Norrköping – Söderköping – Vikbolandets Järnväg

Norrköping östra – Arkösund
Arkösund train station
Course book range :	SJ 140 and 141 (1925)
Route length:	101.3 km
Gauge :	891 mm ( Swedish 3-foot track )
Maximum slope :	16  ‰
Minimum radius :	300 m
Top speed:	40 km / h
Operating points and routes
Legend 0.0 Norrköping östra Railway Kimstad – Norrköping to Örebro Connecting train to Norrköping C 2.636 Lidavagen 3.556 Brånnestad (Hållplats, Lastplats) 20  m o.h. 5.354 Bjärby 0.0 0.0 Kummelby 21 m.ö.h. to Valdemarsvik 3.235 Sörby (Hållplats, from 1950 "Sörby tegelbruk" , until 1959) 5.122 Furingstad (Hållplats) 24 m.ö.h. 9,057 Åsvittinge 11 m.ö.h. 13.017 Kuddby 12 m.ö.h. 16,692 Östra Stenby 17 m.ö.h. Vikbolandsbanans grusgrop 20.627 Östra Husby 16 m.ö.h. 24,087 Haradshammar 11 m.ö.h. 25.787 Hylinge (Hållplats, Lastplats) 10 m.ö.h. 28.646 Svenneby (Hållplats, Lastplats) 9 m.ö.h. 28.646 Svenneby 31.1 Finntorp (later "Mullingstorp" , Hållplats) 33.092 Kattinge 9 m.ö.h. Mönnerumsån 37.7 Jonsberg 8 m.ö.h. 41.909 Isnäs until January 1st, 1939 "Öbnebo" , (Hållplats, Lastplats) 11 m.ö.h. 43,956 Gåsåker (Hållplats) 8 m.ö.h. 46.236 Arkösund 2 m.ö.h. 46.642 Arkösund hamnspår
Kummelby – Valdemarsvik
Legend from Norrköping östra 0.0 0.0 Kummelby 21 m.ö.h. Arkösund 8,872 Tingstad (Hållplats, Lastplats) 31 m.ö.h. 10.054 Fransberg (Hållplats) 11.657 Korsbrinken (Hållplats, Lastplats) 28 m.ö.h. 13,891 Klevbrinken (Hållplats, Lastplats, Dockan until 1951 ) 14.224 Göta Canal (36.83 m) 14.353 Göta Canal harbor 14,652 Lillån 15.989 Söderköping 4 m.ö.h. 19.8 Skönberga (September 1, 1961 to September 25, 1966) 19,923 Skönberga (Hållplats, Lastplats) 34 m.ö.h. Brobergs grusgrop Kalleby grustag 23.118 Bolltorp (Hållplats) 26,343 Skåresta (Hållplats, Lastplats) 30 m.ö.h. 29.076 Skälboö (Hållplats, Lastplats) 33 m.ö.h. 31,088 Hamburg (Hållplats) 34.972 Ringarum 35 m.ö.h. 36,929 Strolången (Hållplats, Lastplats) 36 m.ö.h. 37.489 Strolången (Hållplats) Engelholm Yxningen harbor 41.230 Yxningen (Hållplats, Lastplats) 42 m.ö.h. 43.974 Gusum 42 m.ö.h. 44.226 Gusumsån 48.625 Birkekärr (Hållplats, Lastplats) 32 m.ö.h. 50.271 Brårum (Hållplats) 54.914 Valdemarsvik 3 m.ö.h. Valdemarsvik hamnspår

The Swedish private railway company Norrköping – Söderköping – Vikbolandets Järnväg (NSVJ) operated two narrow-gauge railway lines on the Vikbolandet peninsula in Östergötland with the Norrköpings östra – Arkösund and Kummelby – Valdemarsvik lines . The first section between Norrköping östra and Kummelby (towards Arkösund) and the first part of a branch between Kummelby and Söderköping (towards Valdemarsvik) were put into operation in 1893.

history

In the late 1800s, new rail lines were built in many countries, including Sweden. It was the desire of the population to have this new means of transport close to home. Some of the places, which are often isolated from the traffic, were better connected to the centers. New places emerged around the train stations. Around 1870 there was a proposal for a railway line between Norrköping and Söderköping. Many suggestions for guiding the route between the two locations were made and then rejected.

