Krøder Line

Infobox rail line
name = Krøder Line


caption = Loco 236 at Krøderen, 16 July 2006
type = Railway
system =
status = Heritage
start = Vikersund
end = Krøderen
stations = 5
open = 1872
close = 1985
owner =
operator = Norsk Jernbaneklubb
character =
stock =
linelength = convert|26|km|mi
tracklength =
notrack = Single
gauge = RailGauge|sg
el = No
speed =
elevation = |

The Krøder Line ( _no. Krøderbanen) is a 26-km railway connecting Lake Krøder in Buskerud, Norway, to the town of Vikersund. Construction began in 1870 and the line opened two years later. Operated by Norges Statsbaner (NSB) until 1985, when regular railway operations were withdrawn, the Krøderbane is now a heritage railway.

The Krøderbane Foundation ("Stiftelsen Krøderbanen") and the Norwegian Railway Club ("Norsk Jernbaneklubb") now jointly operate steam train services on the line from May to October. As well as the termini at Vikersund and Krøderen there are intermediate stations at Snarum, Sysle, and Kløftefoss.

History

Originally constructed to the narrow gauge of 1067 mm, the line was rebuilt to standard gauge (1435 mm) in 1909. The railway's main traffic and the principal source of its revenue was timber. Opening of the Voss - Gulsvik section of the Bergensbane on 10 June 1908 greatly increased traffic on the line, but this disappeared as soon as the Hønefoss - Oslo section opened in the following year.

Passenger services on the line were withdrawn in 1958, and in 1985 freight traffic too was discontinued. Two years later the Norwegian Parliament resolved to retain the line as a heritage railway and to preserve Krøderen Station as a museum at Krøderen.

At Vikersund there is a junction with the Randsfjordbane while from the station at Krøderen the steamboats "D/S Haakon Adelsten" (built in 1861), "Krøderen", and "Norefjeld" formerly operated to Gulsvik, taking 2½ hours to complete their journey. The last steamboat sailed in 1925.

External links

* [http://www.kroderbanen.museum.no/ Official museum web site] no icon
* [http://www.njk.no/kroderbanen/ NJK site on Krøderbanen] no icon
* [http://norwegen.piranho.de/Buskerud_Krodsherade.htm photos from Krøderbanen]