The Tønsberg–Eidsfoss Line ( Norwegian : Tønsberg–Eidsfossbanen ) or TEB is an abandoned railway between Eidsfoss and Tønsberg in Vestfold county, Norway . In use from 21 October 1901 to 31 May 1938, the private railway connected the area of Hof to Tønsberg, the coast and the Vestfold Line of the Norwegian State Railways . The main purpose of the 48.10-kilometre (29.89 mi) narrow gauge railway was to connect Eidsfos Verk to the mainline, although the railway also operated passenger trains. The line shares 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) with the Holmestrand–Vittingfoss Line (HVB), the two which from 1934 were operated by the same company, Vestfold Privatbaner .
57-397: The Tønsberg–Eidsfoss Line was 48.10 kilometers (29.89 mi) long and ran from Tønsberg to Eidsfoss, entirely in the county of Vestfold. The line was narrow gauge 3 ft 6 in ( 1,067 mm ) and not electrified. The line ran through flat and easy terrain, with no tunnels or cuttings, and only three bridges. The steepest gradient was 16⅔ per mil, the smallest curve radius
114-698: A 3 ft 6 in ( 1,067 mm ) gauge, whereas Vietnam, Malaysia and Thailand have metre-gauge railways . Narrow-gauge trams, particularly metre-gauge, are common in Europe. Non-industrial, narrow-gauge mountain railways are (or were) common in the Rocky Mountains of the United States and the Pacific Cordillera of Canada, Mexico, Switzerland, Bulgaria, the former Yugoslavia , Greece, and Costa Rica. A narrow-gauge railway
171-435: A committee in 1924 to consider the line's future, and two years later it recommended that the line be closed from 29 June 1927. This was followed up by the ministry, who also stated that they intended to cut subsidies from the same date. The railway company's management opposed a closing, stating that the road did not have capacity to take over the line's annual 50,000 passengers and 50,000 tonnes of cargo. They instead proposed
228-502: A cost cut of NOK 20 to 30,000 per year, in part through a reduced frequency, and in part through the closing of Klopp Station and the un-staffing of Barkost, Sundbyfoss and Stubben. This was not sufficient for the Tønsberg Municipal Council, who on 7 April 1927 unanimously voted against an additional year of operation and instead encouraged planning of a road. The issue was discussed again on 20 May and this time
285-425: A curve with standard-gauge rail ( 1435 mm ) can allow speed up to 145 km/h (90 mph), the same curve with narrow-gauge rail ( 1067mm ) can only allow speed up to 130 km/h (81 mph). In Japan and Queensland, recent permanent-way improvements have allowed trains on 3 ft 6 in ( 1,067 mm ) gauge tracks to exceed 160 km/h (99 mph). Queensland Rail 's Electric Tilt Train ,
342-455: A design speed of 137 km/h (85 mph). Curve radius is also important for high speeds: narrow-gauge railways allow sharper curves, but these limit a vehicle's safe speed. Many narrow gauges, from 15 in ( 381 mm ) gauge to 4 ft 8 in ( 1,422 mm ) gauge, are in present or former use. They fall into several broad categories: 4 ft 6 in ( 1,372 mm ) track gauge (also known as Scotch gauge)
399-474: A heavy-duty narrow-gauge line is Brazil's EFVM . 1,000 mm ( 3 ft 3 + 3 ⁄ 8 in ) gauge, it has over-100-pound rail (100 lb/yd or 49.6 kg/m) and a loading gauge almost as large as US non-excess-height lines. The line has a number of 4,000-horsepower (3,000 kW) locomotives and 200-plus-car trains. Narrow gauge's reduced stability means that its trains cannot run at speeds as high as on broader gauges. For example, if
456-561: A leg of a round trip from Oslo to Tønsberg. A third locomotive, Bjørn , was bought from HVB in 1904. TEB also took delivery of fifteen additional freight cars. For the first couple of years the line's finances were good, but by 1908 the company was in financial distress and applied to the Ministry of Labor to cover NOK 200,000 in accumulated debts which were in part caused by smaller reallocation of tracks. Parliament approved NOK 108,500 in debt reduction on 16 July 1912, half through
513-464: A means of shipping the iron. The roads in the area were in poor condition and in the winter horse-drawn sleds were used. Official proposals for a private railway to connect Eidsfoss to the coast were launched in 1893. The idea caught on in Tønsberg, where the business community saw the possibility of getting an edge on the competing towns of Holmestrand and Horten through a railway to the interior. Among
