Västergötland – Göteborgs järnvägsaktiebolag

Västergötland – Göteborgs järnvägsaktiebolag
legal form	Aktiebolag
founding	September 19, 1896
resolution	July 1, 1948
Seat	Gothenburg
Branch	Railway companies

Västergötland – Göteborgs järnvägsaktiebolag (VGJ) was a railway company in southern Sweden. They only built a few railway lines themselves and linked numerous narrow-gauge island networks by renting or buying them. It was taken over by Statens Järnvägar (SJ) in 1948 as part of the general nationalization of the railway .

prehistory

During the 1870s and 1880s, the cities of Lidköping , Skara , Mariestad and Hjo were not only interconnected with narrow-gauge railways with 891 mm gauge , but also with the rest of the standard-gauge rail network through the connection in Stenstorp and Moholm with Västra stambanan and in Håkantorp with Uddevalla –Vänersborg – Herrljunga järnväg .

This gave rise to the idea of ​​connecting the narrow-gauge networks in Västergötland and Göteborgs och Bohus län in order to upgrade the entire network and open up the hinterland of the city of Gothenburg . This idea was followed by the head of the provincial government (Swed. Län ) LW Lothigius, the Reichstag deputy Axel Carlsson and the manager Baron J. Alströmer in älvsborg county , Captain S. Platt, Lieutenant N. of Hofsten and landlords E. Moritz in County Skaraborgs and Major Ph. Åqvist, wholesalers P. Fürstenberg and August Carlsson in Gothenburg, who agreed to make this idea a reality.

On July 28, 1892, a meeting took place in the Bärebergs restaurant, during which they discussed a railway line from Håkantorp to Älvängen or Gothenburg. Captain Ph. Oterdahl from Väg- och vattenbyggnadsstyrelsen ( road and water engineering office ) should be given the task of doing the preparatory work. This job was postponed because the exact route should be determined beforehand. The following meeting took place on December 15, 1892 in Alingsås , where various options were discussed, at which each parish wanted to see its interests represented.

Far-reaching decisions were made there. So the southern end point of the route should be Gothenburg and not Älvängen. It was also decided:

• Göteborg – Håkantorps järnväg should be connected to a railway line Skara – Vara at a suitable junction and
• this railway line between Gothenburg and Håkantorp was to be built by a joint company together with the branch line to Skara via Vara
• an interim body for these preparations should be elected at this meeting
• this committee should provide 2,500 kroner for the preliminary investigations of the branch line to Skara

The interim board included elected representatives from Gothenburg as well as from Vättle , Kullings , Bjärke , Barne and Viste , and the interests of Lidköping and Skara were represented. This group of people also received the mandate to commission the preliminary investigations for the railway construction and to apply for the concession for the line.

Application for a license and naming

In its first meeting on January 9, 1893, the interim board decided to apply for a license. After an offer from Oterdahl, he was commissioned to create drawings and cost estimates in order to use them as a basis for applying for a concession. The route was determined, there should be train stations and stops in Angered , Bergum , Lundby , Östad , Gräfsnäs , Sollebrunn , Mellby , Nossebro (referred to as: Nossabro ) and Essunga kyrka. Then municipalities and private individuals should solicit the subscription of shares and start negotiations about the required land.

The then also appointed executive board consisted of the head of the provincial government LW Lothigius as chairman, his deputy Major Ph. Åqvist and the assessors Aug. Carlson, P. Fürstenberg, O. Melin, Palm, Axel Carlsson, Wennéris and Von Hofsten. Ultimately, it was decided that the railway line to be built should be named Västergötland – Göteborgs järnväg .

From the minutes of the board of directors of August 14, 1893, it can be seen that Captain Oterdahl prepares the relevant planning documents with a cost estimate for the main route from Gothenburg via Vara to Skara as well as for a secondary route between Pedersbacke and Håkantorp or alternatively between Vara east to Vänersborgsbanan to Håkantorp station should. The proposed main line was 129.2 km long and should cost 4,029,000 kroner, the secondary line Pedersbacke - Håkantorp would have a length of 11.8 km and cost 270,000 kroner, while the alternative proposed route Vara - Håkantorp would be 8.5 km long and would cost 186,000 crowns.

Finally it was decided at this meeting that the concession for the construction of a line from Gothenburg to Skara and for a branch line from Vara to Håkantorp should be applied for.

