Lier Line
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Character | Passenger and freight | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Track gauge | 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Lier Line (
Discussions regarding the building of a line through Lier started in 1895, and construction commenced in 1901. The line opened on 12 July 1904 and was initially profitable, in part because of tourist traffic. In 1920, the Drammen Line was converted to
Route
The line was built with 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
The only track left after the demolishing was a short section at Lier Station, which remained until the station closed in 1973. The old Lier Station has been preserved. The section between Reenskaug, located a few hundred meters (yards) from Lier Station, to Landfald has become the suburban street Lijevegen. From Landfall to Egge, the right-of-way is an overgrown path. From Egge to Muggerud, the right-of-way is used as the street Banevegen. In 1993, the right-of-way from Muggerud to Rønningen was rebuilt as a hiking and riding path. The branch towards Tronstad Bruk has been converted to a street, although most of the right-of-way north of Rønning has disappeared, as it has been reclaimed as agricultural land, particularly north of Sylling. The station area at Svangstand in intact, with the station building looking just like it did in 1904. Other station buildings have been converted to homes or commercial buildings.[3]
History
The first political consideration of a proposal to build a line through the Lier Valley occurred on 2 March 1895,[4] when the municipal council discarded the idea, stating that it was of no interest for the community. However, there were many locals who had observed the economic impact the Drammen Line had on the southern part of the municipality, and called for a line also to the northern parts. In 1896, a committee was established, led by captain and entrepreneur H. J. Hofgaard.[5] Engineering reports estimated the costs to NOK 700,000, including NOK 37,000 for a steamship on Tyrifjorden. Estimates called for 23,900 passengers and 17,000 tonnes (17,000 long tons; 19,000 short tons) of cargo each year, which was sufficient to break even.[6]
They argued that the valley's two roads were insufficient for the valley's transport needs.
The committee proposed that the municipality buy shares for NOK 150,000. When the issue was debated in the municipal council on 9 June, it met with resistance from representatives from Tranby in the west of Lier, who stated that they felt that the railway would have no impact on them, and that the municipality should only buy shares for NOK 75,000. It resulted in a compromise where the municipality bought shares for NOK 100,000.[6] A year later, the municipality purchased shares for an addition NOK 30,000.[8] The other major shareholders were Drammen Municipality with NOK 30,000, Buskerud County Municipality with NOK 50,000 and private investors, who supplied NOK 174,050.[7]
During the debate in the
The line opened on 12 July 1904 and at the opening there were delivered two six-axle
The company bought the steamship Activ, which supplemented the incumbent ferry Ringerike on Tyrifjorden.[11] She had a capacity of 50 passengers and a crew of two, and a power output of 6 kilowatts (8 hp). She had been built in 1892 or 1894, and sold to A/S Lierbanen in 1904 or 1906. Activ was then put into service on the route from Sundvollan and Svangstrand. She was in bad shape, and was taken out of service in 1909, sold in 1911 and dismantled in 1914, after an accident.[12]
The first year of operation had 40,000 passengers and gave a small profit, but the next two gave deficits of NOK 5,000. Fiscal year 1907–08 gave a profit of NOK 11,000, increasing to NOK 18,562 in 1912–13—by then the line had 64,080 passengers.[11] The line had a large impact on Sylling, where the population increased from 467 in 1900 to 713 in 1910.[13]
In 1920, the Drammen Line was rebuilt to standard gauge, and all cargo between the two lines had to be
See also
- Narrow gauge railways in Norway
References
- ^ a b c d Aspenberg (1994): 136
- ^ Bjerke (1994): 225
- ^ Aspenberg (1994): 138–139
- ^ Gausemel (1969): 342
- ^ Gausemel (1969): 343
- ^ a b c Gausemel (1969): 344
- ^ a b Aspenberg (1994): 135
- ^ a b Gausemel (1969): 345
- ^ Aspenberg (1994): 135–136
- ^ Gausemel (1969): 346
- ^ a b Gausemel (1969): 350
- ^ Evanger, Kirsti (26 February 2008). "D/S Activ" (in Norwegian). Buskerud County Municipality. Archived from the original on 4 October 2011. Retrieved 1 May 2010.
- ^ Gausemel (1969): 351
- ^ Aspenberg (1994): 137–138
Bibliography
- ISBN 82-91448-00-0.
- Gausemel, Steffen (1969). Liers historie: Bind IV Bygdehistorie (in Norwegian). Lier: Lier Bygdeboknemd.
- Bjerke, Thor (1994). Banedata '94 (in Norwegian). Oslo: Norsk Jernbaneklubb. ISBN 82-90286-15-5.