Liberia 5 Dollars Silver Coin 2011 History of Railroads, Flam Line
The Flam Line railroad is a short line that runs just over 12 miles of track in southern Norway. The railway is a part of the Norwegian State Railways, and has run continuously since 1940. This Silver Proof coin from Liberia is part of a series of colorized Proof Silver coins paying tribute to historic railroads of the world. The reverse of this coin has a beautiful image of the famous train with the mountains in the background.
The obverse features the coat of arms of Liberia dividing the date, and separating the legend and denomination. This beauty is a must have not just for coin collectors but railroad enthusiasts, as well.
In the series "History of Railroads" were issued these coins:
Flying Scotsman, Trans-Siberian Railway, Adler, Sharp Stewart, Royal Hudson, Bernina Express, Blue Train, Mallard, Flam Line, MAV-220, Shinkansen 500, Union Pacific Big Boy, Trans Europ Express, Durango & Silverton, Austrian State Railroad, China Railways, TGV Réseau, Indian Pacific, PKP Fablok OL 49 Poland.
Flåm Line
The Flåm Line (Norwegian: Flåmsbana) is a 20.2-kilometer (12.6 mi) long railway line between Myrdal and Flåm in Aurland, Norway. A branch line of the Bergen Line, it runs through the valley of Flåmsdalen and connects the mainline with Sognefjord. The line's elevation difference is 863 meters (2,831 ft); it has ten stations, twenty tunnels and one bridge. The maximum gradient is 5.5 percent (1:18). Because of its steep gradient and picturesque nature, the Flåm Line is now almost exclusively a tourist service and has become the third-most visited tourist attraction in Norway.
Construction of the line started in 1924, with the line opening in 1940. It allowed the district of Sogn access to Bergen and Oslo via the Bergen Line. Electric traction was taken into use in 1944; at first El 9 locomotives were used, and from 1982 El 11. Until 1991, the train connected with a ferry service from Flåm to Gudvangen. In 1992, freight services were terminated, and due to low ticket prices and high operating costs, the line was nearly closed. In 1998, Flåm Utvikling took over marketing and ticket sale for the line, prices were heavily increased and El 17 locomotives were introduced. The trains remain operated by the Norwegian State Railways (NSB), while the line itself is owned and operated by the Norwegian National Rail Administration.