Branch line Pedersbacke (Tumleberg) –Håkantorp

The proposal to build the branch line between Vara and Håkantorp led to violent protests, especially from Lidköping. These protests delayed the entire railway construction for a few years. The concession for the Gothenburg – Vara – Skara line was granted on May 10, 1895. The condition was that construction had to begin by December 31, 1896 and traffic had to begin on October 1, 1898.

Because of the protests for the branch line, the other alternative between Pedersbacke and Håkantorp was chosen. Lidköping agreed to this proposal and wanted a direct connection to Gothenburg. The license for this variant was granted on December 31, 1896.

Foundation of Västergötland – Göteborgs järnvägsaktiebolag (VGJ)

At the meeting in Gothenburg on September 19, 1896, the Västergötland – Göteborgs järnvägsaktiebolag (VGJ) was constituted. Major Ph. Åqvist as chairman, wholesalers P. Fürstenberg, August Carlsson, Chr. Carlander and JA Waller from Gothenburg as well as the Reichstag member Ax. Carlsson and Captain S. Flat elected.

December 1, 1899 was approved as the new completion date for the line. The local surveying work was carried out in the late autumn of 1896 by Major E. Westerberg. On April 9, 1897, Väg- och vattenbyggnadskåren's captain JOH Nyström became managing director.

Construction of the first line

The engineers KA Lagergren and OJM Malmstedt were commissioned with the construction of the route on September 10, 1897. Work on the route had already started in August 1897 and by the end of the year 47.3 kilometers had been prepared for the laying of the rails. Work was carried out on 16 bridges and 105 culverts. Between 400 and 1,300 workers were deployed. Negotiations were held with Uddevalla – Vänersborg – Herrljunga Järnväg (UWHJ) and Lidköping – Skara – Stenstorps Järnväg (LSSJ) to connect VGJ to their Vara and Skara stations.

At the end of 1898, 126.2 kilometers had been routed. Two tunnels were built for this purpose. These were Brobacka tunnels south of Ålanda station (now Anten ) and a second tunnel between Björboholm and Sjövik . Several bridge structures were completed and some train stations were under construction. The laying of the rails began in June 1898 and was completed by the end of the year on the sections Vara - Öttum (20 km), Håkantorp - Utby (27 km), Pedersbacke - Afså (27 km) and Skräppekärr - Linnarhult (6 km).

However, due to the poor economic situation, the contracting parties threatened to stop construction. Therefore VGJ decided to continue the work under its own direction. The workforce, the technical equipment and the material were taken over. Under the direction of JOH Nyström, the work continued at high speed. At the end of 1899, the construction of the line was largely completed, so that on January 1, 1900, the Gothenburg – Skara and Pedersbacke (Tumleberg) –Håkantorp railway were opened to public transport.

In Gothenburg the passenger trains ended at Lilla Bommen . On June 11, 1932, passenger traffic was relocated to a new Gothenburg Västgöta station with a connection to Gothenburg's central station.

building-costs

The total cost of the route for the VGJ up to the end of 1900 was 4,831,969 crowns, of which 794,944 crowns were for the procurement of rolling stock. This price was opposed to a 141.190 km long narrow-gauge railway with a gauge of 891 mm, whose side tracks measured another 10.8 kilometers. The installed steel rails weighed 17.4 kilograms per meter . The greatest gradient was 16 ‰ and the smallest curve radius was 200 meters. It was driven at a top speed of 45 km / h. 187 employees were employed by the company. To this end, a large number of residential buildings, train stations with associated outbuildings and station keepers' houses were built.

Acquisition of Skara – Kinnekulle – Vänerns Järnväg (SKWJ)

In 1902 the board of the VGJ started thinking about expanding the railway network. It took up the SKWJ's wish to merge the two companies. Both started negotiations with each other that resulted in an agreement. Then the SKWJ sold its Skara – Hönsäters hamn railway for 434,361 kroner. VGJ paid this sum with a state loan of 296,200 kroner with an annual repayment rate of 4,661 kroner. 13,500 kroner were paid in cash and the remaining 120,000 kroner were paid in shares. The agreement included the takeover of all employees by VGJ.

The SKWJ's shareholders' meeting on August 4, 1903 approved the agreement with the VGJ. On January 1, 1904, the company took over the VGJ, after which the entire rolling stock was included in the VGJ.

The Skara – Timmersdala – Mariestad project

In 1899 there were a number of interested parties who had formed a preliminary construction board for the construction of a Skara – Timmersdala – Mariestad Järnväg . Plans were well advanced and an estimate was being prepared. It comprised about 1,200,000 crowns. In 1902, landowner Hjalmar Larsson in Leksberg suggested in a letter to VGJ that they should build the proposed railway line.