570-503: A mine in Bohemia with a railway of about 2 ft ( 610 mm ) gauge. During the 16th century, railways were primarily restricted to hand-pushed, narrow-gauge lines in mines throughout Europe. In the 17th century, mine railways were extended to provide transportation above ground. These lines were industrial , connecting mines with nearby transportation points (usually canals or other waterways). These railways were usually built to
627-431: A narrow majority supported the closing. On 23 June the management of TEB and HVB agreed to merge the administration of the two companies, under the leadership of HVB's director Heggenhougen. The agreement would allow further cost cutting, as the administration and workshop in Tønsberg could be closed. However, the two lines would continue to be owned and operate by separate companies. Minister of Labor Darre Jensen visited
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#1732793947722684-825: A number of large 3 ft ( 914 mm ) railroad systems in North America; notable examples include the Denver & Rio Grande and Rio Grande Southern in Colorado; the Texas and St. Louis Railway in Texas, Arkansas and Missouri; and, the South Pacific Coast , White Pass and Yukon Route and West Side Lumber Co of California. 3 ft was also a common track gauge in South America, Ireland and on
741-710: A range of industrial railways running on 500 mm ( 19 + 3 ⁄ 4 in ) and 400 mm ( 15 + 3 ⁄ 4 in ) tracks, most commonly in restricted environments such as underground mine railways, parks and farms, in France. Several 18 in ( 457 mm ) gauge railways were built in Britain to serve ammunition depots and other military facilities, particularly during World War I . Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage The Directorate for Cultural Heritage ( Norwegian : Riksantikvaren or Direktoratet for kulturminneforvaltning )
798-507: A rapid growth during the later part of the First World War , with passenger traffic peaking at 71,000 in 1918 and 35,000 tonnes of cargo. After the end of the First World War in 1918 the company experienced a rapid rise in labor and fuel costs, without a corresponding rise in revenue. The original plans for the line had overestimated the amount of cargo that would be shipped, largely because any cargo departing for north of Bagstvold
855-494: A spur to the port until 1980. Proposals for a Vestfold Line arose in the late 1860s and accelerated through the 1870s. The county was split in where the line should run, with three major proposals: along the shore of the Oslofjord , along Eikeren to Eidsfoss and through an inland route to Tønsberg, and via Lågendalen to Larvik . The Eidsfoss alternative allowed the line to run through an area with good access to lumber, which
912-726: Is a government agency responsible for the management of cultural heritage in Norway . Subordinate to the Norwegian Ministry of the Environment , it manages the Cultural Heritage Act of June 9, 1978 . The directorate also has responsibilities under the Norwegian Planning and Building Law. The directorate for Cultural Heritage Management is responsible for management on the national level. At
969-491: Is a track gauge of 1,000 mm ( 3 ft 3 + 3 ⁄ 8 in ). It has about 95,000 km (59,000 mi) of track. According to Italian law, track gauges in Italy were defined from the centre of each rail rather than the inside edges of the rails. This gauge, measured 950 mm ( 3 ft 1 + 3 ⁄ 8 in ) between the edges of the rails, is known as Italian metre gauge . There were
1026-488: Is one where the distance between the inside edges of the rails is less than 1,435 mm ( 4 ft 8 + 1 ⁄ 2 in ). Historically, the term was sometimes used to refer to what are now standard-gauge railways , to distinguish them from broad-gauge railways , but this use no longer applies. The earliest recorded railway appears in Georgius Agricola 's 1556 De re metallica , which shows
1083-1021: The Isle of Man . 900 mm was a common gauge in Europe. Swedish three-foot-gauge railways ( 891 mm or 2 ft 11 + 3 ⁄ 32 in ) are unique to that country and were once common all over the country. Today the only 891 mm line that remains apart from heritage railways is Roslagsbanan , a commuter line that connects Stockholm to its northeastern suburbs. A few railways and tramways were built to 2 ft 9 in ( 838 mm ) gauge, including Nankai Main Line (later converted to 3 ft 6 in or 1,067 mm ), Ocean Pier Railway at Atlantic City , Seaton Tramway ( converted from 2 ft ) and Waiorongomai Tramway . 800 mm ( 2 ft 7 + 1 ⁄ 2 in ) gauge railways are commonly used for rack railways . Imperial 2 ft 6 in ( 762 mm ) gauge railways were generally constructed in
