Lidingöbanan 2 - Brogrenen

As we proceed from Ropsten, we come to Brogrenen.  "Bro" means "bridge," "gren" means "branch," and Brogrenen is the point at which the North Lidingö line (abandoned in 1971) and the South Lidingö line, the one still in operation, diverged.

Brogrenen, or strictly speaking the point at which the bridge connects with Lidingö, is the zero chaining point for Lidingöbanan, the point from which distances are measured along the line.


Brogrenen, train awaiting meet

(23 August 2000)
It's the rush hour, and every ten minutes, trains will meet at Torsvik.  This double track, which converges to a single track on the bridge (behind the photographer's position here), is part of Torsvik station.  There were previously two tracks on the bridge, but when the bridge was closed and rebuilt in the 1980s, it was changed to a single-track bridge with the pedestrian and bicycle path on which I was standing to take this picture.
The little round yellow building was used as the station building for Brogrenen.  It was also called "Vindarnas tempel," "the temple of the winds," because the spot is so windy.  Passengers transferred between the North and South Lidingö lines at Brogrenen.


Brogrenen, meet taking place

(23 August 2000)
The same view of Brogrenen, showing the meet taking place.  The train on the right has come from Ropsten and is now proceeding toward the station platform at Torsvik; the train on the left has gotten, or should soon get, a green signal to depart Torsvik station and proceed on the single track, over the bridge, to Ropsten.


Brogrenen, seen from Lidingö

(23 August 2000)
A view of Brogrenen from the Lidingö side.  The road bridge in the foreground is part of the "new" Lidingö bridge.  Its construction was used as an excuse to abandon the North Lidingö line.


Brogrenen with signal

(23 August 2000)
Another view of Brogrenen, showing the switch where the two tracks of Torsvik station converge to a single track on the bridge.
Signal 04 governs entrance to Torsvik from Ropsten.  It's green in this view; a train is approaching from behind us.
The "S" sign at the right marks the point at which the train must stop if signal 04 is red.  Notice the narrow yellow device on the track next to that sign.  That's an ATC beacon, which passes information about signal indications and speed restrictions to the train's ATC equipment; one reason the train must stop at this point on a red signal is that if the train's ATC pickup device passes the beacon when the signal is red, and the signal later turns green, the train's ATC will have no way to know the signal has turned green.  Another reason is, of course, that passing the ATC beacon when the signal is red will result in an emergency brake application.

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