Norsjö aerial tramway
Encyclopedia
Norsjö aerial tramway is a 13.2 kilometre long aerial tramway
(cable car) between Örträsk and Mensträsk in the Norsjö Municipality
in Sweden
.
Norsjö aerial tramway went in service for passenger traffic in 1989 as a tourist attraction. It is a section of the longest ropeway conveyor
in the world at 96 km, built in the 1940s by the predecessors of Boliden AB
to transport buckets of ore
from Kristineberg, Lycksele
to Boliden
. Between 1943 and 1987 this ropeway moved 12 million tons of ore concentrates containing copper, lead, zinc, sulfur, silver and gold.
In technical terms, the Norsjö aerial tramway is a bi-cable gondola lift
with detachable cabins suspended from a track rope and moved by a haul rope. The cabins can each carry four people at a speed of 10 km/hour, taking 1h 45mins to ride one way. 3 km of the ride is above lakes and streams.
made road transport of ore increasingly expensive for Boliden AB. With a straight line distance of around 90 kilometers, the copper mine in Kristinberg was farthest from its main facility in Boliden
. In addition to the rationed imports, steel and even concrete were precious commodities at the time. So while a couple of railway solutions, including a decauville
, were evaluated the ropeway came out on top because of its favourable construction material requirements.
Planning started in 1941, the initial idea was run the ropeway straight between Boliden and Kristineberg, with supports made from arsenic-treated wood to keep construction costs at a minimum. To make the most of the investment, however, it was decided to run the line across a number of newly discovered ore bodies to allow loading onto the ropeway once exploration was commenced - intermediate stations were required around every 13 km in any case. Reinforced concrete
supports were chosen in lieu of wood, making them substantially longer-lasting with less maintenance. The supports and mechanical systems were identical to the 42 km Forsby-Köping limestone cableway
completed in 1941 in middle Sweden, which served as a proof-of-concept for the enormous technological undertaking.
By April 1942, a workforce of 1500 men was deployed to pave support roads, clear forest (in a 40 m wide corridor to avoid damage from falling trees), cast and assemble supports and mechanical stations. 514 poles - with 16 standing in waterways - were raised, along with 10 driving- and loading stations as well as 25 intermediate tension stations. The tallest pillars at the crossing of the Skellefte river
were 38 m tall with an internal staircase. Pole-to-pole span ranged between 11 and 429 meters.
The first ore gondola was sent across the 96 km line on 14 April 1943, 370 days after construction commenced and 4 ½ months ahead of schedule, . During its 45 year operation, the cableway was periodically evaluated for its competitiveness with road transport. Numerous optimizations, including lighter gondolas and full-on automation were enacted to maintain its lead. Eventually in 1986 the circumstances had changed to the point where heavy truck
s were more economical, and the ropeway was closed and demolished in the following years.
At the time of decommissioning a society was founded, Världens längsta linbaneförening ("World's longest ropeway society"), for the preservation of the cableway. Section IV, one of the eight parts of roughly 13 km, was preserved and converted to passenger transport. As of 2010 it is still operated during the summer and a few other occasions by Linab i Norsjö AB.
While all mechanical installations for the rest of the system, as well as gondolas and cables were torn down, most of the support pillars were left standing along their path through the woods. The cut-down corridor is still clearly visible on satellite images, a number of support pillars can also be seen at road crossings in Google street view
.
Aerial tramway
An aerial tramway , cable car , ropeway or aerial tram is a type of aerial lift which uses one or two stationary ropes for support while a third moving rope provides propulsion...
(cable car) between Örträsk and Mensträsk in the Norsjö Municipality
Norsjö Municipality
Norsjö Municipality is a municipality in Västerbotten County in northern Sweden. Its seat is located in Norsjö.In 1974 Norsjö and Malå municipalities were amalgamated, forming the new Norsjö Municipality. In 1983 Malå Municipality was re-established within the pre-1974 borders.-History:The first...
in Sweden
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....
.
Norsjö aerial tramway went in service for passenger traffic in 1989 as a tourist attraction. It is a section of the longest ropeway conveyor
Ropeway conveyor
A ropeway conveyor or material ropeway is essentially a subtype of gondola lift, from which containers for goods rather than passenger cars are suspended....
in the world at 96 km, built in the 1940s by the predecessors of Boliden AB
Boliden AB
New Boliden is a Swedish mining and smelting company focusing on production of copper, zinc, lead, gold and silver. Following a series of acquisitions during the 1980s and 1990s the company acquired mining and smelting assets of the Finnish mining and smelting company Outokumpu in 2003. Outokumpu...
to transport buckets of ore
Ore
An ore is a type of rock that contains minerals with important elements including metals. The ores are extracted through mining; these are then refined to extract the valuable element....
from Kristineberg, Lycksele
Kristineberg, Lycksele
Kristineberg is a locality situated in Lycksele Municipality, Västerbotten County, Sweden with 331 inhabitants in 2005.Near Kristineberg is Kristinebergsgruvan, a former open pit copper mine exploited by the predecessor of the present Boliden AB. The ore was transported via a 96 km long ropeway...
to Boliden
Boliden
Boliden is a locality situated in Skellefteå Municipality, Västerbotten County, Sweden with 1,515 inhabitants in 2005. It lies 28,5 kilometers from Skellefteå City....
