Blåfjell Line
| Length: | Starts: | Ends: | Status: |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 km | Blåfjell gruver | Rekefjord | Abandoned |
The Blåfjell Line was an 8.3-kilometre long industrial line which ran between Blåfjell Mines and Rekefjord in Sokndal Municipality. It opened as a horse railway in 1870 and was closed five years later. Most of the path is today a bike path and a rail trail.
Blåfjell Line as a horse railway. Photo: Ukjent/Sven Jonssons samling
Railway Equipment
There were several mines at Blåfjell with "Mellomgruven" as the largest one. From here the ore was taken down to the loading ramp by a chute and transported further by rail to Rekefjord for shipment. The mining company had 20 ore wagons and two extra for the horses. Since the first kilometres of the line went downhill, the horses stood on these and only pulled the other wagons on the flatter sections and on the way back. The line also had a tunnel between Hauge and Rekefjord and a locomotive shed at Rekefjord.
The Closure
88,000 tons of ore were produced from the mines at Sokndal between 1863 and 1875. The ore was sent by ship from Rekefjord to West Hartlepool in England and transported further by rail to Norton for smelting. The production was not always profitable due to the high amount of titanium which was hard to smelt. In 1882 it was decided to close down operations and dismantle the track. In 1899 A/S Titania bought the mining rights and focused on the titanium content itself, suitable in production of white paint.
Rail Trail
Today most of the corridor between Rekefjord and Linepollen is a cycle and footpath. The last 3.5 kilometres up to Blåfjell mines have become a rail trail. The corridor with all its embankments are well preserved as well as the loading ramp at Blåfjell. The tunnel and the locomotive shed are gone, but a few metres of track remains at Rekefjord.