Since the VGJ was interested, the question was dealt with at an extraordinary general meeting in 1904. The decision was that VGJ would build a railway line from Skara via Timmersdala to Mariestad. The concession was granted in 1905 and preparations for construction were made. Then it turned out that some of the commitments by the building board of Skara – Timmersdala – Mariestad Järnväg could not be fulfilled and VGJ withdrew from the project. The connection to Mariestad was desired, so that one negotiated with the Mariestad – Kinnekulle Järnväg (MKJ) to take it over.

Purchase of the Mariestad – Kinnekulle Järnväg (MKJ)

Since VGJ bought SKWJ in 1904 and integrated it into its own operations, the next step was to merge VGJ and MKJ. The initiative came from KG Wallenius. The aim was still to reach Mariestad by a direct route under the same management from Gothenburg via Skara.

On August 22, 1908, the deed of purchase was signed, with which VGJ acquired MKJ for 445,136 crowns and 85 ore. This company's route has also been fully integrated into the operational process. This provided the basis for VGJ to build a line from Mariestad via Torved to Gårdsjö or alternatively via Torved to Gullspång. With the purchase agreement, the entire MKJ staff was taken over. The rolling stock was integrated into the VGJ numbering scheme.

The extension to Gårdsjö and Gullspång

When in 1905 the plans for a line Skara – Timmersdala – Mariestad were discussed, an extension of the VGJ from Mariestad via Lyrestad to Gullspång was discussed. This year VGJ applied for a concession for this route to Gullspång's station owned by Nora Bergslags Järnväg (NBJ). The license was granted on September 28, 1906.

The Mariestad – Torved route

In the second half of 1907 the Mariestad – Torved section was marked out. There was no longer any interest in building the line to Gullspång. The reason for this was that NBJ had received a concession for a standard gauge line between Otterbäcken and Töreboda. This would have run almost parallel to the VGJ's approved Torved – Gullspång route.

The Torved – Gårdsjö route

Since the VGJ had the concession for the route Mariestad – Torved – Gullspång since 1906, there were a number of interested parties, including the governor of Skaraborgs län, F. de Geer, who applied for a concession for the route Gårdsjö – Torved. Drawings and cost estimates for this route had already been made by the engineer JA Jonzon in Leksberg. After negotiations with these interested parties, VGJ took over this concession on October 30, 1908.

Construction of the Mariestad – Torved – Gårdsjö line

Now VGJ had the concession for the entire route. In a cost estimate, Captain Nystrom calculated 1,125,000 crowns for the construction. With the engineer JA Jonzon as the responsible site manager, the work began in early 1908. At the end of the year, starting from Mariestad, 20.227 kilometers had been laid and 11.070 kilometers had rails. The rails weighed 17.4 kg per meter and were previously in use on the section north of Gothenburg. There they had meanwhile been replaced by rails weighing 25 kg per meter. On January 1, 1910, the 39-kilometer route was opened to public transport.

The train station in Gårdsjö was financed by VGJ and later used by Statens Järnvägar. The Göta Canal was crossed with a swing bridge at Lyrestad north of Mariestad .

Construction of the Torved – Gullspång line

NBJ planned to expand the line from Otterbäcken via Torved to Töreboda. NBJ did not carry out this expansion. In December 1913 a number of interested parties applied for a concession for the Torved – Gullspång line. This application was approved on August 19, 1914 because VGJ had let its old concession from 1906 for the same route expire. The new concession was transferred back to the VGJ on November 5, 1915, with the stipulation that “ in the case of Statens Järnväger, the Otterbäcken – Töreboda line would be built in the future, the state would have the right to buy the narrow-gauge section ”.

JA Andersson began construction on September 29, 1915. The drawings were made by Nyström and the cost was estimated at 610,000 crowns. On January 1, 1917, the line was opened for public transport.

The total length of the VGJ route Gothenburg – Skara – Mariestad – Gårdsjö with the branches Tumleberg – Håkantorp and Torved – Gullspång was now 259.8 km. The length of the other tracks such as the loading and sidings were 41 km. This was the largest expansion of the company's own route network, which took over other companies in later years, but let them exist independently.

Purchase of further railway companies

Trollhättan Nossebro Järnväg, TNJ

In 1925 the Swedish state sold TNJ to VGJ for 225,000 kroner. The transfer of ownership took place on July 1st.

