RailCowGirl gets a lot of questions every day, and many of you ask about the same things.
Below you’ll find answers to all of the most common questions asked in the live chat on YouTube or in direct messages to RailCowGirl. The questions are grouped together so it’s easier to find what you’re looking for.
If you, however, can’t find the answer to your question on this page, please drop a message via the contact page here.
(Please note that some of the links on this page are external links, and by clicking on them you are no longer complying to RailCowGirl’s Privacy Policy, but the Privacy Policy provided by the owner of the external website.)
Disclaimer: Some of the links on this page might be affiliate links. This means that RailCowGirl may receive a small commission for purchases made through these links. This adds no extra cost for you, but is a way to support Railcowgirl and her work.
The FAQ has been put together with the kind help from channel subscriber Ariel T.
Please note: As of January 2024 this page is being updated, so not all of the information is up to date yet. When everything is updated, you will see the last date of edits at the bottom of this page. Please check again later, or send a message via the contact page.
Contents:
General
Q: Where are your videos from?
All the train videos on the RailCowGirl YouTube channel are from Norway. They are mostly from the Bergen line between Bergen – Voss – Ål – Oslo, and some are from the Flåm line between Flåm and Myrdal. Some videos are local passenger services, others are regional passenger services, and from 1st September 2021, the videos are from freight trains. On the Flåm railway there are only passenger trains, no freight.
Q: Do you drive passenger trains or cargo?
Until the end of August 2021 RailCowGirl used to drive passenger trains for the company Vy Tog Vest AS. On 1.September 2021 she started in another company, Green Cargo, where she drives freight trains.
Q: What type of trains do you drive?
In the YouTube videos with passenger trains you can see views from EL18 locomotives with B7 carriages and WLAB2. On the Flåm line EL18 with B3 carriages. For local services type 75 FLIRT. When driving freight trains RailCowGirl drives these locomotives: Bombardier TRAXX AC2 F140 182.2 (RE), Bombardier TRAXX AC3 F140 (BR187) (Hybrid), Stadler EuroDuale (Hybrid), T44 (diesel).
Q: Where do you go to the bathroom?
RailCowGirl has to use the bathrooms in the stations as there are no toilets on the locomotive.
Q: Do you have accommodation when you stay in other places? / Do you have to stay over?
As RailCowGirl is stationed in Voss, she sometimes has to stay over in other places (Bergen or Ål, mostly). Her employer arranges a room for her so she can rest or sleep in between the shifts.
Q: Do you ever drive the whole way between Bergen and Oslo?
No, the drivers are not allowed to drive the whole line between Bergen and Oslo because of the rest time regulations.
Q: Is there a way to support your channel?
Yes, thank you very much for asking! There are several ways to support the channel: You can either click here to donate an amount of your choice, or you can click here to become a member with a monthly membership. As a member of “the Herd”, you get early access to all videos and extra perks. You can also support via Streamlabs on this link, or buy merchandise on the link below.
Q: Is it possible to buy RailCowGirl merchandise?
At the moment it is not possible to buy RailCowGirl merch, sorry. We are looking at new options.
About RailCowGirl
Q: Who is RailCowGirl?
RailCowGirl is a female train driver/engineer from Norway. She used to drive passenger trains, but from September 2021 she is driving freight trains.
Q: How did you come up with the name RailCowGirl?
RailCowGirl has a fascination for cows, and she lives in the countryside.
Q: Who is HinduCowGirl / Why did you change your name?
HinduCowGirl changed named to RailCowGirl because of a huge amount of questions about religion.
Q: How long have you been driving trains?
RailCowGirl has been driving trains for more than 10 years. She started in the public owned company NSB (Norges StatsBaner) in Oslo, and transferred to NSB in Voss, which is now a private company named Vy. In September 2021 she started working for Green Cargo driving freight trains.
Q: What’s your real name, and how old are you?
RailCowGirl prefers not to reply to personal questions. But her real name was revealed in the National Geographic series “Europe from Above,” in the episode about Norway.
Q: Where can I find a photo of you? / Do you ever show your face?
The channel is about train driver’s view, not RailCowGirl as a person. (Here is a photo of her, though.) No, seriously, if you want to see who is behind RailCowGirl, you can watch the National Geographic series “Europe from Above” and the episode about Norway.
Location
Q: Where are your videos from?
All the videos on the RailCowGirl YouTube channel are from Norway. Most of them are from the Bergen line and some from the Flåm railway.
You can see a map over the area here.
Q: What is the weather and temperature in Norway right now?
At yr.no you can search for any place in Norway to see the forecast.
Q: How many tunnels are there?
Between Bergen and Voss there are 48 tunnels in total, including all the short ones. On all of the Bergen line between Bergen and Oslo there are 180 tunnels in total.
On the Flåm railway there are 27 tunnels in total.
