North Friesland Railway

North Friesland Railway

Legend <- To Leeuwarden Harlingen 39km (H. Haven 40km) Anjum 47km Morra-Lioessens 45km Metslawier 42km Wetsens 40km Dokkum-Aalsum 37km Hantum 32km Ternaard 30km Holwerd 26km Blije 22km Ferwerd 20km Hallum-Westernijkerk 18km Hallum 15km Hijum 13km Finkum 11km Koetille 38km Midlum-Herbaijum 36km Wijnaldum 35km Sexbierum-Pietersbierum 32km Oosterbierum 30km Franeker 34km Dongjum 31km Tzummarum 27km Firdgum 26km Minnertsga 24km Berlikum 28km Mooie Paal St. Jacobiparochie 21km Koudeweg 19km Langhuisterweg 16km St. Annaparochie 17km Vrouwenparochie 14km Vrouwbuurtstermolen 13km To Harlingen Stiens 9km Britsum 8km Cornjum 7km Jelsum 5km Leeuwarden Rijksweg 3km Leeuwarden. To Groningen -> <- To Harlingen & IJlst. to Utrecht

The North Friesland Railway was a railway serving the sparsely populated north of the Dutch province of Friesland. It was operated by the North Friesland Local Railway Company (Dutch: Noord Friesche Locaalspoorweg-Maatschappij (NFLS)). It was what would be known in the UK as a light railway. The line was built to standard gauge and was about 91 kilometres (57 mi) in length.

History

The NFLS had a network of lines in north Friesland. The lines opened in stages:-

• Leeuwarden - Ferwerd opened on April 22, 1901.
• Ferwerd - Metslawier opened on October 2, 1901.
• Stiens - Tzummarum opened on December 2, 1902.
• Tzummarum - Franeker Halte on October 1, 1903.
• Tzummarum - Midlum-Herbaijum on October 1, 1903.
• Midlum-Herbaijum - Harlingen on May 2, 1904.
• St. Jacobiparochie - Berlikum (freight only) in the 1900s.^[1]
• Metslawier - Anjum on August 24, 1913.

Wetsens station closed in May 1902, less than eight months after opening.^[2] On December 1, 1905, the NFLS was taken over by the Hollandsche IJzeren Spoorweg-Maatschappij (HSM), which itself was nationalised on December 1, 1938, becoming part of Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS).

Locomotives

The NFLS had a fleet of 10 2-4-2T locomotives, numbered 1-10. They became HSM 1051-60 and NS 7101-10. The locos cost f23,300 each and were built by Maschinenfabrik Hohenzollern.^[3][4]

Carriages

The NFLS had the following passenger stock, all built by Nederlandsche Fabriek van Werktuigen & Spoorwegmaterieel, Amsterdam:-^[3]

• 10 four wheel carriages, 2nd class. NFLS B1-10, HSM B1060-69 and NS B1071-80.
• 25 four wheel carriages, 3rd class. NFLS C1-25, HSM C1072-96 and NS C1146-70.
• 2 four wheel brake carriages, 2nd class. NFLS BDL1-2, HSM BDP1070-71 and NS 1001-02.
• 3 four wheel brake carriages for post and baggage, NFLS LD1-3, HSM DP3003-05 and NS PD1026-28.

Freight wagons

The NFLS had the following freight stock:-^[3]

• 2 vans. NFLS DE1-2, HSM DP3001-02 and NS D2261-62.
• 9 vans with brakesman's cab. NFLS CHG1-9, HSM 11950-58 and NS CHC3236-44.
• 2 vans with steam heating. NFLS CHFF52-52, HSM 11959-60 and NS CHC3561-62
• 4 open wagons with brakesman's cab. NFLS CL201-04, HSM 29960-73 and NS GL43661-64.
• 16 open wagons. NFLS CL301-16, HSM 29974-89 and NS GL41816-31.
• 2 vans with brakesman's hut. NFLS FO601-02, HSM 5490-91 and NS FB70774-75
• 8 vans. NFLS FO651-58, HSM 5492-99 and NS FB70571-78.
• 3 water tanks, 1 x 5,200 litres (1,100 imp gal) and 2 x 6,500 litres (1,400 imp gal) capacity. NFLS WW1-3, HSM 4197-99 to 1911 then 4142-44 and NS 158059, 158056-57
• 1 ballast wagon, NFLS 1 and HSM 13646.

The stock was all built by Nederlandsche Fabriek van Werktuigen & Spoorwegmaterieel, Amsterdam except for the two 6,500 litre water tanks, which were built by Nivelles in 1896, and thus acquired second hand.^[3]

Closures

The lines were closed in stages, with some short term reopenings taking place during the Second World War.