The traffic of the TNJ was planned by the VGJ, also the administration was done by the new owner. However, TNJ remained as an independent company. From January 1, 1927, TNJ was converted into a subsidiary of VGJ, which was named Trollhättan-Nossebro Nya Järnvägs aktiebolag .

Skara – Timmersdala Järnväg, STJ

In 1925 Statens sold Järnvägen STJ to VGJ. For 125,000 kroner, VGJ became the new owner of STJ on June 30, 1925, which remained as an independent company. Just like the TNJ, the traffic planning and administration was carried out by the new owner.

Lidköping – Skara – Stenstorps Järnväg, LSSJ

Västergötland-Göteborgs Järnväg (VGJ) had bought the two railway companies Skara-Kinnekulle-Vänerns Järnväg (SKWJ) and Mariestad-Kinnekulle Järnväg (MKJ) and integrated them into the routes. In 1909 the purchase of the LSSJ was planned. This planning met with stiff resistance in the local area, so that it took years of effort to achieve this goal. In 1914, the company began to buy shares. In 1915 it was agreed with the city of Skara to take over all of their shares. This gave VGJ the majority of shares in the LSSJ.

The good relationships for this purchase lay in the fact that VGJ had leased and operated the route since January 1, 1916. Formally, LSSJ remained its own railway company.

Mariestad – Moholms Järnväg, MMJ

In 1924 Göteborg – Västergötlands Järnvägar acquired the majority of shares in MMJ. The takeover took place on February 1, 1925. MMJ remained an independent company, but the administration and traffic planning were carried out by VGJ.

Modernization and rationalization

Higher train weights and faster connections required the reinforcement of certain railway lines. As early as 1908, the replacement of the old steel rails with a meter weight of 17.4 kg by one of 25 kg on the Gothenburg – Skara line began. In 1918 the entire route was rebuilt. The removed rails were used for work on the Mariestad – Gårdsjö, Trollhättan – Nossebro, Torved – Gullspång, Lidköping – Skara – Stenstorp and Mariestad – Moholm lines.

After buying Skara – Kinnekulle järnvägar and Mariestad – Kinnekulle järnvägar, rails weighing 20 kg were used. The Mariestad – Gårdsjö railway section received rails weighing 25 kg between 1916 and 1922. The 20 kg rails between Skara and Mariestad were changed to 25 kg in the second half of the 1940s.

The bridges, which were built before 1901, had to be strengthened as the weights of the trains increased. Between Skara and Mariestad this happened in 1909 and between Skara and Gothenburg from 1922 to 1929.

Over the years, many train stations have been rebuilt and modernized. Electric lights were installed in buildings and signals, this work was completed everywhere by the late 1940s.

These measures made it possible to increase the maximum speed for the trains to 50 km / h. The maximum speed for railcars was 60 km / h. The maximum axle load has been increased from 7.2 tons to 8.5 tons.

Conversion proposals to standard gauge

At the suggestion of Nyström, detailed investigations and calculations were carried out between 1918 and 1920 regarding a changeover to standard gauge on the Gothenburg – Gårdsjö and Tumleberg – Håkantorp lines. The cost of the entire project including the vehicles was estimated at 9,540,000 crowns. This amount included the cost of one million kroner for the connection to the standard gauge station in Gothenburg.

The renovation should begin in Gårdsjö, because the industry around Kinnekulle and Lidköping was to be reached first.

This question has been raised repeatedly but has never been carried out over the years. In 1943 it was discussed in the Railway Committee, but was postponed again. This topic was discussed again with the nationalization of the VGJ network in 1948.

Port traffic in Gothenburg

From 1901 VGJ began transporting goods in the port area of ​​Gothenburg. Some barges were procured on which freight wagons could be loaded. In this way, customers without a siding could be served in the port area. The first barges were made of wood and had only a small capacity. Over the years this traffic increased and larger boats were needed. The wooden barges were replaced by iron prams that could accommodate up to three freight cars. In the early 1940s there were ten such boats in the VGJ's inventory. In 1939 40,000 tonnes - equivalent to around 5,000 wagon loads - were transported, in 1944 it was 36,000 tonnes and around 4,000 wagons.

Conversions in Gothenburg

Due to the growing traffic, the railway facilities in Gothenburg were very soon full and expansion options were sought.

The route to Gothenburg originally ran over a viaduct that crossed the Järnvägar mountain camps near Skräppekärr. The Lärje station was about one kilometer from the end point. From there it led past Marieholm, where the locomotive shed and workshop were located, past its own shunting and storage facilities. It passed Säveån near its mouth and continued via Hultmans holme to the end of the line at Lilla Bommen .