. Between 1943 and 1987 this ropeway moved 12 million tons of ore concentrates containing copper, lead, zinc, sulfur, silver and gold.
In technical terms, the Norsjö aerial tramway is a bi-cable gondola lift
Gondola lift
A gondola lift is a type of aerial lift, normally called a cable car, which is supported and propelled by cables from above. It consists of a loop of steel cable that is strung between two stations, sometimes over intermediate supporting towers. The cable is driven by a bullwheel in a terminal,...
with detachable cabins suspended from a track rope and moved by a haul rope. The cabins can each carry four people at a speed of 10 km/hour, taking 1h 45mins to ride one way. 3 km of the ride is above lakes and streams.
Kristineberg-Boliden ropeway
The shortage of fuel and rubber during World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
made road transport of ore increasingly expensive for Boliden AB. With a straight line distance of around 90 kilometers, the copper mine in Kristinberg was farthest from its main facility in Boliden
Boliden
Boliden is a locality situated in Skellefteå Municipality, Västerbotten County, Sweden with 1,515 inhabitants in 2005. It lies 28,5 kilometers from Skellefteå City....
. In addition to the rationed imports, steel and even concrete were precious commodities at the time. So while a couple of railway solutions, including a decauville
Decauville
The Decauville manufacturing company was founded by Paul Decauville , a French pioneer in industrial railways. Decauville's major innovation was the use of ready-made sections of light, narrow gauge track fastened to steel sleepers; this track was portable and could be disassembled and transported...
, were evaluated the ropeway came out on top because of its favourable construction material requirements.
Planning started in 1941, the initial idea was run the ropeway straight between Boliden and Kristineberg, with supports made from arsenic-treated wood to keep construction costs at a minimum. To make the most of the investment, however, it was decided to run the line across a number of newly discovered ore bodies to allow loading onto the ropeway once exploration was commenced - intermediate stations were required around every 13 km in any case. Reinforced concrete
Reinforced concrete
Reinforced concrete is concrete in which reinforcement bars , reinforcement grids, plates or fibers have been incorporated to strengthen the concrete in tension. It was invented by French gardener Joseph Monier in 1849 and patented in 1867. The term Ferro Concrete refers only to concrete that is...
supports were chosen in lieu of wood, making them substantially longer-lasting with less maintenance. The supports and mechanical systems were identical to the 42 km Forsby-Köping limestone cableway
Forsby-Köping limestone cableway
The Forsby-Köping limestone cableway, commonly referred to in swedish as Kalklinbanan, is a 42 km aerial tramway running from Forsby in Vingåker municipality to industrial town Köping in central Sweden. Its final destination is the factory at the port of Köping, where cement was manufactured until...
completed in 1941 in middle Sweden, which served as a proof-of-concept for the enormous technological undertaking.
By April 1942, a workforce of 1500 men was deployed to pave support roads, clear forest (in a 40 m wide corridor to avoid damage from falling trees), cast and assemble supports and mechanical stations. 514 poles - with 16 standing in waterways - were raised, along with 10 driving- and loading stations as well as 25 intermediate tension stations. The tallest pillars at the crossing of the Skellefte river
Skellefte River
The Skellefte River is a river in northern Sweden; one of the major Norrland rivers..Geographically, it starts in the Norrbotten County, also known as the Swedish Lappland province where it drains the lakes Hornavan, Uddjaur and Storavan near Arjeplog; then goes south-east into Västerbotten...
were 38 m tall with an internal staircase. Pole-to-pole span ranged between 11 and 429 meters.
The first ore gondola was sent across the 96 km line on 14 April 1943, 370 days after construction commenced and 4 ½ months ahead of schedule, . During its 45 year operation, the cableway was periodically evaluated for its competitiveness with road transport. Numerous optimizations, including lighter gondolas and full-on automation were enacted to maintain its lead. Eventually in 1986 the circumstances had changed to the point where heavy truck
Truck
A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport cargo. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, with the smallest being mechanically similar to an automobile...
s were more economical, and the ropeway was closed and demolished in the following years.
At the time of decommissioning a society was founded, Världens längsta linbaneförening ("World's longest ropeway society"), for the preservation of the cableway. Section IV, one of the eight parts of roughly 13 km, was preserved and converted to passenger transport. As of 2010 it is still operated during the summer and a few other occasions by Linab i Norsjö AB.
While all mechanical installations for the rest of the system, as well as gondolas and cables were torn down, most of the support pillars were left standing along their path through the woods. The cut-down corridor is still clearly visible on satellite images, a number of support pillars can also be seen at road crossings in Google street view
Google Street View
Google Street View is a technology featured in Google Maps and Google Earth that provides panoramic views from various positions along many streets in the world...
.