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.

Setesdal Line
Norwegian: Setesdalsbanen
Veteran train on the Setesdal Line, 23 July 2003. The train is driving onto the Paulen bridge.
TerminusGrovane Røyknes
Commercial operations
Built byNorwegian State Railways
Original gauge1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Original electrificationNone
Preserved operations
Owned bySetesdal Line
Operated bySetesdal Line
StationsKristiansand Station - Byglandsfjord Station (original)
Grovane Station - Røyknes Station (heritage)
Length78 km (48 mi) (original)
8 km (5 mi) (heritage)
Preserved gauge1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Commercial history
Opened26 November 1895
Closed1 September 1962
Website
setesdalsbanen.no

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

History

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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

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Narrow gauge steam locomotives

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NSB Class XXI number 1

Narrow gauge diesel locomotives

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Narrow gauge railcars

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Standard gauge diesel locomotives

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These locomotives are only used for shunting at areas with dual gauge track.

Heritage railway stations and stops

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Grovane Station
 
Røyknes Station

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

Name Type Distance from Oslo V (km) Length (m)
Grovane Station 345.25
Rugåna Steel bridge 345.40 13.6
Store bu Siding 345.69
Grovane Stop 345.80
Grovane Level crossing 345.87
Paulen Truss bridge 347.13 50.1
Paulen Stop 347.59
Paulen gård Stop 347.76
Kringsjå Stop 348.17
Løyning Tunnel 349.74 123
Beihølen dam Stop 350.53
Beihøldalen Station 350.97
Otterdals Siding 351.79
Røyknes Station 353.22
Langåen Steel bridge 353.37 9.32

Setesdal Line 1896 - 1938

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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

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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

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References

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