Gustaf Bodvidsson from Vittinge began promoting a railroad on the Vikbolandet peninsula in the late 1880s. The first proposal contained a main line Norrköping – Gröngata – Arkösund with a length of about 51 kilometers and a branch line from Gröngata to Stegeborgs färjeplats with about 14 kilometers. A planning committee was formed with Mayor C. A .R. Lothigius from Norrköping was appointed as chairman and bailiff Carl Grönberg as deputy chairman, the farmer Gustaf Bodvidsson became secretary of the committee.

Instead of the branch line Gröngata – Stegeborg, the committee applied for a route between Tingstad near Kummelby and Söderköping. With this change, a cost estimate is created, the including the purchase of land and the purchase of vehicles costs amounting to 1,450,000 crowns auswies. In order to realize this, a share capital of 750,000 crowns was required. After an invitation to subscribe for shares, an application was made for the concession for a route from Norrköping via Kummelby to Söderköping and from Kummelby to Arkösund. These concessions were granted on November 27, 1891.

At the founding meeting of Norrköping – Söderköping – Vikbolandets järnvägsaktiebolag on May 18, 1892 in Norrköping, the board was elected and the license was taken over. Mayor CAR Lothigius was elected chairman of the board. After the king had promised government bonds of 653,000 kronor on November 5, 1892, the necessary funds for the construction of the line were available. The company commissioned the engineer Freiherr Carl Fägerskiöld to build the route at a price of 760,000 kroner, for which he was to receive 100,000 kroner as shares in the company. Fägerskiöld appointed engineer Carl Hult, who received the building contract from him in 1893, as foreman. In the stock corporation, CA Ahlbom was used for the control of the economic efficiency ( English controller ). All land necessary for the construction of the route and its facilities were expropriated. Those affected received shares in the railway company as compensation.

Vikbolandsbanan

The 16.3 km long first section of Norrköpings östra – Kummelby – Söderköping, which was opened on December 23, 1893, was popularly referred to as Vikbolandsbanan . This name was also carried over to all parts of the route that were later opened, even when the extended route to Valdemarsvik was given its own name.

The track had a track width mm of 891 km and a length of 101.3 in the final, including 101 km in Östergötland County and 0.3 km in Kalmar County in the then County BOUNDARY. The lines were in operation from 1893 to 1966.

Rails with a weight per meter of 24.8 kg, the standard rail of the time, were used for the route in 1894 .

Hammarkindsbanan

On March 22, 1901, the concession for the extension of the line from Söderköping to the south to Valdemarsvik followed. This section was called Hammarkindsbanan . A big customer on the route was Gusums bruk . The company made zippers .

Routing

Railway line Norrköping östra – Arkösund

The line began at Norrköping östra station and ran six kilometers southeast to Kummelby . There the route split into two branches. The first stretch led from Kummelby in a north-east direction to Kuddby and south of Häradshammars kyrka in Arkösund to the Baltic Sea .

Kummelby – Valdemarsvik railway line

The route branching off in Kummelby continued over the Göta Canal to Söderköping and from there past Lake Strolången to Gusums bruk near the Åkertorpsviken Bay of Lake Yxningen , where a port railway branched off. Then came the terminus south of Valdemarsvik .

When the line between Söderköping and Valdemarsvik was built, the station in Söderköping was relocated, with the original route of the Norrköping – Söderköping line being extended by one kilometer. At Norrköping östra there was a connection with the Kimstad – Norrköping railway line and through this connection with the narrow-gauge railway system between Örebro and Hultsfred with numerous other narrow-gauge lines.

business

Two locomotive sheds and six turntables were built for the operation of the two routes and the following vehicles were procured over the years, which were marked with VB in front of the operating number regardless of the name of the railway company :

