Köping-Uttersberg-Riddarhyttan Railway
Encyclopedia
The Köping–Uttersberg–Riddarhyttan Railway (Swedish: Köping-Uttersberg-Riddarhyttans Järnväg or KURJ) was a narrow gauge railway in central Sweden
, 46 kilometers long. The railway went between the port city of Köping
and small industry cities e.g. Uttersberg and Riddarhyttan
in the northwestern direction. It existed 1864–1968.
This railway had a unique rail gauge
of , which is said not to have existed anywhere else in the world. This happened by mistake. The railway was planned to have , a relatively common gauge in Sweden at this time, around 1860. Something went wrong when ordering locomotives and rail cars. Probably someone measured in the wrong way on the track, which was built from Köping and on. Possibly there was a mistake with the Swedish and English foot, which differ by about 2.7%.
When the trains arrived they did not match the railway, and it was considered to be cheaper to move one rail
on the half-built railway, than to rebuild the vehicles.
In 1864 cargo traffic was started on a part of the railway. In 1866 the 35-kilometer-long Köping-Uttersberg railway was opened officially. In the year 1880 a new railway, the Uttersberg-Riddarhyttan railway was built by another company, with the same gauge. It was purchased by the Köping-Uttersberg company in 1911, and the combined railway was called Köping–Uttersberg–Riddarhyttan Railway. The passenger traffic was closed down in year 1952, and the last part of the freight traffic in 1968. All rails were afterwards removed.
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, 46 kilometers long. The railway went between the port city of Köping
Köping, Sweden
Köping is a locality and the seat of Köping Municipality in Västmanland County, Sweden. It had 17,358 inhabitants in 2005. It is known for the television series I en annan del av Köping.- History :...
and small industry cities e.g. Uttersberg and Riddarhyttan
Riddarhyttan
- External links :* *Images of , and by Jakob Ehrensvärd...
in the northwestern direction. It existed 1864–1968.
This railway had a unique rail gauge
Rail gauge
Track gauge or rail gauge is the distance between the inner sides of the heads of the two load bearing rails that make up a single railway line. Sixty percent of the world's railways use a standard gauge of . Wider gauges are called broad gauge; smaller gauges, narrow gauge. Break-of-gauge refers...
of , which is said not to have existed anywhere else in the world. This happened by mistake. The railway was planned to have , a relatively common gauge in Sweden at this time, around 1860. Something went wrong when ordering locomotives and rail cars. Probably someone measured in the wrong way on the track, which was built from Köping and on. Possibly there was a mistake with the Swedish and English foot, which differ by about 2.7%.
When the trains arrived they did not match the railway, and it was considered to be cheaper to move one rail
Gauge conversion
In rail transport, gauge conversion is the process of converting a railway from one rail gauge to another, through the alteration of the railway tracks...
on the half-built railway, than to rebuild the vehicles.
In 1864 cargo traffic was started on a part of the railway. In 1866 the 35-kilometer-long Köping-Uttersberg railway was opened officially. In the year 1880 a new railway, the Uttersberg-Riddarhyttan railway was built by another company, with the same gauge. It was purchased by the Köping-Uttersberg company in 1911, and the combined railway was called Köping–Uttersberg–Riddarhyttan Railway. The passenger traffic was closed down in year 1952, and the last part of the freight traffic in 1968. All rails were afterwards removed.