Setesdal Line

Setesdal Line
Setesdal Line
Norwegian: Setesdalsbanen
	Veteran train on the Setesdal Line, 23 July 2003. The train is driving onto the Paulen bridge.
Terminus	Grovane Røyknes
Commercial operations
Built by	Norwegian State Railways
Original gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Original electrification	None
Preserved operations
Owned by	Setesdal Line
Operated by	Setesdal Line
Stations	Kristiansand Station - Byglandsfjord Station (original); Grovane Station - Røyknes Station (heritage)
Length	78 km (48 mi) (original); 8 km (5 mi) (heritage)
Preserved gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Commercial history
Opened	26 November 1895
Closed	1 September 1962
Website
	setesdalsbanen.no

The Setesdal Line (Norwegian: Setesdalsbanen) was a railway between Kristiansand and Byglandsfjord in southern Norway, 78 km (48 mi) long. It was built with a narrow gauge of 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in), and opened to Hægeland 26 November 1895, and to Byglandsfjord 27 November 1896. Stations along the line included Mosby, Vennesla, Grovene (Grovane), Iveland and Hægeland.

Today, only the stretch between Grovane and Røyknes of the original line is preserved as a heritage railway.

History

When the standard gauged Sørlandet Line was opened to Kristiansand in 1938, Grovane became the new terminal station for the Setesdal Line, with connection to the Sørlandet Line.

The Setesdal Line was suspended from 1 September 1962, and the track was lifted between Byglandsfjord and Beihølen. The 6 km (3.7 mi) line between Beihølen and Grovane was, however, preserved by local enthusiasts. The Setesdal Line Hobby Club was already established in 1964.

Today, the Setesdal Line is a railway museum with steam trains serving the 8 km (5.0 mi) line between Grovane and Røyknes. Four steam locomotives from 1894-1902 are preserved, along with a number of passenger and freight cars.

The preserved locomotives

Narrow gauge steam locomotives

NSB Class XXI number 1

Class XXI number 1, built at Dübs and Company in 1894.
Class XXI number 2, built at Dübs and Company in 1894.
Class XXI number 5, built at Thunes Mekaniske Værksted in 1901.
Class XXII number 6, built at Thunes Mekaniske Værksted in 1902.

Narrow gauge diesel locomotives

SJ Class Z4t number 227, built in 1950. Bought from the SJ in 1976.
SJ Class Z4t number 307, built in 1952. Bought from the SJ in 1981.

Narrow gauge railcars

Cmbo-1 number 2672, built in 1932 at Strømmens Værksted. 56 passengers.
Cmdo Sulitelma, built in 1957 at Strømmens Værksted. 56 passengers. Transferred to the Setesdal Line after the closure of Sulitjelma Line.

Standard gauge diesel locomotives

These locomotives are only used for shunting at areas with dual gauge track.

Skd 206 number 39, built in 1936.
Skd 206 number 44, built in 1936.

Heritage railway stations and stops

Grovane Station

Røyknes Station

The following stations and stops exist at the current railway museum:

Name	Type	Distance from Oslo V (km)	Length (m)
Grovane	Station	345.25
Rugåna	Steel bridge	345.40	13.6
Store bu	Siding	345.69
Grovane	Stop	345.80
Grovane	Level crossing	345.87
Paulen	Truss bridge	347.13	50.1
Paulen	Stop	347.59
Paulen gård	Stop	347.76
Kringsjå	Stop	348.17
Løyning	Tunnel	349.74	123
Beihølen dam	Stop	350.53
Beihøldalen	Station	350.97
Otterdals	Siding	351.79
Røyknes	Station	353.22
Langåen	Steel bridge	353.37	9.32

Setesdal Line 1896 - 1938

Connection with steamboat on Lake Byglandsfjorden from Byglandsfjord Station. The railway line was closed in 1962, but parts of the railroad have been preserved. It is a current narrow-gauge heritage railroad between Røyknes and Grovane and the current standard gauged track from Grovane Station to Kristiansand Station is a part of the current Sørlandet Line. Several of the station buildings along the former railroad are still preserved. Rail passengers had to change trains at Grovane Station from 1938 to 1962 due to different track widths, narrow-gauge to normal gauge.

