2: THE THAMSHAVN LINE LOCOMOTIVES
Ore cars
From 1908 to 1974, a total of 93 ore cars were in use. The first 23 cars were delivered for the opening of the line from Strømmens Værksted. Later deliveries came from Skabo Jernbanevognfabrikk. The largest acquisition of 38 ore cars took place in 1916 – due to the large increase in production at the mine.
The ore cars from Skabo could carry 14 tons, with a dead weight of 5.5 tons. A typical ore train consisted of around 20 cars, weighing roughly 450 tons in total.
Cargo car 109
In 1916, The Thamshavn Railway received three stake cars from Skabo Jernbanevognfabrikk: no. 107, 108 and 109. No. 109 has been preserved and restored. The stake cars were used to transport, among other things, timber and building materials, or even gravel that was held in place by 40 cm high scaffolding.
There were various types of freight cars in use on the line. These were delivered as stake cars or closed freight cars from either Strømmen Værksted or Skabo Jernbanevognfabrikk. Freight traffic changed over time, which led to the rebuilding and adaptation of the wagon stock – e.g. to magnetite cars in 1920, and flat cars in the 1950s.
Kerb weight: 6 tons
Length: 8 004 mm
Cargo capacity: 13.5 tons
Cargo space: 14.4 m²
Volume: 5.9 m³
Steam locomotives
Although The Thamshavn Railway is electrified, several types of steam locomotives have run here. The first was an older steam locomotive known as "Kvenna", also called "Coffeekvenna" – bought second-hand from The Nesttun-Os Railway and rebuilt to a 1000 mm gauge. Kvenna pulled the very first ore train on the line, on November 17, 1907.
A few years later, steam locomotive no. 9 arrived – a small, six-coupled steam locomotive from the German manufacturer Borsig. During World War II, steam locomotives no. 11–15, and no. 99.221 and 99.223 also arrived. This meant that operations could be sustained even if the electric train operation was sabotaged.
Motorised carriages no. 5 and 6
The motorised carriages were delivered by Skabo Jernbanevognfabrikk in 1910. They had 54 seats divided into three compartments. The carriages were equipped with powerful engines that could pull three passenger cars. So-called mixed trains consisting of a motorised carriage, passenger cars and empty ore cars were a common sight between Thamshavn and Løkken.
The motorised carriages were blown up by sabotage missions during World War II and never saw service on the line again.
Electrical equipment: AEG
Mechanical equipment: Skabo Jernbanevognfabrikk
Delivered: 1910
Axle arrangement: Bo' Bo'
Transformer: 180 kVa
Number of motors: 4
Motor type: Winther-Eichberg
Power: 300 hp
Maximum speed: 50 km/h
Length: 16 080 mm
Weight: 30 tons
Driving wheel: 950 mm
Number of seats: 54
Passenger carriages no. 9, 10, 11 and 12
The passenger carriages were delivered by Skabo Jernbanevognfabrikk for the opening in 1908, and remained in use until passenger traffic was discontinued in 1963. Cars 9 and 10 had two 3rd class compartments (40 seats) as well as a freight, mail and conductor’s compartment. Cars 11 and 12 had two 3rd class compartments and one 1st class compartment (52 seats).
Car 12 currently runs on The Setesdal Railway (museum line), while car 11 runs here on The Thamshavn Railway with a reconstructed 1st class compartment – since this had been converted to a 3rd class compartment in 1949.
Length: 16 140 mm
Weight: 16 tons
Standard speed: 60 km/h
Number of seats: 40/52
Assembly car
The assembly car was first used in the extensive work of building the railway’s overhead line, and later for its maintenance. This is some of the oldest preserved equipment from the railway’s early period. The wagon consists of a wooden structure mounted on a railway undercarriage, and it enabled the workers to reach the heights to assemble and maintain the electrical system above the track.
The assembly car was built according to drawings from Elektrisk Bureau, probably at the railway’s own workshop in Thamshavn. The "Tower Wagon", as it was also called, was in use for about 90 years – right up until the end of the 1990s.
Locomotives 1, 2 and 3
Locomotives no. 1, 2 and 3 were delivered for the opening of the line in 1908, and are considered pioneer projects in alternating current railway operation. Locomotives 1 and 3 were blown up in sabotage missions during World War II. Locomotive 3 was repaired and eventually gifted to the electrical department at NTH (now NTNU) in 1972. Locomotive 2 is in use on the museum line, as the world’s oldest alternating current-powered locomotive in operation.