number	Surname	design type	Wheel alignment	Manufacturer	Fabr.-No./ year of construction	Special
1		Tank locomotive	C t	Motala Verkstad , Motala	133/ 1893	1916 sold to Nordmark-Klarälvens Järnvägar for 15,000 kroner , NKlJ 19, scrapped in 1952
2		Tank locomotive	C t	Motala Verkstad, Motala	134/ 1893	1916 sold to Nordmark – Klarälvens Järnvägar , NKlJ 2, scrapped in 1938
3		Tank locomotive	C t	Motala Verkstad, Motala	136/ 1893	1917 sold to Nordmark – Klarälvens Järnvägar , NKlJ 20
4th		Tank locomotive	C t	Motala Verkstad, Motala	137/ 1893	1913 sold to Väderstad – Skänninge – Bränninge Järnväg (VSBJ), VSBJ 2, scrapped in 1929
5		Tank locomotive	1 C t	Motala Verkstad, Motala	195/ 1898	Scrapped in 1927
6th		Tank locomotive	1 C t	Nydqvist & Holm AB , Trollhättan	748/ 1904	1950 SJ S4p 3176, scrapped in 1958
7th		Tank locomotive	1 C t	Nydqvist & Holm AB, Trollhättan	749/ 1904	1913 sold to Hvetlanda – Säfsjö Järnväg (HvSJ), HVSJ 2, scrapped in 1955
8th		Tank locomotive	1 C t	Nydqvist & Holm AB, Trollhättan	750/ 1905	1950 SJ S4p 3177, scrapped in 1954
9		Tank locomotive	1 C 1 t	Nydqvist & Holm AB, Trollhättan	984/ 1912	1950 SJ S20p 3166, scrapped in 1960
10		Tank locomotive	1 D t	Nydqvist & Holm AB, Trollhättan	1060/ 1915	1950 SJ N7p 3165, scrapped in 1960
11		Tank locomotive	1 C 1 t	Nydqvist & Holm AB, Trollhättan	1100/ 1916	1950 SJ S20p 3167, scrapped in 1955
12		Tank locomotive	1 D t	Nydqvist & Holm AB, Trollhättan	1111/ 1917	1950 SJ N6p 3164, sold to Hå – Vallviks Järnväg in 1964
13		Tender locomotive	D 2	Nydqvist & Holm AB, Trollhättan	912/ 1909	1937 bought by Nordmark-Klarälvens Järnvägar , previously NKlJ 13, 1950 SJ G3p 3153, 1951 scrapped
X1		Diesel railcars	B 2	Diesel Elektriska Vagn Aktiebolaget (DEVA)	8/ 1916	Type BCF, 75 HP, bought in July 1918 for 70,000 crowns, converted into a 3rd class passenger car in 1944, transferred to Statens Järnvägar as Co 401 when it was nationalized , scrapped in 1962
X2		Diesel railcars	B 2	DEVA	9/ 1922	Type F, same type as VB-X1, 120 HP motor
X3		Diesel railcars	B 2	DEVA	18/ 1922	Type DF, delivered in 1924, with an 8-cylinder engine with 120 hp, with a large luggage compartment, maximum trailer load 50 tons
X4		Diesel railcars	B 2	DEVA	28/ 1925	Type F (c), adopted as SJ 872 when SJ was nationalized, scrapped in 1958
Y5		Rail bus	A 1	Hilding Carlssons Mekaniska Verkstad , Umeå	/ 1937	Haren two-axle rail bus , the 130 hp engine ran on light gasoline, often used with a sidecar, sold to Mellersta Östergötlands Järnvägar in 1946
-		Steam railcar	A 2		/ 1898	1903 sold to Ronehamn – Hemse Järnvägar - RHJ 2

Sections and costs

The sections built over the years were opened as follows:

• Norrköping östra – Kummelby – Söderköping, 16.3 km, 23 December 1893
• Kummelby – Östra Husby, 12.8 miles, 8 September 1894
• Östra Husby – Arkösund, 25.5 km, June 15, 1895
• Söderköping – Gusum, 27.9 km, May 15, 1906
• Gusum – Valdemarsvik, 6.8 miles, October 1, 1906

At the end of 1912, the total construction costs were determined to be 3,768,247 crowns. The share capital was 1,389,600 crowns, the vehicles accounted for 587,329 crowns and a reserve fund was 32,835 crowns. The address of the railway administration and the seat of the public limited company was Norrköping.

The dividend was between 3% and 4% in the 1910s and 1920s. In 1930 payments ceased when the company made a loss. During World War II, the increase in traffic made the company debt free in 1942 and dividend payments of 4% were added.

traffic

The traffic was very heavy at times, especially in summer when long trains with bathers and summer visitors traveled from Norrköping to Arkösund. Freight traffic was moderate, although there were some major customers like Gusums bruk who used the railroad until it was closed.

Most of the stops were Hållplats or Hållplats / Lastplats . The Hållplats had normally a simple platform for passenger and possibly a crossover for a siding. The Lastplats had in any case course for sidings, some of which made it possible to drive around groups of wagons in shunting.