Route

The Setesdal Line 1896 - 1938

Legend

				78,33 km	Byglandsfjord Station (1896)
				78,20 km	Byglandsfjord dampsag side track
					Agder kjøpelag side track
				77,36 km	Vassenden bridge (1920, 4,5 m)
				76,90 km	Vassenden (1930)
				75,76 km	Standarfossen side track
				75,52 km	Reguleringsdammen
				74,06 km	Side track for Germans during WWII
				73,91 km	Syrtveit
				73,90 km	Syrtveit (1896)
				71,35 km	Follestø (1933)
				70,32 km	Stenbekken bridge (1923, 4 m)
				68,71 km	Flatebygd (1914)
				68,22 km	Odåen bridge (1896, 4 m)
				67,93 km	Side track
				66,93 km	Evje (1896)
				66,36 km	A/S Evje Raffineringsverk side track
				65,66 km	Fosvik gravel pit
				65,00 km	Evjemoen (1928)
				65,00 km	Evjemoen military side track
				63,70 km	Bjoråveien (1930)
				62,94 km	Hornnes bridge (1896, 137,5 m)
				62,59 km	Hornnes (1896)
				61,71 km	Voile bridge (1896, 17 m)
				59,90 km	Hestvåg (1930)
				59,57 km	Hestvåg side track
				57,59 km	Hanås (1928)
				56,59 km	Hanåsbekken bridge (1896, 4 m)
				56,21 km	Moisund saw mill
				56,10 km	Moibekken bridge (1896, 4 m)
				55,82 km	Moisund (1896)
				54,20 km	Slettefett (1932)
				53,10 km	Hornekilen bridge (1895, 20 m)
				52,22 km	Hornesund (1896)
				50,95 km	Errekilen bridge (1895, 18,8 m)
				49,37 km	Hornskilen bridge (1929, 9,2 m)
				49,35 km	Eldsneset (1928)
				47,88 km	Horsnkilen downfall (1895, 5 m)
				47,23 km	Kiledalen (1928)
				45,82 km	Kiledalsbekken bridge (1918, 6,3 m)
				43,97 km	Hægeland (1895)
				43,97 km	Kile gravel pit
				43,26 km	Hægeland bridge (1911, 19 m)
				40,70 km	Øvre Gåseflå (1930)
					Bridge (1895, 2,5 m)
				39,11 km	Gåseflå (1895)
				38,96 km	Gåseflå tunnel II (1895, 9,2 m)
				38,91 km	Gåseflå tunnel I (1895, 25,4 m)
				38,70 km	Nedre Gåseflå
				37,00 km	Slemdal tunnel (1895, 86,4 m)
				36,81 km	Homevassevja tunnel (1895, 83,6 m)
				34,50 km	Iveland (1895)
				32,83 km	Beinestvedt
				32,76 km	Beinestvedtkilen bridge (1920, 5 m)
				32,60 km	Beinestvedt tunnel (1920, 25 m)
				29,90 km	Nomeland tunnel (1920, 207 m)
				29,78 km	Nomeland (1928)
				29,78 km	Nomeland nye
				29,12 km	Røyknes tunnel II (1920, 40 m)
				28,93 km	Røyknes tunnel I (1920, 80 m)
				28,58 km	Nomeland sideline
				28,52 km	Langåen bridge (1911, 8 m)
				28,38 km	Røyknes (1895)
				26,89 km	Otterdals sideline
				24,90 km	Løyning tunnel (1895, 123 m)
				23,32 km	Kringsjå 1930
				23,10 km	Paulen
				22,27 km	Paulen bridge (1895, 50,1 m)
				20,56 km	Rugåna bridge (1911, 9,17 m)
				20,41 km	Grovane (1895)
				20,10 km	Grovane saw mill
				20,10 km	Grovene gravel pit
				19,52 km	Bridge over Egelandsaa stream (1895, 2,5 m)
				19,52 km	Egelandsaa
				19,46 km	Underpass (1895, 2,5 m)
				19,35 km	Veråsveien (1934)
				18,10 km	Vennesla (1909)
				17,07 km	Graslia (1926)
				14,08 km	Hunsfoss tunnel II (1895, 35 m)
				13,89 km	Hunsfoss tunnel I (1895, 12 m)
				16,50 km	downfall (1895, 3,8 m)
				16,40 km	Hunsfoss (1927)
				16,10 km	Tjovemoen (1927)
				15,92 km	Hunsfos Fabrikker
				15,58 km	Vigeland Brug
				15,42 km	Vikeland (1895)
				14,84 km	Goli (1927)
				14,58 km	Lunden (1927)
				14,28 km	Nyland (1927)
				14,08 km	Ås tunnel (1895, 70 m)
				13,89 km	Nederste Åbel tunnel (1895, 120 m)
				13,07 km	Kvarstein sideline
				13,07 km	Kvarstein (1898)
				12,71 km	Kvarstein gravel pit sideline
				12,54 km	Ravnåsveien (1927)
				11,92 km	Kvarstein tunnel (1895, 30,1 m)
				11,68 km	Kvarstein bridge (1895, 191,6 m)
				11,32 km	Kvarstein Grinn (1927)
				11,00 km	Øvre Mosby (1937)
				10,75 km	Røistad (1927)
				10,37 km	Høllen (1927)
				10,17 km	Bridge over Høyebekken stream (1895, 9 m)
				9,97 km	Mosby Station (1895)
				9,88 km	Underpass (1895, 3,8 m)
				9,37 km	Mosby tunnel II (1895, 45 m)
				9,18 km	Mosby tunnel I (1895, 80 m)
				9,17 km	Sagbekken bridge (1895, 9,1 m)
				9,02 km	Aukland (1913)
				8,06 km	Underpass (1895, 2,5 m)
				7,40 km	Solsletta (1927)
				7,28 km	Bridge over Storebekk stream (1895, 3 m)
				7,11 km	Strai (1895)
					Kvernvollen
				5,60 km	Strai Cementstøberi (1927)
				4,82 km	Langemyr (1927)
				4,01 km	Dalane (1903)
				3,91 km	Bridge over stream II (1895, 2 m)
				3,48 km	Bridge over stream I (1895, 3 m)
				2,20 km	Krossen (1936)
				1,60 km	Solvang (1927)
				1,60 km	Klappane gravel pit
				1,21 km	Møllespor side track
				1,07 km	Natmansbekken bridge II (1895, 9,2 m)
				1,04 km	Grimsbroen (1936)
				0,44 km	Natmansbekken bridge I (1895, 5,7 m)
				0,00 km	Kristiansand Station (1895)

References

External links

Official site (in Norwegian)
Official YouTube Channel (in English)
Vest-Ager Museum, Setesdal Line (Optional languages)
photos from the Setesdal Line
Google map location

58°17′37″N 7°58′51″E / 58.2936°N 7.9808°E / 58.2936; 7.9808