Urskog–Høland Line
| Urskog–Høland Line | |
|---|---|
| Norwegian: Urskog–Hølandsbanen | |
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| Loco No. 7 Prydz with a mixed train on the Urskog–Hølandsbanen, 18 July 2006 | |
| Commercial operations | |
| Original gauge | 750 mm (2 ft 5 1⁄2 in) |
| Preserved operations | |
| Preserved gauge | 750 mm (2 ft 5 1⁄2 in) |
| Commercial history | |
| Opened | 1896 |
| Closed | 1961 |
| Preservation history | |
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The Urskog–Høland Line (Norwegian: Urskog–Hølandsbanen), also known as Tertitten, is a narrow gauge railway between Sørumsand and Skulerud in Norway.
The original line was 57 kilometres (35 mi) long and was built in three stages: Urskogbanen opened in 1896, running from Bingsfossen to Bjørkelangen; Hølandsbanen from Bjørkelangen to Skulerud opened in 1898 and finally the line between Bingsfos and Sørumsand in 1903. Today part of the line is preserved as a museum at Sørumsand in Sørum kommune. The railway company was headquartered at Bjørkelangen. The line was built in the least expensive way as a so-called tertiary railway with a 750 mm (2 ft 5 1⁄2 in) gauge track. This gave the line its diminutive, affectionate nickname, "Tertitten". The railway was run as a privately owned joint stock company until 1945 when it was bought by the government and run by the Norwegian State Railways (NSB) under the name Aurskog-Hølandbanen.
The basis for the railway lay mostly in forest and agriculture products. Lumber was transported to Skulreud and from there it was rafted to Halden. At one time a tour billed as "The Great Roundtrip" was a popular tourist attraction, combining the train ride with a boat ride on the steam ship "DS Turisten" which trafficked the Halden Canal.
A cooperative consisting of volunteers was established in 1961 with the aim of securing the line for posterity. A 3-kilometer track at Sørumsand was given to the group along with two steam locomotives and some other stock. The first run as a heritage railway was undertaken in 1966. This stretch had no buildings or side tracks, and all facilities which meet the present-day visitor was built after becoming a heritage railway. Three of the steam locomotives and two passenger carriages were restored.
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Wikipedia