ENJ & The Railway

Bergslagen has long been a pioneer in various fields. When it came to transportation, the region was quick to recognize the advantages of railways. In 1853, Sweden’s first railway with locomotives pulling wagons of paying freight was opened. The small Bergslagen towns of Kärrgruvan, Norberg, and Ängelsberg had the honor of running the railway using Sweden’s first domestically-built steam locomotive, *Förstlingen* (“The First”).
 
Even before it was certain that a steam locomotive could pull something as heavy as wagons loaded with ore, Förstlingen was the first locomotive to test the possibility.
 

In Bergslagen, ironworking has been a tradition for over 2,000 years. In the early days, only small quantities of iron were produced, and transportation wasn’t necessary since the ironmakers used it for themselves and their families. Over time, as people improved their iron-making techniques and discovered new uses and production methods, the quantities increased. Eventually, the volume of iron grew too large for horse-drawn carts to handle.

In the early 19th century, a new invention emerged—trains. Initially, wagons were pulled by horses. By 1804, England had started experimenting with steam-powered locomotives, revolutionizing transportation. It took several decades for this innovation to reach Bergslagen, but when it did, railways connected Stockholm to Västerås and Köping, branching out to Ängelsberg, Norberg, Kärrgruvan, and other towns.
 

The railway between Ängelsberg, Norberg, and Kärrgruvan was initially narrow-gauge with steep slopes and sharp curves. Soon after, the tracks were widened, and the curves and inclines were somewhat straightened, but traces of the old railway bed are still visible in the terrain. The railway drastically sped up ore transportation from the mines in Norberg to ironworks across Sweden and Europe. Travel time from Stockholm to Ängelsberg, which took 28 hours by steamboat on the Strömsholm Canal, was reduced to just 6 hours by train.

Passenger traffic on the railway continued until 1962, when it ceased. However, even in the 1970s, molten iron was transported in massive “thermoses” from the blast furnace in Kärrgruvan to the steelworks in Surahammar—a load that couldn’t afford delays.
 

Today, the railway is state-owned, but the Engelberg-Norberg Railway Historical Association (ENJ) manages its maintenance and operates tourist traffic between Ängelsberg and Kärrgruvan with railbuses. For the association, steam locomotives represent the future.
 

Facts

The railway between Kärrgruvan, Norberg, and Ängelsberg was inaugurated in 1853.
Today, it is managed by the Engelsberg-Norberg Railway Historical Association.
In summer, the railway is operated with railbuses. However, check their website beforehand to confirm schedules, as obtaining the necessary permits for tourist trains has been challenging for the association.
 

Tidtabell: www.enj.se

 

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Små bilder 1-3: Fredrik Findahl