The Göteborg Västgöta passenger station was narrowed between the BJ site and urban land. In 1900 more space was made available, which meant that another bypass could be built. Nevertheless, the station with its two tracks and a few sidings was very small. Despite an extension of the tracks in the station in 1915, it became increasingly clear that the station, because of its location, was neither satisfactory for the railway nor for the city. This became even more pronounced when standard gauge passenger traffic was merged at Gothenburg Central Station in the late 1920s.

At that time the city of Gothenburg had plans for a new connection to Hisingen. The construction of the new bridge over the river was planned. The areas around the old VGJ station were included and ultimately the plans provided for the demolition of the VGJ station. In 1928 negotiations began with the Royal Railway Construction Office ( Kungl. Järnvägsstyrelsen ) and the City of Gothenburg to solve these problems. Investigations into the relocation of the station began immediately afterwards. VGJ planned to introduce their trains to the main station, this proposal was rejected. Instead, plans were drawn up and cost estimates made for the construction of a new and independent train station right next to the main train station.

Negotiations with the authorities and BJ were concluded in 1929 and the general meeting of the VGJ 1930 approved the proposal. By decision of October 16, 1930, the relocation was approved after agreement on the agreement between the city of Gothenburg, the Kungl. Järnvägsstyrelsen and BJ prevailed. So construction could begin. This was completed in 1932 and the trains first entered the new station on June 11, 1932.

A new access track with a length of 6.3 km had to be built for this purpose. A new station was built in Lärje, to which the old access route connected. From the opening of the new station, this was only served in freight traffic. This relocation and the connection of the VGJ to the Olskroken station increased the traffic importance of the route. The construction also included three relatively large bridges, some with four tracks, some of which were used by SJ. In 1938, with the electrification and relocation of BJ, the bridge over Slakthusgatan was added.

The construction costs, together with the necessary land purchase, which did not already belong to the railway or the city of Gothenburg, amounted to 1,870,000 crowns. All the necessary land owned by the city was included in the construction project free of charge. The value of these properties was estimated at over a million crowns. In addition, the city of Gothenburg paid a further million crowns for the benefit of combining the railway systems in one place and exposing the areas at Lilla Bommen.

It quickly became apparent that the conversion brought many advantages. The VGJ train station was in a convenient location. On the ground floor of the building there were rooms for handling, an express goods warehouse and a waiting room with a kiosk. The administration was housed on the upper floor, Statens Järnvägar used the third floor and apartments were located on the fourth floor.

VGJ vehicles

The description of the development of the vehicle stock essentially concerns the VGJ. The important vehicles of the other railways, which were managed by VGJ, are mentioned for the individual companies. The following table gives an overview of vehicles at VGJ in the years 1900, 1925 and 1947.

design type	1900	1925	1947
Tank locomotive	4th	10	7th
Locomotive with a tender	4th	18th	24
Diesel locomotive	-	-	1
Combustion railcars	-	4th	8th
2-axle railcar trailer	-	-	6th
4-axle railcar trailer	-	-	6th
Shunting locomotives	-	-	2
2-axle passenger car	6th	50	31
Bogie passenger cars	6th	20th	36
2-axle baggage or freight wagons	183	846	801
3-axle baggage or freight wagons	-	20th	60
4-axle baggage or freight wagons	-	-	1
2-axle mail wagons or wagons with a mail compartment	3	6th	4th

Further vehicle acquisitions and construction of workshops

Just one year after the opening of the first route, it turned out that the available vehicles were insufficient. This applied to freight and passenger cars. In view of this, 40 gondolas and five 2-axle passenger cars were ordered. Ten of the freight wagons were designed in such a way that a superstructure necessary for passenger traffic could be built. The wagons could be used for this purpose during the warmer months of the year. Two C-coupled tank locomotives from Nydqvist & Holm in Trollhättan and a small shunting locomotive were also purchased.

The traffic development soon made further purchases necessary. Two more locomotives were bought in 1904, along with four bogie passenger cars and a number of freight cars. In 1906 ten boxcars and 20 gondolas were procured, the latter with three axles and a load capacity of 14 tons. In the same year, two tank locomotives were ordered for freight trains. In the years that followed, the number of locomotives and wagons was supplemented to the extent that the increase in traffic required.