Manufacturer: British Westinghouse (electrical equipment) and W. G. Bagnall (mechanical equipment)
Axle arrangement: Bo' Bo'
Transformer: 80 kVa
Number of motors: 4
Motor type: Westinghouse
Power: 160 hp
Maximum speed: 40 km/h
Pulling power: 50 tons
Length: 8500 mm
Weight: 20 tons
Driving wheel: 835 mm
Locomotives 7 And 8
These were the workhorses of the Thamshavn Line, pulling the pyrite trains from 1918 until traffic was suspended in 1974. Both locomotives were blown up in a sabotage mission on 31 October 1943. They were rebuilt at Thamshavn (Locomotive 7) and in Oslo (Locomotive 8). Locomotive 8 was blown up again by the Oslo Gang led by Gunnar Sønsteby, but was repaired once more and is still in use on the museum line.
Manufacturer: Allmänna Svenska Elektriska Aktiebolaget (ASEA) (electrical equipment) and AB Svenska Järnvägsverkstäderna (ASJ) (mechanical equipment)
Axle arrangement: B' B'
Transformer: 350 kVa
Number of motors: 4
Motor type: E 100
Power: 400 hp
Maximum speed: 50 km/h
Pulling power: 380 tons
Length: 9030 mm
Weight: 44 tons
Driving wheel: 1000 mm
Locomotives 5 And 6
The locomotives were put into service for passenger trains from 1950, as replacements for locomotives 2 and 3. When passenger traffic was discontinued in 1963, they were used as shunting engines for loading pyrite wagons at Løkken and unloading them at Thamshavn. Locomotive 5 was put back into service when the museum railway opened in 1983. Locomotive 6 was also in service on the museum railway between 1986-1996.
Manufacturer: Norsk Elektrisk & Brown Boveri AS (NEBB) (electrical equipment) and Skabo Jernbanevognfabrikk AS (mechanical equipment)
Axle arrangement: Bo
Transformer: 225 kVa
Number of motors: 2
Motor type: ELM 1380 st.
Power: 240 hp
Maximum speed: 60 km/h
Pulling power: 200 tons
Length: 6920 mm
Weight: 22 tons
Driving wheel: 850 mm
The Royal Car
The Royal Car was delivered for the opening of the Thamshavn Line in 1908. Since HM King Haakon VII rode in it, the train car was nicknamed the Royal Car. It was later used as a representational train car for the company’s management.
The exterior of the train car is built using teak, originally in a golden pattern, but painted burgundy in 1929. Inside, there are luxurious details such as embossed wallpaper, light plaster ornaments, dark oak with elaborate carvings, seats in red-coloured buffalo skin, chandeliers in the ceiling, and a separate toilet behind frosted glass.
This is the world’s oldest powered salon train car still in operation.
Manufacturer: British Westinghouse (electrical equipment) and United Electric Car Co. Ltd. (mechanical equipment)
Year delivered: 1908
Axle arrangement: Bo' 2
Transformer: 40 kVa
Number of motors: 2
Motor type: Westinghouse
Power: 80 hp
Maximum speed: 50 km/h
Number of seats: 19
Length: 12870 mm
Weight: 22.8 tons
Driving wheel: 835 mm
The Summer Locomotive
The locomotive was delivered in 1950 and took over the number from the Westinghouse locomotive that was scrapped during the war. This locomotive was intended for use on pyrite trains, but could not make it up the slopes between Svorkmo and Løkken in the winter. It was thus nicknamed the «Summer Locomotive» – and perhaps that is why it was painted green in the 1960s, unlike the other locomotives which were blue. The locomotive was in operation until 1974, and now runs on the museum railway.
Manufacturer: Norsk Elektrisk & Brown Boveri AS (NEBB) (electrical equipment) and Skabo Jernbanevognfabrikk AS (mechanical equipment)
Axle arrangement: Bo' Bo'
Transformer: 445 kVa
Number of motors: 4
Motor type: ELM 1380 st.e
Power: 480 hp
Maximum speed: 60 km/h
Pulling power: 400 tons
Length: 9300 mm
Weight: 40 tons
Driving wheel: 850 mm
Locomotives 9 And 10
These diesel-mechanical locomotives were acquired in 1952 to replace the last steam locomotives in use on the Thamshavn Line. There were tracks that were not electrified, especially in the warehouse areas and at the Thamshavn smelting plant, and there was therefore a need for some locomotives that ran on steam or diesel.
Manufacturer: Ruston
Axle arrangement: Cdm
Type: 165 DS
Number of motors: 1
Motor type: Ruston Mark 6 VPHL 6 cyl.
Power: 165 hp
Maximum speed: 30 km/h
Pulling power: 380 tons
Length: 6464 + couplings
Weight: 32 tons
Driving wheel: 978 mm
Fuel oil: 360 l (80 gallons)