1140-446: The 20-meter (66 ft) Fresti Bridge. The line continued past Klopp Station (12.20 km [7.58 mi]) Ramnes Station (14.50 km [9.01 mi]) before running across the wooden 126-meter (413 ft) Valle Bridge. It then reached Revetal Station (17.00 km [10.56 mi]) and Fossan Station (19.14 km [11.89 mi]) before passed a platform at Bakke (20.00 km [12.43 mi]). Next
1197-587: The 500mm gauge tracks of their mine railway ; these locomotives were made by the Deutz Gas Engine Company ( Gasmotorenfabrik Deutz ), now Deutz AG . Another early use of internal combustion was to power a narrow-gauge locomotive was in 1902. F. C. Blake built a 7 hp petrol locomotive for the Richmond Main Sewerage Board sewage plant at Mortlake . This 2 ft 9 in ( 838 mm ) gauge locomotive
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#17327939477221254-952: The Philippines demonstrate that if track is built to a heavy-duty standard, performance almost as good as a standard-gauge line is possible. Two-hundred-car trains operate on the Sishen–Saldanha railway line in South Africa, and high-speed Tilt Trains run in Queensland. In South Africa and New Zealand, the loading gauge is similar to the restricted British loading gauge; in New Zealand, some British Rail Mark 2 carriages have been rebuilt with new bogies for use by Tranz Scenic (Wellington-Palmerston North service), Tranz Metro (Wellington-Masterton service), and Auckland One Rail (Auckland suburban services). Another example of
1311-705: The Vestfold Line for the return part of the loop. The new Tønsberg Station , shared with the Norwegian State Railways (NSB), was located 1.50 km (0.93 mi) from Stensarmen, but at a different location than the old station. The first station after Jarlsberg Points was Auli (6.00 km [3.73 mi] from Stensarmen), which had the line's lowest elevation north of Tønsberg of 8.4 meters (28 ft) above mean sea level (AMSL). The line continued past Fresti Station (9.70 km [6.03 mi]) and immediately afterwards crossed
1368-527: The application for the construction of the Holmestrand–Vittingfoss Line and approved a grant of NOK 596,000 to TEB. The issue was debated in the plenary on 24 July and there the grant was approved, with forty parliamentarians voting against it. The Cabinet of State officially granted an operating permit on 4 June 1898, which initially had a duration of thirty years. Construction was subcontracted to S. Sørensen, who bid NOK 1,039,400 for
1425-520: The area in October, and concluded that the roads did not have sufficient standard that the railway could be closed. The railway company bought a gasoline multiple unit , allowing for cheaper passenger train operations. An all-time low patronage of 22,000 struck in 1928, before the numbers started increasing, hitting 33,000 in 1930. However, the line continued to lose money and its concessions and operating guarantees were renewed on an annual basis. Closing
1482-920: The coal industry. Some sugar cane lines in Cuba were 2 ft 3 + 1 ⁄ 2 in ( 699 mm ). 2 ft ( 610 mm ) gauge railways were generally constructed in the former British colonies. The U.S. had a number of railways of that gauge , including several in the state of Maine such as the Wiscasset, Waterville and Farmington Railway . 1 ft 11 + 3 ⁄ 4 in ( 603 mm ), 600 mm ( 1 ft 11 + 5 ⁄ 8 in ) and 1 ft 11 + 1 ⁄ 2 in ( 597 mm ) were used in Europe. Gauges below 1 ft 11 + 1 ⁄ 2 in ( 597 mm ) were rare. Arthur Percival Heywood developed 15 in ( 381 mm ) gauge estate railways in Britain and Decauville produced
1539-477: The committee had to negotiate with various local interests which were trying to purchase diversions and spurs through promises of purchasing additional shares. Våle was not willing to buy shares in the railway company, and thus the line was moved in favor of the residents of Ramnes. The railway committee sent an application on 29 February 1896 to the government, which was debated by Parliament's Standing Committee on Railways on 14 July. It simultaneously considered
1596-448: The deficits. At a board meeting held on 26 January 1921, all forty-five employees in TEB were laid off from 1 May. The county governor demanded that the state should take over the line. The issue was discussed by NSB's board, and on 10 March the Ministry of Labor supported the boards motion to not nationalize the line. The issue was resolved on 28 April, when the ministry agreed to subsidize