Q: Are there any webcams from the area?
Yes, there are several webcams from the area. Please click on each of the places to be directed to the webcams (note: none of the webcams are run by RailCowGirl nor do RCG have any connection to these websites. For any issues or troubleshooting, please contact the webcam owner.)
Bergen from mount Fløyen, webcam provided by bt.no
Bergen from mount Ulriken, webcam provided by bt.no
Finse station, webcam provided by bt.no
Q: What time is it in Norway right now?
Here is a link to Timeanddate.com where you can see the current time in Norway. You can also go to the live chat on the stream and type !time.
Filming
Q: What equipment do you use?
(Links are redirected to Amazon product page. Note: these are affiliate links, meaning that RailCowGirl may get a small commission if you buy something using these links. This will not add any extra cost for you, and is only a nice way of supporting her work.)
BlackMagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K (BMPCC6K)
Q: Where do you find the music?
EpidemicSound.com – (Note: this is an affiliate link, meaning that RailCowGirl may get a small commission if you buy something using this link. This will not add any extra cost for you, and is only a nice way of supporting her work.)
Trains
Q: How fast does the train go?
Max speed on the Bergen line is 160 km/h, and on the Flåm line 40 km/h. The freight trains has a maximum speed of 100 km/h due to the brake group they are running in because of the length/amount of axels and weight.
Q: What type of trains do you drive?
Currently in GreenCargo RailCowGirl operates RE (BR185), BR187, ED (EuroDual, hybrid), T44 (diesel), RC4. When she worked on passenger trains, she operated the EL18 locomotive with B7 carriages and WLAB2. On the Flåm line she operated EL18 with B3 carriages. For the local services the type 75 FLIRT (and the old BM69).
Q: How do I become a train driver in Norway?
First, you have to be fluent in Norwegian. Second, you can read about the requirements at Norsk Fagskole for Lokomotivførere’s websites on this link.
Q: What voltage is in the overhead wire?
Between 15-17 kV.
Q: If you lose power do you have diesel that takes over?
No, not really. Although the ED locomotive does have both electrical and diesel power. There is a readiness team in cases of emergency.
Q: What does the signals mean?
Here is a link to Wikipedia where you can learn about the signals.
Q: What is the speed of the train?
Here is a link to the line speed (external link).
You can also see the speed of the line in the bottom left corner in (almost) all of the videos in YouTube. It is the “Vmax” or “Vmax line.” RailCowGirl will not be showing the true speedometer of the train.
Stream & chat
Q: Is it a game?
No, it’s not a game. It’s real pre-recorded footage from a train driver’s cabin.
Q: Who is the driver/engineer?
That would be RailCowGirl. She works as a train driver/engineer and records her trains.
Q: Why does it say “live” when it isn’t?
All of the videos are pre-recorded and edited. But when streaming them in a sequence like this, YouTube mark the video as “live” because of the possibility to live stream and because the chat is live. None of the RailCowGirl videos are ever streamed live, due to liability. Imagine streaming a trespasser strike live – that would be a direct breach of the Community Guidelines (Violent and Graphic content) and Terms of Services. It could also result in serious legal issues for RailCowGirl and the company she works for, when viewers would take legal actions for being subjected to such content.
Q: Why can I not write in my language? Why is only English allowed in the chat?
English (or Norwegian) are preferred languages in the chat. English is the language most people have in common, so when writing in English everyone can be included in the chat. Norwegian is allowed because RailCowGirl is Norwegian. Please read the chat rules that are stated in the video description.
Q: I subscribed, why is my name not showing on the screen?
Sometimes the banner is delayed, or there could be technical issues with Streamlabs. Sorry about that.
Q: Why was this in my recommendations on YouTube?
YouTube is suggesting videos you may find interesting based on your recent views or search history.
Q: Does the train ever stop?
Yes, the train stops for maintenance, for signals showing stop (mostly the red ones, but a few other signals) or when meeting oncoming trains. The passenger trains also (obviously) stops for picking up passengers in the stations.
Q: Why doesn’t the train stop in all stations?
The stops are all decided in the train schedule, so not all trains stop at all stations. Some stations are even marked with an “X” in the schedule for the passenger trains, meaning that passengers will have to tell the conductor if they want to go off at that stop. The freight trains stop where they are scheduled meeting other trains or waiting for signals, but they can also be directed from the train controller to stop at stations outside of their schedule if necessary.
Q: Do animals/people ever get hit by the train?
Yes, unfortunately that happens from time to time. Such images are removed from the video as they are not suitable for YouTube.
Q: When was this recorded?
The videos are all pre-recorded, and RailCowGirl tries to always keep them as updated as possible. In the beginning of a season, there might be videos that were recorded last season, but most of them are not more than a few months old.
Updated: 11. July 2023