Due to the constant addition of rolling stock, the necessity arose to build a workshop with modern, labor-saving machines. This workshop was built in Gothenburg. Engine sheds were also built in Gothenburg, Tumleberg, Sollebrunn and Skara.

With the takeover of MKJ in 1909, traffic continued to grow and required additional rolling stock. Two tank locomotives were ordered for freight trains together with a number of covered and open freight cars. The delivery was to take place at the turn of the year 1909/10, which was delayed by six months due to the conditions on the labor market.

In 1910 the workshop in Gothenburg was completed. Another engine shed was built in Vara and the roundhouse in Skara was expanded. For this purpose, covered and open freight cars as well as two bogie passenger cars were bought again. Thanks to agreements with the neighboring narrow-gauge railways, the rolling stock could be used jointly on all routes of the companies involved. The commissioning of the Mariestad – Gårdsjö line again led to increased demand for passenger and freight cars, so that additional purchases were made.

In 1912 a new engine shed was built in Sjövik. In addition, the coaling plants in Gothenburg, Tumleberg, Kålltorp and Gårdsjö were expanded. Additional wagons, including those with a load capacity of twelve tons, were purchased and delivered in December of the same year. The traffic continued to grow and the fleet of vehicles had to be expanded. In 1912, five passenger cars and 30 boxcars were ordered, which were delivered the following year.

In 1915, 100 freight wagons with a loading capacity of twelve tons per wagon were ordered for delivery during the current year and for 1916.

In 1916 the LSSJ workshop moved from Lidköping to Skara. So the system could be used better. Various repair work was carried out for the VGJ from this point on.

In 1917 and 1918, and even more so in 1919, the prices of locomotives and wagons rose significantly. The materials required for production could not be procured in sufficient quantities. For this reason, as in 1920, no additions were made to the vehicle fleet. When the situation normalized again, two passenger locomotives, 15 passenger cars and 15 freight cars were ordered. Looking ahead, the relatively large number of other passenger cars was necessary for the anniversary exhibition in Gothenburg in 1923.

In order to reduce operating costs and to increase the number of passenger trains on some sections of the route, VGJ began testing multiple units in 1923. For this purpose, Kalmar mekaniska Verkstad bought a railcar with a petrol engine with 75 hp, which was first used on the Nossebro – Skara route. This marked the beginning of a new era in the company's history. It was intended that, in the event of a positive trial run on route sections and on trains, where the number of passengers allowed it, a switch to railcar operation should be made. After the trial run of the railcar had proven itself, two more vehicles were purchased from Deutsche Werke, Kiel , in 1924 . The cars were delivered in 1925.

In 1924 the depot was relocated from Vara to Nossebro and at the same time expanded with some parking spaces for railcars. The locomotive sheds in Sjövik and Skara have also been expanded with parking spaces for railcar operations. The locomotive treatment systems in Torved were relocated to Mariestad and the shed was converted for railcar operation.

In 1927, the company acquired a number of refrigerated vehicles and modernized older vehicles. In 1930 a locomotive and another railcar were bought by DWK.

In 1933, a railcar was converted from a passenger coach in Hässleholm. It received a 160 hp engine from DWK. In the VGJ workshop in Gothenburg, further improvements were made with the extension of the driver's cab, the installation of 53 upholstered seats, a toilet facility and a luggage compartment. The car weighed 27 tons and had a wheelbase of 12.335 meters. The engine was equipped with a magneto ignition. The two petrol tanks, which held 250 liters, were arranged on the roof together with the engine cooling system.

The following year, test drives with a modern first-class Scania-Vabis railcar, which was supplied by Nydkvist & Holm in Trollhättan, took place on the VBJ routes. The car has 35 seats. The seats were covered with fabric in a blue shade. He had a sound system designed to announce the station names. The doors could be closed automatically. The engine was a 100 hp Hesselman crude oil engine and the power was transmitted through a hydraulic transmission. The brakes were hydraulic as well. The car could run at a top speed of 80 km / h. To reduce the driving noise, a rubber pad was inserted between the wheel and the wheel tire for the first time.

The background to the use of this railcar was the intention to obtain a government loan for the procurement of such vehicles for further investigations into the possible uses, which was supported by the king. It was private railways in Sweden who took the initiative to motorize rail transport. The railcars proved to be particularly suitable for routes with low passenger numbers. This significantly reduced operating costs. The first vehicles were still quite simple and not particularly reliable, which changed quickly in the course of the testing period. VGJ wanted to use every opportunity to expand the railcar traffic, which was not possible due to the Second World War.

