Mönsterås – Växjö railway line

Mönsterås – Växjö
Mönsterås train station
Route number :	877
Route length:	68.9 km (1920), today: 20 km
Gauge :	Fagerhult – Mönsterås: 891 mm. Sandbäckshult – Mönsterås bruk: 1435 mm
Maximum slope :	Narrow gauge: 16  ‰
Minimum radius :	Narrow gauge: 200 m
Top speed:	Narrow gauge: 40 km / h Standard gauge: Bandel 877: Mönsterås– (Blomstermåla): 70 km / h
Operating points and routes
Legend 20th Mönsterås bruk (from 1958) 12 0 Mönsterås 10 2 Stubbemåla Norrbacken 4 8 Tålebo from Kalmar Blomstermåla 0 12 Sandbäckshult after Hultsfred Kronobäck Bakebo 24 Abbetorp 31 Vackerslätt 34 Knivingaryd Sandslätt 39 Alsterbro Ruda – Älghult railway line from Ruda 44 Skoghult Railway Ruda – Älghult to Ålghult 46 Fröskelås 49 Kråksmåla 55 Flatehult 59 Grönskåra Björkedal 65 Kianas 70 Fagerhult previously planned route Vaxjo

From the Swedish Mönsterås – Växjö railway line, there is only a 20-kilometer freight train line between Sandbäckshult and Mönsterås bruk. The line was originally planned and built by Mönsterås – Åseda Järnvägsaktiebolag (MÅJ) .

history

Mönsterås , which became an independent municipality on December 5, 1862, wanted, like many other municipalities at that time, to improve their transport connections. In 1892 a project was started to build a railway with a gauge of 600 mm between Mönsterås and Målerås. The license was applied for on November 10, 1893, but not granted. The main reason for this was that this gauge was not considered suitable for the future. In 1897 planning was resumed, this time like the Kalmar – Berga Järnväg with a track width of 891 mm, and on October 23, 1897 another license was applied for. The plans provided for a connection from Mönsterås to both Växjö (with a change in Åseda to the existing route between Åseda and Växjö) and Kalmar (with a change in Sandbäckshult to the Kalmar-Berga route) to build.

Mönsterås – Åseda Järnvägsaktiebolag

The concession was granted on March 10, 1899 with conditions: track construction should begin on September 1, 1899 and the line should be opened on March 1, 1903. On May 17, 1900, Mönsterås – Åseda Järnvägsaktiebolag was founded, which took over the financing of the construction. A tank locomotive with a 1'C wheel arrangement ( Kristinehamns Mekaniska Verkstad 1876 ) from Hjo – Stenstorps Järnväg was procured for the construction in 1901 . On October 17, 1902, the first section between Mönsterås and Sandbäckshult was put into operation. In the run-up to this, Vagn- & Maskinfabriksaktiebolaget Falun rented ten gravel wagons in autumn 1901 and two tank locomotives with the C 1 'wheel arrangement, which were designated with the numbers 1 and 2, in early 1902. This was followed by four two-axle passenger cars , two bogie cars and 50 freight cars .

The extension of the line between Mönsterås and Kråksmåla was stopped on November 11, 1903 due to financial difficulties. The Falun machine shop asked for their vehicles back because the agreed rent had not been paid. The handover of the vehicles was bridged by renting a steam locomotive, a baggage car and two passenger coaches from Kalmar läns Östra järnvägsaktiebolag (KBJ). A sale of the route to the KBJ was discussed. However, bankruptcy could be averted through negotiations. On April 16, 1904, a new board was elected. It was proposed to split the concession between the Mönsterås – Alsterbro and Alsterbro – Åseda sections. On July 11, 1904, two banks and the municipality of Mönsterås took over guarantees for the section to Alsterbro, and on July 31, construction work resumed.

bankruptcy

Although not all of the work was finished, the 27-kilometer section between Sandbäckshult and Alsterbro was opened on January 22, 1905. For the time being, the maximum speed between Sandbäckshult and Knivingaryd was 35 km / h and between Knivingaryd and Alsterbro 20 km / h. The owners of the local match factory had sued the community's guarantee and were right on July 28, 1905. Bankruptcy was inevitable - 700,000 kroner inventory was 1.6 million kroner in liabilities. The bankruptcy petition passed by the general assembly on August 2, 1905 was rejected on September 14.

On September 3, 1906, an auction was held by the bankruptcy administrator . KBJ offered 400,000 kroner for the railway, the offer was rejected. In the spring of 1907, the bankruptcy administrator requested an extension of the construction period for the Alsterbro – Åseda line. This extension was rejected and the concession for the Fagerhult – Åseda section expired. For the remainder of the Alsterbro – Fagerhult route, a new completion date was set on March 1, 1911. New auctions took place on March 28, 1907 and November 13, 1909, for which no bids were submitted. At a new auction on March 15, 1910, KBJ won the bid for the same bid as in 1906.

