mounted on railway bogeys so that they could be wheeled into place in to the building. I have a report about an ordinary abandoned mountain plant like that here: http://www.28dayslater.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=41664
The good thing with having the equipment on the train wagons was/is that it was easy to draw them to the workshop for maintenance.
But there was another good reason....
In the 1930s, the Swedish military strategists started to recognize this dependence of fixed deployment a serious vulnerability, what happens with the electricity supply to the railways if it comes to war and bombings...?
Then they began to build backup power stations, some was a simple random tracks where you could set up the mobile facility, others in the form of simple sheds, and that some facilities built in mountains where the wagons could be protected against air strikes. Establishments in mountains are in different locations across the country. Some are relatively centrally located, while the majority is in "middle of the forest".
Already in 1943, construction of the first mountain plant for backup power stations started, which then followed by a number of similar in the 1950-1960s.
The times have now changed, the Cold War became less cold in the 1990s, and it decided to close the system with backup power stations. Some plants are shut down/closed forever, some have new private owners, and some are waiting for their fate.
Actually not that exciting to visit, after once visited a plant. But is well massive concrete structures in the rock, and fun to play with lighting.
Pictures in the report are from several different visits/sites, links to various visits/sites further down in the post.
/B
More pictures from different sites of abandoned backup power stations Swedish railways:
Glömda rum/Civilforsvar-Totalforsvar/ReservkraftstationAngermanland
Glömda rum/Civilforsvar-Totalforsvar/ReservkraftstationOstergotland
Glömda rum/Civilforsvar-Totalforsvar/ReservkraftstationVasterbotten
Glömda rum/Civilforsvar-Totalforsvar/ReservkraftstationVasterbotten2
Glömda rum/Civilforsvar-Totalforsvar/ReservkraftstationVastergotaland
Glömda rum/Civilforsvar-Totalforsvar/ReservkraftstationVasternorrland