In the years 1937–1938, the inventory of rolling stock was further increased, including a shunting locomotive, a motor locomotive and two freight locomotives. In addition, three bogie passenger cars were modernized and a number of old open two-axle freight cars were fitted with a third axle.

In 1939, after various test drives, two bogie railcars were put into regular service. These had been bought from Motala Verkstad in Motala and were equipped with two Mercedes Benz engines, which were later replaced by Scania Vabis engines. The latter had an output of 180 hp each. The power was transmitted by hydraulic gears, the brakes were also hydraulic. In the same year five more bogie passenger cars were bought, and the following year four, all of which were supplied by a German company. In 1940 the fuel allocations were cut due to the war, so that motor locomotives and railcars had to be taken out of service. Some of them have been converted to gas propulsion.

However, in 1941 the inventory of rolling stock could be increased further. A locomotive, a rail bus and a bogie passenger car were procured, and the conversion and modernization of passenger cars continued. In 1943 three older bogie passenger cars and two bogie railcars were modernized. In addition, a steam locomotive was bought from Norra Östergötlands järnvägar .

In Hilding Carlsson Mekaniska Verkstad in Umeå five railcar trailers, including one just for passengers were two with a compartment for passengers and baggage, and ordered two just in luggage transport. These were delivered between February and April 1944. Five bogie railcars, four bogie side cars and one bogie side car for mail and luggage were ordered from General Motors Nordiska AB, and they were put into operation at VGJ on April 1, 1945.

Vehicle maintenance was carried out in our own workshops. The work is divided up so that the locomotive repairs were carried out in the workshop in Gothenburg while the wagons were repaired in Skara. The railcar maintenance was mainly carried out in Gothenburg and Skara. There were also workshops for motor vehicles in Sollebrunn and Skara.

Railway depots existed in 1945 in (in brackets the stock of locomotives and motor vehicles): Göteborg Rangerbangården (9/0), Göteborg Odinstallet (4/2), Sjövik (0/2), Nossebro (2/3), Skara (8/8 ), Mariestad (5/2), Skövde (0/2), Stenstorp (2/0), Gårdsjö (3/1) and Gullspång (0/1).

Most of the locomotives were equipped with two brake systems, one with a vacuum brake for passenger trains and one with a compressed air brake for freight trains. For a long time, the freight trains at VGJ were manned by brakes, who put the hand brakes on the wagons at a signal from the locomotive. In connection with the transport of standard gauge wagons on trolleys, these trolleys were equipped with compressed air brakes. In the mid-1940s, the rest of the freight cars were fitted with air brakes. This measure was not finished with the nationalization and was only completed by SJ.

nationalization

In May 1939 the Swedish Reichstag passed a decision regarding general rail nationalization . The state bought many private railroad companies through voluntary negotiations. On November 4, 1946, the VGJ received a written request as to whether it was ready to sell the company to the state.

After long discussions within the VGJ, the general meeting decided on February 16, 1948 to sell the VGJ, LSSJ, MMJ, TNJ and STJ with all associated property including car traffic under the following conditions:

• Assumption of all debts and other obligations
• Payment of a purchase price of 900,000 kroner, plus a fixed amount of 42,000 kroner made available by the state for the costs incurred with the transfer of ownership.

As a result, VGJ shareholders received a little more than 20 kroner for one share. In addition, some shares had to be reallocated, because VGJ owned 3,233 of 3,252 shares in LSSJ, 2,399 of 2,494 shares in MMJ and 96 of 100 shares in TNJ and STJ. LSSJ 2116 and MMJ 410 also owned 39,438 shares in VGJ.

The proposal was accepted unanimously. As a result, Statens Järnvägar was the new owner of the company from July 1, 1948, which was then liquidated. The VGJ routes were integrated into the SJ organization. From then on, all narrow-gauge railways in Västergötland were managed from Lidköping, while machine and traffic management was based in Skara.

The lack of steam locomotives, largely due to the procurement difficulties during the war, meant that SJ had to fetch locomotives from other nationalized companies, including the islands of Gotland and Öland and Småland. After the delivery of the new type Gp steam locomotives , the stock was covered. The SJ steam locomotives, which were in use on the former VGJ network, were fitted with equipment for vacuum brakes, as the passenger car park only consisted of cars with vacuum brakes.

SJ pursued the former plans of VGJ to carry out most of the traffic with motor locomotives. In 1954 a number of the new type Tp diesel locomotives were delivered, which very quickly replaced the steam locomotives. At the end of the 1950s, steam locomotives were practically no longer in use; they had been replaced by the Tp locomotives in freight traffic and by multiple units in passenger traffic.