Mönsterås nya Järnvägsaktiebolag

KBJ founded a new joint stock company, Mönsterås nya Järnvägsaktiebolag . The railway got the new name Mönsterås Järnväg , but kept the old abbreviation MÅJ. The founding meeting took place on April 25, 1910. It was decided to procure a steam railcar , which was delivered in the same year by Arlöfs Mekaniska Verkstad & Waggonfabrik . This vehicle was converted into a diesel multiple unit by Kalmar Verkstad in 1932 .

Further expansion

After the license was transferred to the new stock corporation , construction began in 1911. On September 20, the Alsterbro – Kråksmåla section was opened, followed by Kråksmåla – Grönskåra on June 4, 1913. The decision to extend the line from Grönskåra to Fagerhult was made on February 9, 1913. On November 24, 1916, the eleven-kilometer section was opened.

However, due to the expired concession, the construction crews never came to the planned Åseda terminus. There were plans for further additions to the line to Triabo on the Växjö – Virserum line. In 1918 a new concession was applied for for a route between Fagerhult and Virserum and approved on December 20, 1918. Because of the economic difficulties in the years after the First World War , it was not used and fell into disrepair, so that in 1920 the construction of the line was considered complete.

In 1920 there were three tank locomotives, a steam powered rail car, two bogie cars and five two-axle passenger cars, four two-axle baggage cars and 128 freight cars on the railway line. For the maintenance of the locomotives were engine shed in Mönsterås (with turntable 13.5 m), Alsterbro (with turntable 6 m), Grönskåra (with turntable 12.5 m) and Tracklights (with turntable 12.5 m) built.

Setting Sandbäckshult – Fagerhult

As early as 1926, 1932 and 1939 applications were made to cease traffic between Sandbäckshult and Fagerhult. All requests were denied. The route was not economically viable, and passenger and especially the hoped-for freight traffic with forest products remained weak. On July 1, 1940, the railway was nationalized as part of the general nationalization of the railway and integrated into the route network of Statens Järnvägar . During the state railroad era, traffic remained just as low, it only increased again after the Second World War. On September 1, 1959, passenger traffic between Fagerhult and Sandbäckshult was stopped after only a few trains left on June 2, 1957. On February 1, 1962, passenger traffic between Sandbäckshult and Mönsterås ended. Freight traffic was officially stopped on May 26, 1963 between Fagerhult and Sandbäckshult, after the last freight train had run on March 6, 1963.

Between Skoghult and Sandbäckshult, the old railway line is used as a cycle path for around 20 kilometers .

Standard gauge Sandbäckshult – Mönsterås bruk

In 1958 the Södra Cell Mönsterås pulp factory was built in Mönsterås bruk . In addition to pulp , pellets are produced. The factory now produces 750,000 tons of cellulose a year, green electricity and district heating , which will be used to supply Blomstermåla in the future. In addition to the new Baltic Sea - Port emerged railway tracks to standard gauge. The freight wagons were transported by road scooters between Kalmar or Stubbemåla to Mönsterås bruk. Initially only one car had to be transported per day, but by 1964 traffic grew to 200 cars per month. In order to simplify this cumbersome transport, SJ extended the route from Mönsterås to Mönsterås bruk in standard gauge from November 1970. At the same time, two kilometers of the narrow-gauge line from Stubbemåla to Mönsterås was converted to standard gauge and put into operation on July 10, 1972. This standard gauge line was operated in island mode until November 14, 1973 , when the section of the former Kalmar – Berga Järnväg between Kalmar and Sandbäckshult and on to Stubbemåla was converted to standard gauge.

Sandbäckshult is now part of Blomstermåla station. In connection with an extension in 1973, a new siding was built, which branches off a little south of the station building. This means that trains from Kalmar to Mönsterås bruk can run directly without having to change locomotives in Sandbäckshult .

On weekdays Green Cargo runs one or two freight trains between Kalmar and Mönsterås bruk. The train locomotive is normally a T44 or Td diesel locomotive . Wood for further processing for the pulp mill in Mönsterås is delivered daily by TX Logistik from Vislanda.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ JNB 2018 Bilaga 3rd E STH och medelhastighet per sträcka. (PDF) Utgåva 2017–12–08. trafikverket.se, March 12, 2018, p. 134 , accessed April 1, 2018 (Swedish). 
2. ^ Association of Central European Railway Administrations (ed.): Station directory of the European railways . (formerly Dr. KOCH's station directory). 52nd edition. Barthol & Co., Berlin-Wilmersdorf 1939.
3. ↑ railway track cycling on achim-bartoschek.de

Web links

• Blomstermåla (Sandbäckshult) -Mönsterås bruk. In: jarnvag.net. Retrieved February 20, 2015 (Swedish). 
• Historical description of the railway at Historiskt om Svenska Järnvägar (Swedish)
• Area map with the location of the region's narrow-gauge railways at Historiskt om Svenska Järnvägar (Swedish)