Association of TÖJ

In order to achieve better cooperation between the narrow-gauge railways in Östergötland, Trafikförvaltningen Östergötlands smalspåriga järnvägar (TÖJ) was founded in 1930 . This amalgamation and the use of the combined companies' resources was the main purpose that benefited the various railway companies.

→ Main article : Trafikförvaltningen Östergötlands smalspåriga järnvägar

nationalization

The Norrköping – Söderköping – Vikbolandets Järnväg (NSVJ) lost its independence on July 1, 1950, when TÖJ was bought by the state in the course of the general nationalization of the railway in Sweden and integrated into Statens Järnvägar .

The state paid a total of 2,374,800 kroner for TÖJ. The share for VB was 1,028,400 crowns for their shares.

The Hamburg stop is often realistically recreated on model railways.

Traffic development and shutdown

After the Second World War, the routes faced strong competition from private car traffic. By taking over passenger transport by railcars , it was possible to increase the speed on the route and at the same time to reduce costs considerably. However, this only helped for a few years. When the traffic on the route to Arkösund became weaker and weaker, this section of the route was closed in 1960 .

On September 1, 1960, traffic on the Östra Husby – Arkösund route and on November 1, 1960 on the Kummelby – Östra Husby route was set. On September 25, 1966, traffic between Norrköping and Valdemarsvik was closed. The tracks between Kummelby and Arkösund were dismantled in 1960/61, followed by the Norrköping Ö – Kummelby – Valdemarsvik section in 1966/67.

Current condition

Immediately after the closure, the lines were dismantled and some of the embankments leveled and used as arable land . Some parts of the former route are used as roadways and the Gusum – Valdemarsvik section as a cycle path. Some station buildings have been preserved and will be used privately after the sale. The southern bridge foundations of the bridge over Gusumsån are in place in Gusum . Four bridge abutments remained in Söderköping, two of which were used for a new pedestrian and cycle path bridge.

South of Tingstad, near Kummelby and south of Söderköping, there is a cycle path partly on the old track bed.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b} Stig Lundin: VB bana. Retrieved November 27, 2014 (Swedish). 
2. ^ Jöran Johansson: Norrköping Ö – Kummelby – Arkösund. Bandel 473, SJ district 38 bs. In: banvakt.se. Retrieved November 27, 2014 (Swedish). Jöran Johansson: Kummelby – Valdemarsvik. Bandel 474, SJ district 38 bs. In: banvakt.se. Retrieved November 27, 2014 (Swedish). 
    
3. ^ Vikbolandsbanan. In: Östgötaposten . June 4, 1897, Retrieved November 27, 2014 (Swedish). 
4. ^ Vikbolandsbanan. History Info Group Norrköping, accessed November 27, 2014 (Swedish). 
5. ↑ ^{a b} Vikbolandsbanan och Hammarkindsbanan Norrköping Östra-Söderköping-Valdemarsvik. In: Cykla Banvall. Retrieved November 27, 2014 (Swedish). 
6. ↑ Stig Lundin: Karta Norrköping - Kummelby - Arkösund. Retrieved November 24, 2014 (Swedish). 
7. ↑ Stig Lundin: Karta Norrköping - Söderköping - Valdemarsvik. Retrieved November 27, 2014 (Swedish). 
8. ↑ Stig Lundin: VB ånglok. Retrieved November 27, 2014 (Swedish). 
9. ↑ List of DEVA vehicles built. Retrieved November 27, 2014 (Swedish). 
10. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g} VB No. 1 to VB No. 7. Accessed November 27, 2014 (Swedish). 
11. ↑ ^{a b c d e f} VB No. 8 to VB No. 13. Accessed November 27, 2014 (Swedish). 
12. ↑ ^{a b c d e} Diesel multiple units X1 to X4. Retrieved November 27, 2014 (Swedish). 
13. ↑ Rail bus Y5. Retrieved November 27, 2014 (Swedish). 
14. ↑ ^{a b c} Aktiebrev NSVJ 1904. In: vikbolandsbanan.info. Retrieved November 27, 2014 (Swedish). 

Web links

• Tomas Einborn: Vikbolandsbanan. vikbolandsbanan.info, accessed November 27, 2014 (Swedish). 
• Rune Borén: Sista Tåget från Söderkoping. (Movie). September 25, 1966, accessed November 27, 2014 .