CN Heavy recently transported two transformers to Bjørnfjell at the Norwegian-Swedish border. The transformers will help supply power to the railway line between Luleå and Narvik, as well as nearby residential buildings, and the power line connecting Norway and Sweden. The railway is crucial for transporting iron ore from the world's largest iron ore mine in Kiruna to the port of Narvik, where it is loaded onto ships.
The transformers arrived at Bogen aboard a heavy-lift vessel. Cranes loaded them onto a trailer, which transported them few hundred meters to a storage location and positioned them on support stools. From there, the road transport covered approximately 70 kilometers, climbing to an elevation of around 500 metres. This transport by CN Heavy represented one segment of the overall shipment from Italy, organised by Ceva Fagioli. I have accompanied the second transformer.
Equipment: The transport was carried out using two 12-axle TII Nicolas trailers, equipped with a new TII Scheuerle STB 260 girder bridge. These were the first two transports to use this new configuration. The combination was hauled by two Mercedes trucks: one 6×8 and one 8×8, each delivering 630 hp. An additional Scania truck was available as a backup vehicle but was ultimately not required. The whole contraption had a total weight of 386 tonnes and an overall length of 71.5 metres. To ensure safety along the route and manage traffic, the transport was accompanied by two police cars positioned well ahead of the transport. Behind them followed the CN Heavy Sprinter, then a vehicle from the Norwegian public roads administration (Statens vegvesen). A Crafter travelling directly behind the transport.
Since I shot the transport on behalf of TII Scheuerle, the photos are (c) TII Scheuerle. They have kindly allowed me to use the photos on my website as well. Thank you!
Video: Trafo transport north of the arctic circle
Day One: Assembly and Loading
The transformer was positioned on the shore at a municipal facility in Bogen. Friday was dedicated to assembling the girder bridge and loading the transformer. One particularly interesting aspect of the operation was lowering the transformer from its approximately 1m high supports, demonstrating the impressive vertical travel range of the girder bridge and trailer assembly hydraulics.
SCROLL-GALLERY ÖFFNEN Day Two: Along the Coast
We started at the shore facility in Bogen after the airport shuttle bus had passed. The transport carefully maneouvered its way out of the harbour area and onto the main road, where the pull truck was turned around (to become a pusher truck) before continuing along the E10 towards Bjerkvik and then on via the E6 to the overnight stop, the traffic control station near the Stormyra bus stop.
The route included a tunnel with easy clearance for the transport. In addition, two roundabouts had to be crossed: one in Bjerkvik and one right before the night stop. That second one was challenging because of a very tight 270 degree turn. Traffic management was another concern, with long queues forming behind the transport. The convoy stopped two or three times to allow the waiting traffic to pass. After approximately four hours, the transport reached its overnight stop.
Day Three: Into the Mountains to Bjørnfjell
The second leg of the transport started at the overnight stop and continued along the E6 to Trældal, before joining the E10 towards Bjørnfjell. One of the biggest challenges was the Leirvik Tunnel, where the available vertical clearance was extremely tight -- just 6 cm in total. Negotiating the 550-metre tunnel took almost an hour. Team members continuously monitored the clearance from both above and below to ensure safe passage. Immediately afterwards, the convoy passed through the longer, but slightly less restrictive, Trældal Tunnel.
After the tunnels, the route climbed gradients of up to 10%, followed by a series of ascents and descents across the plateau, plus another climb towards the end of the journey.
The destination for the transformer was a parking area directly opposite the Bjørnfjell toll station. The 185-tonne transformer was unloaded onto another set of support stools, where it will remain in storage until its onward journey in February on an 18-axle conventional trailer. The winter conditions, with darkness, snow and potentially difficult road conditions, will present a considerable challenge.
Storing the transformers near the border is a deliberate decision. The steep route from Bogen to Bjørnfjell will be impossible to drive under the expected winter conditions in February. Completing the transport in advance therefore ensures that the transformer is safely positioned for the next stage of its journey.
The second leg took approximately four and a half hours to complete.
Closing Thoughts
We were incredibly lucky with the weather. At this time of year it’s usually much nastier. We had temperatures between 5 and 12 °C, sun and clouds, and not a drop of rain. Only the wind, with gusts of up to 40 km/h, reminded us where we were. The light was superb: at 68 degrees north latitude, the sun stays low all day that time of year, so it’s basically golden hour all day. A few weeks earlier might have been even nicer, since the colorful autumn leaves were already gone. And if we had done the trip in one go, we would have had a sunset. On the other hand it would have been dark by the time we reached the top. I didn’t fly the drone because I couldn’t get all the paperwork done in time. But the wind might have prevented drone flying anyway. On the first day I rode along with the Crafter behind the transport and on the trailer itself, which gave me lots of close-up shots. On the second day I drove own (rental) car, between the transport and the road service car. That gave me more flexibility and added more landscape in the frames. The team was great, and I felt welcome from the start. No shouting, plenty of laughs. That’s how it should be! And finally: I was back in Norway. The last time I was there was on vacation 15 years ago. I just love the northern landscape! All in all, this has been one of the photography highlights of the year. Thank you Scheuerle :-)
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