Urskog–Høland Line

Urskog–Høland Line
Loco No. 7 Prydz with a mixed train on the Urskog–Hølandsbanen, 18 July 2006
Overview
Type	Railway
System	Norwegian railway
Status	Heritage
Termini	Sørumsand Skulerud
Operation
Opened	1896
Closed	1961
Owner	Norwegian State Railways (pre heritage)
Operator(s)	Norwegian State Railways (pre heritage) Stiftelsen Urskog-Hølandsbanen
Technical
Line length	57 km (35 mi)
Number of tracks	1
Track gauge	750 mm (2 ft 5 1⁄2 in)
Electrification	No

Skulerud Station on May 27, 1907

The Urskog–Høland Line (Norwegian: Urskog–Hølandsbanen), also known as Tertitten, is a narrow gauge railway between Sørumsand and Skulerud in Norway.

History

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.

The restoration

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.

When the heritage railway was established the terminus was just outside the town center of Sørumsand, with the track leading to the station building already having been removed. In 1987 the line had been extended and the first train could depart from the town center again. After another two years the entire operation, including station building, was finished, and the extended track was officially inaugurated. The entire complex is protected by law. The Urskog–Høland Line is now a foundation, "Venneforeningen Tertitten".

Locomotives

Urskog-Hølandsbanen
Sørumsand Bingsfoss Kongsvingerbanen Fossum Kvevli Ørken Mork Kjellingmo Finstadbru Aurskog Toverud Lierfoss Liermoen Bjørkelangen Furulund Hornåseng Brangerud Fosser Løken Olbergveien Hjellebøl Hemnes Slora Elverum bru Skulerud

Bjørkelangen Station

No.2 "Urskog" and Killingmo Station at the Norwegian Railway Museum

Steam

Diesel

Rolling stock

Passenger

Freight

See also

• Narrow gauge railways in Norway

External links

• photos from Urskog-Hølandsbanen
• (Norwegian) Urskog-Høland Line Homepage
• (Norwegian) Venneforeningen Tertitten