Setesdal Line
Norwegian: Setesdalsbanen
Veteran train on the Setesdal Line, 23 July 2003. The train is driving onto the Paulen bridge.
Terminus	Grovane Røyknes
Commercial operations
Built by	Norwegian State Railways
Original gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Original electrification	None
Preserved operations
Owned by	Setesdal Line
Operated by	Setesdal Line
Stations	Kristiansand Station - Byglandsfjord Station (original) Grovane Station - Røyknes Station (heritage)
Length	78 km (48 mi) (original) 8 km (5 mi) (heritage)
Preserved gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Commercial history
Opened	26 November 1895
Closed	1 September 1962
Website
setesdalsbanen.no

The Setesdal Line (Norwegian: Setesdalsbanen) was a railway between Kristiansand and Byglandsfjord in southern Norway, 78 km (48 mi) long. It was built with a narrow gauge of 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in), and opened to Hægeland 26 November 1895, and to Byglandsfjord 27 November 1896. Stations along the line included Mosby, Vennesla, Grovene (Grovane), Iveland and Hægeland.

Today, only the stretch between Grovane and Røyknes of the original line is preserved as a heritage railway.

History

When the standard gauged Sørlandet Line was opened to Kristiansand in 1938, Grovane became the new terminal station for the Setesdal Line, with connection to the Sørlandet Line.

The Setesdal Line was suspended from 1 September 1962, and the track was lifted between Byglandsfjord and Beihølen. The 6 km (3.7 mi) line between Beihølen and Grovane was, however, preserved by local enthusiasts. The Setesdal Line Hobby Club was already established in 1964.

Today, the Setesdal Line is a railway museum with steam trains serving the 8 km (5.0 mi) line between Grovane and Røyknes. Four steam locomotives from 1894-1902 are preserved, along with a number of passenger and freight cars.

The preserved locomotives

Narrow gauge steam locomotives

NSB Class XXI number 1

• Class XXI number 1, built at Dübs and Company in 1894.
• Class XXI number 2, built at Dübs and Company in 1894.
• Class XXI number 5, built at Thunes Mekaniske Værksted in 1901.
• Class XXII number 6, built at Thunes Mekaniske Værksted in 1902.

Heritage railway stations and stops

Grovane Station

Røyknes Station

The following stations and stops exist at the current railway museum:

Setesdal Line 1896 - 1938

Connection with steamboat on Lake Byglandsfjorden from Byglandsfjord Station. The railway line was closed in 1962, but parts of the railroad have been preserved. It is a current narrow-gauge heritage railroad between Røyknes and Grovane and the current standard gauged track from Grovane Station to Kristiansand Station is a part of the current Sørlandet Line. Several of the station buildings along the former railroad are still preserved. Rail passengers had to change trains at Grovane Station from 1938 to 1962 due to different track widths, narrow-gauge to normal gauge.