1653-544: The fastest train in Australia and the fastest 3 ft 6 in ( 1,067 mm ) gauge train in the world, set a record of 210 km/h (130 mph). The speed record for 3 ft 6 in ( 1,067 mm ) narrow-gauge rail is 245 km/h (152 mph), set in South Africa in 1978. A special 2 ft ( 610 mm ) gauge railcar was built for the Otavi Mining and Railway Company with
1710-433: The first NOK 50,000 in deficits and a third of the remainder. The line's debt was refinanced , with NOK 73,928.60 being covered by a loan from the state and the remainder being taken over by the municipalities. In the following years the deficits were gradually reduced, hitting a low NOK 54,175 in 1924. Patronage continued to fall, from 45,000 per year in 1921 to 35,000 in 1926. The steamship service on Eikeren
1767-575: The former British colonies . 760 mm Bosnian gauge and 750 mm railways are predominantly found in Russia and Eastern Europe. Gauges such as 2 ft 3 in ( 686 mm ), 2 ft 4 in ( 711 mm ) and 2 ft 4 + 1 ⁄ 2 in ( 724 mm ) were used in parts of the UK, particularly for railways in Wales and the borders, with some industrial use in
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1824-525: The issue of a prioritized loan and half through the purchase of new shares. It also approved a guarantee for an operating deficit of up to NOK 7,000 per year, while demanding that any further deficits be covered by the municipalities. During the planning of TEB there was discussion about changing the state railway's line through town and building a new station. This would have allowed NSB trains to avoid having to back from Jarlsberg Points. TEB therefore chose to build their station at Knapløkken. Thus Tønsberg
1881-566: The job. The lower cost would normally have resulted in lower state subsidies, but the money was instead permitted to be used to increase the rail weight from 15 to 17.5 kilograms per meter and a wider curve radius. Construction was eased by the flat landscape. Two steam locomotives, named Tønsberg and Eidsfoss , were bought from Baldwin Locomotive Works along with six passenger carriages from Skabo Jernbanevognfabrikk . Eidsfoss Verk built their own forty-eight cargo cars. Tønsberg
1938-1215: The line at Hillestad started in May 1968 and station building at Kleppen was attempted transported up to Hillestad. However, the truck carrying the building had an accident and the building was smashed. The heritage enthusiasm died out. Narrow gauge A narrow-gauge railway ( narrow-gauge railroad in the US) is a railway with a track gauge narrower than 1,435 mm ( 4 ft 8 + 1 ⁄ 2 in ) standard gauge . Most narrow-gauge railways are between 600 mm ( 1 ft 11 + 5 ⁄ 8 in ) and 1,067 mm ( 3 ft 6 in ). Since narrow-gauge railways are usually built with tighter curves , smaller structure gauges , and lighter rails ; they can be less costly to build, equip, and operate than standard- or broad-gauge railways (particularly in mountainous or difficult terrain). Lower-cost narrow-gauge railways are often used in mountainous terrain, where engineering savings can be substantial. Lower-cost narrow-gauge railways are often built to serve industries as well as sparsely populated communities where
1995-558: The line went past Svinevoll Station (21.95 km [13.64 mi]) Baktsvål Station (24.90 km [15.47 mi]), Barkost Station (29.30 km [18.21 mi]) and then Hildestad Station (33.00 km [20.51 mi]), where it was joined by HVB. On the concurrent section the line crossed a creek on the 20-meter (66 ft) Sundbyfoss Bridge and immediately afterwards reached Sundbyfoss Station (36.75 km [22.84 mi]). The concurrency ended at Hof Station (39.00 km [24.23 mi]), which
2052-545: The railway would aid export. The main disadvantage was that the route was 20 kilometers (12 mi) longer than via the coast. The issue was not resolved until Parliament on 8 June 1875 voted in favor of a coastal route. The narrow gauge Vestfold Line, at the time named the Jarlsberg Line, opened in 1881. Among the strongest interests in building an interior railway through Vestfold was Schwartz, owner of Eidsfos Verk . The iron works needed supplies of coal and ore and
2109-458: The regional level the county municipalities are responsible for the management in their county. The Sami Parliament is responsible for management of Sámi heritage. On the island of Svalbard the Governor of Svalbard has management responsibilities. For archaeological excavations there are five chartered archeological museums. The work with cultural heritage started in the early 1900s, and
