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You are here: Frontpage / Arvedal LineHistory

Arvedal Line

Length: Starts: Ends: Status:
9 km Rugldalen Station Kongens gruve Abandoned
The Arvedal Line was a 9.3-kilometre industrial railway line which branched off the Røros Line at Tyvold Station and run to King's Mine. Copper and pyrite were transported to Tyvold and reloaded on trains on the Røros Line. The line was replaced by funiculars in 1910.
Arvedal Line in the 1880s. Photo: Marcus W. Nood/NTNU
Arvedal Line in the 1880s. Photo: Marcus W. Nood/NTNUPublic domain
Mining started in the Arvedal Mine near Røros as early as 1657. In 1671 ownership was transferred to Røros Copper Works, but the mining terminated in 1714. A new mine opened in 1736 after new discoveries were made, which was named the King's Mine after King Christian VI. This mine as well as the Arvedal Mine contained little copper, but had large amounts of pyrites. Since there was a great demand of sulphur, it was decided to modernise the transportation. When the Røros Line opened in 1877, pyrite was transported by horse and sledge, first to Nypladsen station and later to Orvos station. Røros Copper Works now wanted their own railway to the mining area.

The opening
The construction of the Arvedal Line started in June 1886. Already in October same year the line was opened between Tyvold station, today known as Rugldalen station, and the King's Mine. It was officially named "The King's Mine Line", but the locals called it the Arvdal Line. The narrow-gauged railway was 9.3 kilometres long and had the same track gauge as the Røros Line. The steepest part had a gradient of 5.3 per cent. As a consequence some trains did not manage to stop in time when they arrived Tyvold station, especially during the autumn when the track was covered with leaves. They simply continued along the Røros Line and reverse back up. From Tyvold station the pyrite was transported further on the Røros Line to Trondheim for shipment. The copper ore was sent to Røros to be smelted. In 1889 27,484 tonns of pyrite and 4,828 tonns of copper ore were mined.

The closure
In 1886 an adit opened between the two mines, and now they were operated under the name the King's Mine. The year after the King's Mine was electrified, and an electric railway was constructed in the adit. The electricity made it possible to built funiculars, and the transportation was then even more modernised. In 1909 a funicular opened between the King's Mine and Christianus Sextus Mine, which was situated two kilometres further north. Two years later the funicular was extended to Harborg station on the Røros Line. The funiculars were more reliable compared to the railway, especially during the wintertime when the Arvedal Line was closed due to snow and strong wind. As a consequence the railway was closed in March 1910. The track was replaced by gravel road in 1931. Today the Arvedal Line is a rail trail.