Narrow-gauge railways in Norway
In Norway, a number of main lines were in the 19th century built with narrow gauge, 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm), to save cost in a sparsely populated mountainous country. This included Norway's first own long-distance line, the Røros Line, connecting Oslo and Trondheim, 1877. Some secondary railways also had this gauge. These railways have been rebuilt to standard gauge or closed down. Some private railways had 750 mm (2 ft 5 1⁄2 in) and one had 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in). A few railways partly still are operated as museum railways, specifically the Thamshavn Line, Urskog–Høland Line and the Setesdal Line. The Trondheim Tramway is also narrow gauge.
Carl Abraham Pihl and his entourage inspecting the construction of the Røros Line in 1877
Støren Station on the Røros Line during the 1880s
Holmestrand Station on the Vestfold Line in 1906
List of narrow-gauge lines
| Line | Length | Opened | Gauge | Converted | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ålgård Line | 12 km (7.5 mi) | 1921 | 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) | 1944 | Branch of the Sørlandet Line |
| Brevik Line | 10 km (6.2 mi) | 1895 | 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) | 1921 | Branch of the Vestfold Line |
| Drammen Line | 52 km (32 mi) | 1872 | 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) | 1922 | |
| Flekkefjord Line | 17 km (11 mi) | 1904 | 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) | 1941 | Closed in 1989 |
| Grimstad Line | 22 km (14 mi) | 1907 | 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) | 1936 | Closed in 1961 |
| Hokksund–Kongsberg | 87 km (54 mi) | 1871 | 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) | 1909 | Since renamed to the Sørlandet Line |
| Holmestrand–Vittingfoss Line | 30 km (19 mi) | 1902 | 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) | — | Closed in 1938 |
| Horten Line | 7 km (4.3 mi) | 1881 | 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) | 1949 | Branch of the Vestfold Line |
| Jæren Line | 74 km (46 mi) | 1878 | 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) | 1944 | Since 1944 part of the Sørlandet Line |
| Krøderen Line | 26 km (16 mi) | 1872 | 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) | 1909 | Closed in 1985, now a heritage railway |
| Lier Line | 21 km (13 mi) | 1904 | 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) | — | Closed in 1937 |
| Lillesand–Flaksvand Line | 17 km (11 mi) | 1896 | 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) | — | Closed in 1953 |
| Nesttun–Os Line | 24 km (15 mi) | 1894 | 750 mm (2 ft 5 1⁄2 in) | — | Closed in 1935 |
| Randsfjorden Line | 87 km (54 mi) | 1866 | 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) | 1909 | |
| Røros Line | 383 km (238 mi) | 1862 | 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) | 1941 | Converted in stages |
| Setesdal Line | 78 km (48 mi) | 1895 | 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) | — | Closed in 1962. Opened as a heritage railwayin (first section) in 1966. Now runs on the preserved scenic 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) stretch Grovane-Røyknes |
| Sulitjelma Line | 36 km (22 mi) | 1892 | 750 mm (2 ft 5 1⁄2 in) | 1915 | Built with 750 mm (2 ft 5 1⁄2 in) gauge, converted to 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) gauge, closed in 1972 |
| Thamshavn Line | 25 km (16 mi) | 1908 | 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in) | — | Electric. Closed in 1974, now a heritage railway |
| Tønsberg–Eidsfoss Line | 84 km (52 mi) | 1901 | 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) | — | Closed in 1938 |
| Trondhjem–Støren Line | 51 km (32 mi) | 1864 | 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) | 1921 | Since 1877 part of the Røros Line and since 1921 part of the Dovre Line |
| Urskog–Høland Line | 57 km (35 mi) | 1896 | 750 mm (2 ft 5 1⁄2 in) | — | Closed in 1960. Opened in 1966 as a heritage railway |
| Vestfold Line | 148 km (92 mi) | 1881 | 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) | 1949 | |
| Voss Line | 106 km (66 mi) | 1883 | 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) | 1909 | Since 1909 part of the Bergen Line |
References
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