2166-635: The route can be driven by car. The station building in Eidsfoss was demolished in the 1960s, but the stone depot remains. South of Hillestad, large parts of the line went over agricultural land, and these portions have been reclaimed as such. The engine shed at Eidsfoss Station is preserved and has been listed by the Directorate for Cultural Heritage . The section of the Tønsberg–Eidsfoss Line between Tønsberg Station and Stensarmen remained used as
2223-550: The same narrow gauge as the mine railways from which they developed. The world's first steam locomotive , built in 1802 by Richard Trevithick for the Coalbrookdale Company, ran on a 3 ft ( 914 mm ) plateway . The first commercially successful steam locomotive was Matthew Murray 's Salamanca built in 1812 for the 4 ft 1 in ( 1,245 mm ) Middleton Railway in Leeds . Salamanca
2280-402: The stoutest proponents with Lars Christensen and took initiative to establish a committee. It hired Ole Lund to conduct surveys of a potential line. He concluded that a railway would cost 1.3 million Norwegian krone (NOK), and provide an operating profit of NOK 26,210 per year. In a common meeting between the municipal council and the chamber of commerce in Tønsberg on 16 April 1894, there
2337-475: The traffic potential would not justify the cost of a standard- or broad-gauge line. Narrow-gauge railways have specialised use in mines and other environments where a small structure gauge necessitates a small loading gauge . In some countries, narrow gauge is the standard: Japan, Indonesia, Taiwan, New Zealand, South Africa, and the Australian states of Queensland , Western Australia and Tasmania have
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2394-565: The world; 19th-century mountain logging operations often used narrow-gauge railways to transport logs from mill to market. Significant sugarcane railways still operate in Cuba, Fiji, Java, the Philippines, and Queensland, and narrow-gauge railway equipment remains in common use for building tunnels. In 1897, a manganese mine in the Lahn valley in Germany was using two benzine -fueled locomotives with single cylinder internal combustion engines on
2451-421: Was 150 meters (490 ft). At Tønsberg the line interchanged with the Vestfold Line, and along the 6-kilometer (3.7 mi) section from Hillestad to Hof the line shared track with the Holmestrand–Vittingfoss Line. TEB had eighteen stations. At Eidsfoss it corresponded with steamship services on the lake Eikeren . In the original track configuration in Tønsberg, the line started at the post at Stensarmen, which
2508-525: Was adopted by early 19th-century railways, primarily in the Lanarkshire area of Scotland. 4 ft 6 + 1 ⁄ 2 in ( 1,384 mm ) lines were also constructed, and both were eventually converted to standard gauge. 1,067 mm ( 3 ft 6 in ) between the inside of the rail heads, its name and classification vary worldwide and it has about 112,000 kilometres (70,000 mi) of track. As its name implies, metre gauge
2565-563: Was also the first rack-and-pinion locomotive. During the 1820s and 1830s, a number of industrial narrow-gauge railways in the United Kingdom used steam locomotives. In 1842, the first narrow-gauge steam locomotive outside the UK was built for the 1,100 mm ( 3 ft 7 + 5 ⁄ 16 in )-gauge Antwerp-Ghent Railway in Belgium. The first use of steam locomotives on a public, passenger-carrying narrow-gauge railway
2622-451: Was at the time intact with a full inventory, including such items as a complete storage of unused tickets. Several of the railway carriages were identified, most of them used as cabins. One person offered to donate two carriages, with original interior and coloring, but after a building permit was rejected he instead chose to burn them down. A representative traveled to Sweden, where he was able to purchase narrow-gauge rolling stock. Clearing of
2679-451: Was delivered in April 1899 and Eidsfoss in May and both participated in the construction work. The line was officially opened by Jørgen Løvland on 18 October 1901, with regular services commencing on 21 October. At Eidsfoss the line corresponded with a steamship on Eikern. At first it was served by Ekern and from 1903 Stadthauptmand Schwartz . TEB proved popular with tourists as part of
