There is a few operational narrow-gauge railways in Norways. Norwegian narrow-gauge railways run only during the summer season, some of them run only a few times a year. Almost all of them are located far from larger cities and standard gauge lines.
Narrow-gauge railways in Norway
Folldal Gruver – a mine railway currently carrying tourists around the museum opened in the basement of the former mine in Folldal. 600 mm gauge, total length of the route is approximately 600 meters.
Folldal Gruver – official website
Lilleputthammer train – a narrow-gauge railway running around the famous Lilleputthammer amusement park in Øyer. Short route, but a perfect attraction for children. The trip takes about 12 minutes, and the train runs all day.
Lilleputthammer train – official website
Lommedalsbanen – a diesel or steam-hauled trains running on weekends from June to the end of September on a short route with a 600 mm gauge. According to the now defunct website, the journey takes 11 minutes on the Gundershogget – Smutterud route. The headquarters of the narrow-gauge railway is in Rykkin. There also spring and autumn rides on designated days.
Lommedalsbanen – official website
Norsk Bergverkmuseum – Sølvgruvene – narrow-gauge railway running daily from mid-May to mid-August and on September weekends and the first week of October in the former silver mine in Saggrenda near the town of Kongsberg. The length of the railway line is 2.3 km and the journey takes 25 minutes. On the site of the former mine, it is recommended to wear warm clothes, as the average temperature underground is +6 degrees Celsius, and earplugs due to the noise caused by the railway. In addition to the ride, visitors can take a guided walk through the former mine. The total time of the ride and guided tour is approximately 90 minutes.
Norsk Bergverkmuseum – official website
Setesdalsbanen – steam railway running on the Grovane-Røyknes route (8 km). 1067 mm gauge. The nearest NSB station is Vennesla. The former railway line between Kristiansand and Byglandsfjord was opened in 1896 and closed in 1962. Two years later the museum railway was inaugurated. In 2004 the line was extended to Røyknes station
Setesdalsbanen – official website
Sulitjelma Besøksgruve – a narrow-gauge railways running from mid-June to mid-August in the area of a former copper mine. The length of the route is about 1,500 meters. The mine itself is now a tourist attraction; is located 40 kilometers from Fauske in the north of Norway.
Salten Museum – official website (no information about the railway)
Thamshavnbanen – an hour’s bus ride from Trondheim is the town of Løkken, where a 22-kilometer long narrow-gauge railway operates as part of the ORKLA Industrimuseum. The narrow-gauge trains run on selected days from June to August. Tourists can also visit the old mine. 1000 mm gauge. The railway was built to transport the ore from the Løkken mine down to Thamshavn for shipping. It was the first electric railway in Norway. Thamshavn Railway is the world’s oldest railway running on alternating current. Passenger trains ran until 1963. The museum railway was inaugurated on 10 July 1983.
Thamshavnbanen – official website
Urskog-Hølandsbanen – narrow-gauge railway running on selected days from June to August on a four-kilometer route from Sørumsand to Bingfoss – Fossum. Trains are hauled by a steam locomotive and have second-class and third-class vintage carriages. Passengers can continue their journey from Fossum to Kilingmo (11 km) by vintage bus. The entire route by train takes 14 minutes, while the bus covers 11 kilometers in 20 minutes. The departure station – Sørumsand – is easily accessible by train from Oslo. The journey time from Oslo is only about 33 minutes.
Urskog-Hølandsbanen – official website
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