Skotfoss Bruks jernbane

Skotfoss Bruks jernbane
Locomotive "cash desk" (before 1894)
Former route
Gauge :	750 mm ( narrow gauge )
Power system :	400  =
Minimum radius :	20 m
Legend 0.00 Skotfoss Brug 1.50 Røråsen loading area

Skotfoss Bruks jernbane was a Norwegian works railway . It was opened in 1892 and was the first electrically operated railway line in Scandinavia . It was used for the freight transport of the Skotfoss Bruk paper mill in the Skotfoss district of the capital Skien des Fylke Vestfold og Telemark in Norway.

History and technology

The line was 1.5 km long, had a track width of 750 mm and was operated with 400 V direct current. It led from Skotfoss Bruk to the loading area on the east side of Røråsen on Meierelva, a section of the Telemark Canal . There were two electric cranes there for transferring goods from the railroad cars to the ships.

The plans for the necessary electrical equipment were carried out by Schuckert & Co. in Nuremberg . The route led from the loading area on the quay with a gradient of 1: 100 mainly through rock cuttings to the factory, where various sidings were available. Rails weighing 9 kg per meter were used. Because of the difficult alignment, the curve radius was sometimes only 20 meters.

The power plant for electricity generation was in the factory premises and had a power generator for the railway line and taps, as well as two "electric lighting equipment for a total of 1,000 light bulbs with 16 N." . Schuckert supplied a type A 30 generator with a nominal speed of 520 rpm, which provided 96 amps at 400 volts. It took up a drive power of 59 PS (43 kW). A turbine with 200 hp operated a pump and the entire mechanical workshop. In the workshop there was a common shaft to which the power was transmitted via belts. Each generator had a friction clutch.

The catenary lay over the center of the track. It was held in place by iron brackets with insulators attached to posts along the route. The supply line for the cranes at the port was also led to the post on porcelain insulators. The lines consisted of bare copper wires with a diameter of 4 to 5 mm.

Rolls of paper were transported to the quay and cellulose and raw materials to the factory.

Over time, trucks took over the transport to the loading point at the port. The railroad lost its importance and after 1960 the train service was severely restricted. In autumn 1966 the traffic was completely stopped. In the following year, locomotives, most of the cars and the rails were sold as scrap.

The railway line has been used as a footpath ever since. Some of the cars that were used earlier are now standing outside the factory premises as memorials.

vehicles

To test whether electric operation would be beneficial, an electric locomotive was ordered. Because of its appearance, this locomotive was called the “Kassa”. Their top speed was 7.5 km / h. It was built in 1892 by Arthur Koppel in Berlin .

This locomotive was equipped with a Schuckert ZF6 electric motor that ran at 680 rpm. and a power consumption of 7000 watts developed 8 hp. The motor was attached to the floor of the car and transmitted its power via a worm drive to an intermediate shaft, which in turn drove the axles with chains. The locomotive had an electric brake, a handbrake, a signal bell, and interior and exterior lighting with a reflector.

The maximum speed of the locomotive was 126 m / min (7.5 km / h) with a pulling force of 162 kg. On the slope of 1: 100, five freight wagons with a dead weight of 300 kg and a load of 1000 kg could be transported, thus a total train weight of 6500 kg. The daily output of the railroad was set at 80,000 kg for a 10-hour shift.

In 1905 the line received its second locomotive. She was called "Jernhesten" (freely translated: iron horse). This was built by AEG in Berlin and, with its rounded bonnet and rear cabin, was “slimmer” than the first. A third locomotive was ordered in 1911 and the last locomotive came into service in 1936.

number	Surname	design type	Wheel alignment	Manufacturer	Fabr.-No./ year of construction	Special
1	Cash desk	Electric locomotive	B.	Arthur Koppel , Berlin	1892	Sold as scrap in 1967 after the line was closed
2	Jernhesten	Electric locomotive	B.	AEG , Berlin	1905	Sold as scrap in 1967 after the line was closed
3		Electric locomotive			1911	Sold as scrap in 1967 after the line was closed
4th		Electric locomotive			1936	Sold as scrap in 1967 after the line was closed

The freight cars for pulp and paper were flat cars. Iron side tippers were bought from Koppel in Berlin for the transport of coal.

Web links

Commons : Skotfosbanen  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• Elektrisk jernbane, lys and helautomatisk telefonsentral. In: kjellemann.wordpress.com. (Norwegian). 

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Jernbanen i Norge 150 år. In: christianbruun.dk. Retrieved October 16, 2019 (Danish). 
2. ^ Litt industrihistorie frå Telemark .... Kassa - elektrisk tog frå 1892. Retrieved on October 15, 2019 (Norwegian). 
3. ↑ ^{a b c d e f} Ingeniør Kolbenstvedt: Elektrisk jernbane for Skotfos brug, Løveid ved Skien. In: TEKNISK UGEBLAD. runeberg.org, 1894, pp. 198-200 , accessed October 16, 2019 . 
4. ↑ SCANDINAVIA'S FØRSTE ELECTRISKE JERNBANE. Archived from the original on April 14, 2010 ; Retrieved October 15, 2019 (Norwegian). 
5. ↑ Fra Skotfos Brug med jernbanen and the oldest locomotive in the bakgrunnen. (Photo of the locomotive). In: digitaltmuseum.no. Retrieved October 16, 2019 (Norwegian). 
6. ↑ Vårt Yrke: Skotfos Brug: electric locomotive with locomotive Magnus Vasdal. (Photo of the AEG locomotive). In: digitaltmuseum.no. Retrieved October 16, 2019 (Norwegian). 

Coordinates: 59 ° 12 ′ 25.9 ″  N , 9 ° 32 ′ 2 ″  E