• Tzummarum - Franeker Halte closed on October 8, 1933, track lifted.
• Tzummarum - Harlingen closed to passengers May 15, 1935.
• Dokkum-Aalsum - Anjum closed to passengers May 15, 1935.
• Stiens - Tzummarum closed to passengers May 15, 1936.
• Leeuwarden - Dokkum-Aalsum closed to passengers July 1, 1936.
• Midlum-Herbaijum - Harlingen closed January 11, 1938, track lifted.
• Leeuwarden - Dokkum-Aalsum reopened to passengers May 28, 1940.
• Stiens - Tzummarum reopened to passengers May 28, 1940.
• Leeuwarden - Dokkum-Aalsum closed to passenger December 1, 1940
• Dokkum-Aalsum - Anjum closed July 27, 1942.^[5]
• Stiens - Tzummarum closed to passengers October 30, 1942.
• Tzummarum - Midlum-Herbaijum closed December 7, 1961, track lifted.
• Minnertsga - Tzummarum closed May 4, 1966, track lifted.
• Mooie Paal - Berlikum closed September 27, 1971, track lifted.
• Stiens - Minnertsga closed 1973.
• Holwerd - Dokkum Aalsum closed 1975.
• Stiens - Holwerd closed 1978.
• Stiens - Dokkum-Aalsum track lifted 1980.
• Stiens - Minnertsga track lifted 1980.
• Leeuwarden - Stiens closed 1997.
• Leeuwarden - Stiens track lifted 2006. (within station perimeter Leeuwarden)

Stations

Leeuwarden - Anjum line

All distances are from Leeuwarden station.

• Leeuwarden 0 km (0 mi)
• Leeuwarden Rijksweg 3 km (1.9 mi)

Leeuwarden Rijksweg (or Halte) station was demolished in 1970^[6]

• Jelsum 5 km (3.1 mi)

Jelsum station was demolished in 1944.^[6]

• Cornjum 7 km (4.3 mi)
• Britsum 8 km (5.0 mi)

Stiens.

• Stiens 9 km (5.6 mi)
• Finkum 11 km (6.8 mi)

Finkum station was demolished by 1970^[6]

• Hijum 13 km (8.1 mi)
• Hallum 15 km (9.3 mi)

Hallum station was demolished in 1970^[6]

Marrum-Westernijkerk.

• Marrum-Westenijkerk 18 km (11 mi)
• Ferwerd 20 km (12 mi)

Ferwerd station was demolished in 1974^[6]

• Blija 22 km (14 mi)
• Holwerd 26 km (16 mi)
• Ternaard 30 km (19 mi)
• Hantum 32 km (20 mi)

Hantum station was demolished by 1960.^[6]

• Dokkum-Aalsum 37 km (23 mi)

Dokkum-Aalsum station was demolished in 1974.^[6]

• Wetsens 40 km (25 mi)

Wetsens station closed in May 1902.^[2]

• Metslawier 42 km (26 mi)
• Morra-Lioessens 45 km (28 mi)
• Anjum 47 km (29 mi)

Stiens - Harlingen line

• Vrouwbuurtstermolen 13km
• Vrouwenparochie 14km (Vrouwenparochie station was demolished in 2002).^[6]
• Langhuisterweg 16km
• St. Annaparochie 17km
• Koudeweg 19km
• St. Jacobiparochie 21km (St. Jabobiparochie station was demolished by 1960).^[6]
• Minnertsga 24km
• Firdgum 26km
• Tzummarum 27km
• Oosterbierum 30km

Oosterbierum station was demolished by 1980.^[6]

• Sexbierum-Pieterbierum 32km
• Wijnaldum 35km
• Midlum-Herbaijum 36km
• Koetille 38km
• Harlingen 39km.

St. Jacobiparochie - Berlikum line

• Berlikum

Tzummarum - Franeker line

• Dongjum 31km
• Franeker Halte 34km

Accidents

On June 12, 1927, NS locomotive 7124 derailed near Holwerd and ended up on its side in a dike. The locomotive was recovered on June 23 and returned to service after repairs were made.^[7]

See also

• Spoorlijn Leeuwarden - Anjum (Dokkumer Lokaaltje) (Dutch)
• Noord-Friesche Locaalspoorweg-Maatschappij (Dutch)
• Spoorlijn Stiens - Harlingen (Dutch)
• Spoorlijn Tzummarum - Franeker (Dutch)

Information contained in the above articles has been used in compiling this article.

• Spoar fan Ljouwert nei Eanjum (West Frisian)

References

1. ^ Stationsweb.nl (Dutch)
2. ^ ^{a b} Stationsweb.nl (Dutch)
3. ^ ^{a b c d} Wanadoo.nl (Dutch)
4. ^ Wanadoo.nl(Dutch)
5. ^ Hetnet.nl(Dutch)
6. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j} NFLS stations article on Dutch Wikipedia (Dutch)^{[unreliable source?]}
7. ^ Wanadoo.nl (Dutch)

External links

• Stationsweb.nl Railway stations in Friesland (Dutch)