Partial conversion to standard gauge

Discussions about the expansion of the rail network to standard gauge already existed in 1920. This measure was not carried out mainly for economic reasons. The plans for renovations were taken up again after the nationalization. In the late 1950s it was decided to equip some of the former VGJ lines with standard gauge tracks.

The first line to be converted to standard gauge was the Gårdsjö – Mariestad section, with the first trains running on August 1, 1961. The conversion of the Mariestad – Forshem line was completed on July 21, 1962.

The narrow-gauge track between Gullspång and Skagersvik and between Skagersvik and Torved was replaced in 1963 and 1964. These two sections were converted for military reasons, and regular train services were never used again. The route is still there.

The former line of the Lidköpings Järnvägar Forshem – Lidköping – Håkantorp had already been converted to standard gauge. Operations were resumed on September 24, 1953 between Håkantorp and Lidköping and on May 20, 1954 on the Lidköping – Forshem line. With the standard gauge section Gårdsjö – Mariestad – Forshem, a new contiguous line was created, which is operated as länsjärnväg (regional line) and was named Kinnekullebanan in 1988 as part of the renaming of the line by Banverket .

Closure of the former VGJ lines

During the SJ period, the narrow-gauge railways, which had been an important part of society and the economy for many years, came under pressure. The development of traffic in both trucks, buses and cars over time increased. Despite the rationalization, the competitiveness of the narrow-gauge railways fell. This reduced profitability and resulted in losses. A large part of the railways was shut down and dismantled.

• Passenger traffic on the Torved – Gullspång railway was practically ceased on June 11, 1945, after having been insignificant since May 22, 1932. The official shutdown took place on June 1, 1956.
• On the Tumleberg – Håkantorp railway line, all traffic was stopped on September 1, 1953 in connection with the conversion to standard gauge between Håkantorp and Lidköping.
• Freight traffic on the Gössäter – Vänern railway was stopped on February 14, 1955. In the same year the line was dismantled.
• On the railway line Sjövik – Lärje – Göteborg Ö, which was only used for freight traffic after the new station in Gothenburg, freight traffic was stopped on February 28, 1961. The line was dismantled in 1962.
• There has been no freight traffic on the Torved – Skagersvik railway since 1961. The official setting took place in 1965.
• Passenger traffic on the Sjövik – Gothenburg line was stopped on May 28, 1967. The line was dismantled in 1967/68.
• All traffic on the Sjövik – Nossebro railway was suspended on August 24, 1979.
• Passenger traffic on the Nossebro – Skara – Götene railway was suspended on August 24, 1970.
• All traffic on the Götene – Forshem railway was suspended on August 24, 1970.
• Freight traffic on the Gullspång – Skagersvik railway was stopped in March 1983.
• Freight traffic on the Vara – Götene railway was stopped on October 1, 1984.
• Freight traffic on the Vara – Nossebro railway was unofficially suspended on February 1, 1987. The last freight train was already running on December 19, 1986. Freight traffic officially ceased on October 1, 1989. The dismantling of the line began in 1988.
• Freight traffic on the Mariestad – Forshem– (Lidköping) railway was stopped on June 10, 1991.

Museum operation

Museiföreningen Anten – Gräfsnäs Järnväg

The Anten – Gräfsnäs slottspark railway line is owned by Museiföreningen Anten – Gräfsnäs Järnväg , which is responsible for maintenance. The subsequent section between Gräfsnäs slottspark and Nossebro was dismantled in 1970/71, as was the section between Sjövik and Anten.

Museiföreningen Skara – Lundsbrunns Järnväg

The Skara – Lundsbrunn railway is owned by the Museiföreningen Skara – Lundsbrunns Järnväg , which is responsible for maintenance. The subsequent section between Vara and Skara was dismantled in 1985, as was the section between Lundsbrunn and Forshem.

literature

• Västergötland – Göteborgs Järnvägar , Historical compilation by Måns Mannerfelt, Elanders Boktryckeri Aktiebolag, Göteborg 1948.

Web links

• VGJ, Västergötland – Göteborgs Järnvägar (swed.)
• Preserved vehicles from VGJ at the Anten – Gräsnäs museum railway
• Preserved vehicles from VGJ at the Skara – Lundsbrunn museum railway

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Historical plan of the Gothenburg railway system in 1938 (Swedish)
2. ↑ ^{a b} DWK delivery list for VGJ