Route

The Setesdal Line 1896 - 1938

78,33 km Byglandsfjord Station (1896) 78,20 km Byglandsfjord dampsag side track Agder kjøpelag side track 77,36 km Vassenden bridge (1920, 4,5 m) 76,90 km Vassenden (1930) 75,76 km Standarfossen side track 75,52 km Reguleringsdammen 74,06 km Side track for Germans during WWII 73,91 km Syrtveit 73,90 km Syrtveit (1896) 71,35 km Follestø (1933) 70,32 km Stenbekken bridge (1923, 4 m) 68,71 km Flatebygd (1914) 68,22 km Odåen bridge (1896, 4 m) 67,93 km Side track 66,93 km Evje (1896) 66,36 km A/S Evje Raffineringsverk side track 65,66 km Fosvik gravel pit 65,00 km Evjemoen (1928) 65,00 km Evjemoen military side track 63,70 km Bjoråveien (1930) 62,94 km Hornnes bridge (1896, 137,5 m) 62,59 km Hornnes (1896) 61,71 km Voile bridge (1896, 17 m) 59,90 km Hestvåg (1930) 59,57 km Hestvåg side track 57,59 km Hanås (1928) 56,59 km Hanåsbekken bridge (1896, 4 m) 56,21 km Moisund saw mill 56,10 km Moibekken bridge (1896, 4 m) 55,82 km Moisund (1896) 54,20 km Slettefett (1932) 53,10 km Hornekilen bridge (1895, 20 m) 52,22 km Hornesund (1896) 50,95 km Errekilen bridge (1895, 18,8 m) 49,37 km Hornskilen bridge (1929, 9,2 m) 49,35 km Eldsneset (1928) 47,88 km Horsnkilen downfall (1895, 5 m) 47,23 km Kiledalen (1928) 45,82 km Kiledalsbekken bridge (1918, 6,3 m) 43,97 km Hægeland (1895) 43,97 km Kile gravel pit 43,26 km Hægeland bridge (1911, 19 m) 40,70 km Øvre Gåseflå (1930) Bridge (1895, 2,5 m) 39,11 km Gåseflå (1895) 38,96 km Gåseflå tunnel II (1895, 9,2 m) 38,91 km Gåseflå tunnel I (1895, 25,4 m) 38,70 km Nedre Gåseflå 37,00 km Slemdal tunnel (1895, 86,4 m) 36,81 km Homevassevja tunnel (1895, 83,6 m) 34,50 km Iveland (1895) 32,83 km Beinestvedt 32,76 km Beinestvedtkilen bridge (1920, 5 m) 32,60 km Beinestvedt tunnel (1920, 25 m) 29,90 km Nomeland tunnel (1920, 207 m) 29,78 km Nomeland (1928) 29,78 km Nomeland nye 29,12 km Røyknes tunnel II (1920, 40 m) 28,93 km Røyknes tunnel I (1920, 80 m) 28,58 km Nomeland sideline 28,52 km Langåen bridge (1911, 8 m) 28,38 km Røyknes (1895) 26,89 km Otterdals sideline 24,90 km Løyning tunnel (1895, 123 m) 23,32 km Kringsjå 1930 23,10 km Paulen 22,27 km Paulen bridge (1895, 50,1 m) 20,56 km Rugåna bridge (1911, 9,17 m) 20,41 km Grovane (1895) 20,10 km Grovane saw mill 20,10 km Grovene gravel pit 19,52 km Bridge over Egelandsaa stream (1895, 2,5 m) 19,52 km Egelandsaa 19,46 km Underpass (1895, 2,5 m) 19,35 km Veråsveien (1934) 18,10 km Vennesla (1909) 17,07 km Graslia (1926) 14,08 km Hunsfoss tunnel II (1895, 35 m) 13,89 km Hunsfoss tunnel I (1895, 12 m) 16,50 km downfall (1895, 3,8 m) 16,40 km Hunsfoss (1927) 16,10 km Tjovemoen (1927) 15,92 km Hunsfos Fabrikker 15,58 km Vigeland Brug 15,42 km Vikeland (1895) 14,84 km Goli (1927) 14,58 km Lunden (1927) 14,28 km Nyland (1927) 14,08 km Ås tunnel (1895, 70 m) 13,89 km Nederste Åbel tunnel (1895, 120 m) 13,07 km Kvarstein sideline 13,07 km Kvarstein (1898) 12,71 km Kvarstein gravel pit sideline 12,54 km Ravnåsveien (1927) 11,92 km Kvarstein tunnel (1895, 30,1 m) 11,68 km Kvarstein bridge (1895, 191,6 m) 11,32 km Kvarstein Grinn (1927) 11,00 km Øvre Mosby (1937) 10,75 km Røistad (1927) 10,37 km Høllen (1927) 10,17 km Bridge over Høyebekken stream (1895, 9 m) 9,97 km Mosby Station (1895) 9,88 km Underpass (1895, 3,8 m) 9,37 km Mosby tunnel II (1895, 45 m) 9,18 km Mosby tunnel I (1895, 80 m) 9,17 km Sagbekken bridge (1895, 9,1 m) 9,02 km Aukland (1913) 8,06 km Underpass (1895, 2,5 m) 7,40 km Solsletta (1927) 7,28 km Bridge over Storebekk stream (1895, 3 m) 7,11 km Strai (1895) Kvernvollen 5,60 km Strai Cementstøberi (1927) 4,82 km Langemyr (1927) 4,01 km Dalane (1903) 3,91 km Bridge over stream II (1895, 2 m) 3,48 km Bridge over stream I (1895, 3 m) 2,20 km Krossen (1936) 1,60 km Solvang (1927) 1,60 km Klappane gravel pit 1,21 km Møllespor side track 1,07 km Natmansbekken bridge II (1895, 9,2 m) 1,04 km Grimsbroen (1936) 0,44 km Natmansbekken bridge I (1895, 5,7 m) 0,00 km Kristiansand Station (1895)

See also

• Lars Lysgaard
• Narrow gauge railways in Norway

References

External links

• Official site (in Norwegian)
• Official YouTube Channel (in English)
• Vest-Ager Museum, Setesdal Line (Optional languages)
• photos from the Setesdal Line
• Google map location

58°17′37″N 7°58′51″E / 58.2936°N 7.9808°E / 58.2936; 7.9808