2736-455: Was discussed by NSB in 1931 and again in 1932. The company proposed a reduction in wages, and on 6 October 1933 all employees were laid off. The result was that TEB and HVB merged to form Vestfold Privatbaner, effective 1 July 1934. Norsk Privatebane Historisk Selskap was established in 1967 with the intention of establishing a heritage railway . It first attempted to establish itself at Kopstad Station, but instead settled for Kleppen Station. It
2793-560: Was in 1865, when the Ffestiniog Railway introduced passenger service after receiving its first locomotives two years earlier. Many narrow-gauge railways were part of industrial enterprises and served primarily as industrial railways , rather than general carriers. Common uses for these industrial narrow-gauge railways included mining, logging, construction, tunnelling, quarrying, and conveying agricultural products. Extensive narrow-gauge networks were constructed in many parts of
2850-451: Was large support for a railway to Eidsfoss. They decided to build the railway as cheaply and simply as possible. The municipal council obliged itself to purchase shares worth NOK 400,000 and the sales of the remaining shares started immediately. For municipalities through which the line would run, there was varying degree of support, with for instance Ramnes and Fon demanding that the line serve additional hamlets. This caused delays, as
2907-406: Was located 1.50 km (0.93 mi) from Tønsberg Station. The continued to Jarlsberg Points (3.24 km [2.01 mi]), where there was an intersection with the Vestfold Line. From 1915 the track arrangements in Tønsberg were altered and the Vestfold Line was placed in a loop through the town. The last part of the section to Stemsarmen became a spur of this loop, with TEB sharing track with
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#17327939477222964-592: Was probably the third petrol-engined locomotive built. Extensive narrow-gauge rail systems served the front-line trenches of both sides in World War I . They were a short-lived military application, and after the war the surplus equipment created a small boom in European narrow-gauge railway building. The heavy-duty 3 ft 6 in ( 1,067 mm ) narrow-gauge railways in Australia (Queensland), New Zealand, South Africa, Japan, Taiwan, Indonesia and
3021-455: Was sent via HVB to Holmestrand instead of the longer route via TEB. As NSB had lower freight rates, shippers would often send cargo via HVB even if it was going to Tønsberg or further south in Vestfold. The only significant source of revenue along the segment were the wide cars from Eidsfoss Verk, which were hindered by the loading gauge of the tunnel on HVB. By the 1920s the railway company
3078-602: Was served by four stations. NSB therefore decided that it would build the Vestfold Line through Tønsberg in a loop, build a new, common station for TEB and NSB, and align the Vestfold Line out of Tønsberg next to TEB. The new line was taken into use on 1 October 1915 and the new station was completed in 1916. Passenger traffic was fairly stable for the first years, at between 55,000 and 65,000 annual passengers. An exception occurred in 1907, when only 43,000 people were transported. Cargo transport rose gradually passing 20,000 tonnes per year in 1903 and 30,000 in 1908. The line experienced
3135-453: Was struggling financially, starting off with a deficit of NOK 144,287 in 1920, which was largely paid for by Tønsberg Municipality. The municipality stated that it did not want to act as guarantor anymore, and implied that the state should cover the bill. This caused Tønsberg Sparebank to cut the railway company's access to credit. On the other hand, the municipalities of Hof and Ramnes both stated that they were willing to continue covering
3192-409: Was terminated in 1925, causing a significant decrease in the traffic, a year the line had a record-low passenger and cargo transport. A contributing factor was that alternative modes of transport, such as cars and bicycles became more popular. Tønsberg Municipality had by 1926 covered an accumulated NOK 407,254 in deficits. Further decreases in the freight traffic caused the municipality to establish
3249-450: Was the highest station at 68.2 meters (224 ft) AMSL. TEB continued down to Kopstad Station (42.20 km [26.22 mi]), past a spur to Hoff Sag & Høvleri, past Stubben Station (45.40 km [28.21 mi]) to Eidsfoss Station (48.10 km [29.89 mi]). North of Hillestad, most of the right-of-way has been retained, some of it as forestry roads, while other parts have grown wild. From Hof to Eidsfoss,
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