Holmestrand–Vittingfoss Line

The railway line Holme beach - Vittingfoss ( Norwegian " Holme beach - Vittingfossbanen " (HVB ) ) was a narrow gauge railway line in Norway. Opened on September 30, 1902, on June 1, 1938 abandoned lines resulted from Holme beach in Vestfold by Hvittingfoss in Buskerud.

The basis for the route pulp mill Vittingfos Træsliberi ( Vittingfos Brug ) in Hvittingfoss. Therein, the pulp was removed, which was produced from the information about the rafted Numedalslågen wood.

Holme beach - Vittingfossbanen

The construction of the road through the private corporation Holme beach - Vittingfossbanen was decided by the Storting on 23 July 1886. The concession for the construction of the line was granted on 6 February 1899. The share capital of the Company was 684 788 crowns, the track construction cost 1.06 million crowns. The state paid for such an interest-free loan.

The track was very profitable in the first ten years and 1910/1911 the surplus was 29713.29 crowns, which were 21.75% of the revenue.

From 1927 there was a common manager for this route and also for the private Tønsberg Eidsfossbanen.

Vestfold Privatbaner

In 1934, the merger of the two companies Holme beach - Vittingfossbanen and Tønsberg Eidsfossbanen for A / S Vestfold Privatbaner. Passenger traffic on the HVB was set on 27 September 1931. Goods traffic was temporarily set of 1935 because of the closure of the Vittingfos Brug, since no goods were transported to.

The line was taken over by the state in 1938 and decommissioned on 1 June 1938. All tracks have been removed.

Route

The track was built in two parts. A part of the track led from Holme beach by Hillestad, the second from Hof ​​to Hvittingfoss. The connection between Hillestad and the Court found a year earlier opened railway line Tønsberg Eidsfoss ago. For the use of the route Holme beach - Vittingfossbanen paid rent.

The distance between Holme beach and Hvittingfoss is characterized by large differences in height. The track was built with an increase of 2.5 percent and a curve radius of 100 meters. This is not sufficient to overcome the air. Thus, the line was out after reverse. There, the trains were turned over to gain more height. Reverse was a stop and also served for loading and unloading for the local milk factory.

Down to Hvittingfoss led the route in a large loop. In Holme beach, the train had its own railway station plass in the Havnegate on Dr. Graaruds.

The route to Holme beach met north of the station Holme beach on the Vestfoldbane, carried on along the coast, reaching privatbanestasjon in Havnegate Holme beach. From there it went on about today's industrial area, along Backers gate and Hagemannsveien after Gausen, where was the motor running. In Gausen the route crossed the Vestfoldbane and ends in reverse gracious plass in the Vestfoldgate where the train had to change his direction.

The travel time between stations was over 90 minutes for a distance of 31 kilometers. The distance on the road was only 23 kilometers where the train had to overcome lower slopes.

Locomotives

For the operation of the route several steam locomotives were procured. Some of them are mentioned here:

1931 was a tank locomotive with three coupled axles, a locomotive with three coupled axles and the two tank engines listed above with the wheel arrangement 1 D 1 available.

Remains of the railway line

From the track and the buildings of the railway station and goods shed in Hvittingfoss and the engine shed in Holme beach were obtained. However burned on April 27, 2013, the train station in Hvittingfoss.

The roundhouse of Gausen is intact and is used as a garage.

Museum Foreningen Vestfold Privatbaner

South of the Hillestad School in Hynnås the club museum Foreningen Vestfold Privatbaner has rebuilt 150 meters of track. It was rebuilt a copy of the station building Ramnes the former Tønsberg Eidsfossbanen, this was in 2013 started the construction of a small engine shed. A Narvesen kiosk is also available. The section of track is used for trolley rides.