Vrangfoss

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The Vrangfoss lock system

Vrangfoss is the name of the largest lock on the Telemark Canal in Norway . It is located at a junction of the Rv 359 between the places Ulefoss and Lunde in Vestfold og Telemark . The distance by water is 30 km to Skien and 75 km to Dalen .

Origin of name

The name is derived from the Vrangfoss waterfall . The river Eidselv , which connects the lakes Nomevatnet and Norsjø , fell here for a length of two kilometers through a narrow rock cut 25 meters before the construction of the Telemark Canal. Rafting was impossible at this point and it happened that tree trunks got stuck for years and it was often impossible to get the trunks loose. 14 people were busy all year round sorting and loosening the logs. Rubbing the logs together could even cause the logs to catch fire. When the canal was built, a dam was built so that the waterfall no longer exists today.

Lock system

The lock system around 1900

The lock was built in the form of a lock staircase as part of the construction of the Norsjø-Bandak Canal (also for short: Bandak Canal) in 1887–1892. The lower course of the river lies at 36 moh, the upper at 59 moh, so it overcomes a height of 23 meters. There are five separate lock chambers, the gates are each about eight meters high and weigh 11.5 tons. The gate beams are about 23.5 to 28 cm thick and up to 51 cm wide. The gates are still operated by hand today.

The monogram of King Oscar II and Prince Eugene , who visited the lock on October 29, 1893, is carved into the rock face of the lower canal .

More buildings

Of the former buildings at the lock, an old blacksmith's shop, the guardroom and the locker's house still existed today.

Sawmill

Below the lock there is a sawmill that is still in use today. Here the huge lock gates are built and other spare parts are made. After cutting, the components can be brought to the sluice directly via the lower canal or by land.

Dam wall and power plant

The dam wall next to the lock system is 32 meters high and up to 21 meters thick at its foot end. The course of the river to Lunde was dammed by a few meters as a result of the construction. The old needle weir was replaced by a concrete weir in 1962 .

The lower and upper canal runs are each shielded from the river by a stone wall so that the inlet into the canal is in calm waters.

The hydropower plant is on the other side of the lock system. The owner is Cappelen ANS , but Norsk Hydro is entitled to most of the production. The power plant has been in operation since 1962. The drop height is 23 meters and the energy is converted with the help of two Kaplan turbines . It has an output of 35 MW and an average annual production of 190 GWh per year.

bridges

There are two bridges in the immediate vicinity of the lock:

  • A replica of the old wooden bridge is located below the lock. The bridge crosses the Eiebekken stream.
  • The Fylkesvei 102 (Fv 102) crosses the Eidselv river below the lock. The road runs over a steel bridge that was built in 1958.

tourism

Vragfoss is used by both liners and pleasure boats in summer. It takes an hour to pass through the lock system - canoeists can move around the lock.

The liners are four nostalgic ships: The M / S Victoria is the "Queen of the Canal" and was built in 1882. The M / S Henrik Ibsen was built in 1907 and was originally in service in Sweden. It is named after Henrik Ibsen, who lived in Skien. After a long renovation period, the M / S Skarsfos from 1909 has been in use here since 2002. The newer M / S Telemarken from 1951 also operates.

The national cycle route 2 passes Vrangfoss.

Remarks

  1. ↑ Norwegian: vrang = unwilling, odd-headed; foss = waterfall
  2. ↑ meter over havet (meters above the sea)

swell

Coordinates: 59 ° 18 ′ 6.4 ″  N , 9 ° 12 ′ 13 ″  E