Engineering Wonders of the World
Volume III

356 ENGINEERING WONDERS OF THE WORLD. Snow= Ploughs. 1898-1904, in order to obviate transhipment at the former place. The rolling stock includes two rotary snow-ploughs (see vol. ii., pp. 240-245), built in Norway on the American model. They cost about £4,500 a-piece, and are fitted with engines of 1,000 horse-power to revolve the great shovel wheel. Two pusher locomotives are able to propel a plough through the deepest drift. Thanks to the efficiency of these wonderful devices, the line was worked regularly throughout the winter of 1897-98. The ploughs are assisted in their work by a system of screens arranged on either side of the track square to the direction of the prevailing winds. The snow accumulates be- hind the screens until a deep drift has been formed, and then the screens are moved a bit nearer the track. In this way the depth of the drifts over the rails is kept within such compass as the ploughs can deal with. for the wonder- /Railway _ .. for Tourists. the line extremely comfortable The only satisfactory way of obtaining an adequate idea of the real nature of the en- gineering triumph won by the Norwegian engineers responsible construction of this ful line is to traverse itself in one of the observation cars which are at the disposal of tourists. The views to be obtained from the carriage window when passing between the great mountains of Hallingskarvet and the glacier on Hardangerjokelen are such as prob- ably cannot be equalled on any other railway- in the world. * In the course of a single summer day the traveller is able to enjoy the great contrasts afforded by the flat landscape of the eastern country, the wild solitudes and wide prospects of th© mountains, and the perpendicular cliffs and deep fjords which he passes between Voss and the western ter- minus. A VIEW IN BERGEN.