Upsala-Lenna Jernväg facts for kids
The Upsala-Lenna Järnväg (ULJ) is a special old train line in Uppsala County, Sweden. People also call it Lennakatten. It's a narrow-gauge heritage railway, which means it's a historic train line kept for fun rides and to show how trains used to be. This railway is about 33 kilometers (20.5 miles) long. It's part of a much bigger train network that used to cover the Roslagen area. The tracks are 891 millimeters (35.1 inches) wide, which is a unique size just for Sweden! A group called the SRJmf society runs this cool railway.
Contents
History of the Lennakatten Railway
Building the First Lines
The train line between Uppsala and Lenna (which is now called Länna) first opened in 1876. It was the very first 891 mm wide railway in that area. The railway was built to help the ironworks in Länna. It connected them to the main train network, which used wider tracks (1435 mm). Choosing the 891 mm track size was a good idea. It was wide enough for passengers and mail, not just iron, without costing too much extra money.
A few years later, in 1878, another 891 mm railway started. This was the Dannemora-Harg Railroad (DHJ). It helped connect mines in Dannemora to the harbor at Hargshamn. In 1884, the ULJ line connected to the coast through the Lenna-Norrtelje Railroad (LNJ). The next year, this line connected to Stockholm through the Stockholm-Rimbo Railroad (SRJ).
Growing the Network
The SRJ company bought the LNJ line in 1905. Then, in 1908, they bought the ULJ line too. In 1909, the company changed its name to Stockholm–Roslagens Järnvägar. This let them keep their old initials, SRJ. Roslagen is an old name for the coastal area north of Stockholm. SRJ also helped build a new line north from Rimbo. This line reached Hallstavik in 1915. By 1920, the DHJ line (which SRJ owned) connected to the rest of the system. This happened when the Faringe-Gimo line was built.
Changes and Closures
Some parts of the Stockholm line were electrified (ran on electricity) starting in 1895. This project finished in 1949. After World War II, many railways started to be used less. The SRJ/DHJ lines became government-owned in 1951. Eight years later, they joined the Swedish National Railways (SJ).
In the early 1950s, some freight-only lines closed. Freight trains carry goods, not people. By 1960, passenger trains stopped running on several lines. This included the Dannemora-Harg and Faringe-Gimo lines. Also, trains stopped running from Stockholm East Station into central Stockholm. This was a city line, like a tram, so steam trains rarely used it.
In 1966, another commuter line closed. This was the Stocksund-Långängstorp line. It was originally a wider track but changed to 891 mm in 1934. In 1966, passenger trains stopped on the Uppsala-Rimbo-Hallstavik line. Then, in 1969, the Rimbo-Norrtälje line closed, even though it had only been electrified for 20 years. Freight trains also stopped running south of Rimbo that same year.
New Tracks and New Uses
However, freight trains were still busy on some parts of the network. The Dannemora mines still sent iron ore through Hargshamn harbor. Also, freight trains carried goods to and from the paper mill at Hallstavik. These trains used special wagons to carry other train wagons. They traveled via Uppsala-Rimbo. Because of this, the national railway decided to change the old DHJ line to standard gauge (wider tracks). This change finished in 1970. At the same time, all trains stopped on the Faringe-Gimo line.
A new standard gauge line was built from Hargshamn to Hallstavik in 1977. After this, the special freight trains from Hallstavik to Rimbo-Uppsala stopped running.
In 1972, the Greater Stockholm Transport Authority (SL) took over the remaining passenger lines. These were the lines south of Rimbo. Rimbo was now cut off from the northern network, which included the Upsala-Lenna Järnväg. SL closed another branch line in 1976. In 1981, Rimbo lost all its railways when the Kårsta-Rimbo line closed. Kårsta became the new end of the line. What's left of these lines today is called Roslagsbanan. It's a very important part of Stockholm's commuter train system.
The SRJmf Society
Saving the Trains
The SRJmf society started in 1968. Their main goal was to save old trains and equipment from the SRJ/DHJ network. They wanted to use them for special trips. At first, the society was based in Stockholm. They ran trips on different parts of the network. As the SJ (Swedish National Railways) started closing parts of the network, people talked about turning some lines into heritage railways. The Finsta-Syninge line, which closed in 1967, was a good choice. So was the Faringe-Gimo line.
In the early 1970s, the SJ started building the new wider track line from Hargshamn to Hallstavik. The society realized that the Uppsala-Rimbo-Hallstavik line would no longer be used for freight. This gave them a chance to start their own train service on the beautiful line near Uppsala.
Starting the Heritage Railway
With help from the Municipality of Uppsala, the society started running trains on Sundays in the summer of 1974. They ran when freight trains were not using the tracks. Three years later, the Hargshamn-Hallstavik line opened. All trains stopped on the Uppsala-Rimbo-Hallstavik line.
The society could then take over the Uppsala-Länna-Faringe line. The City of Uppsala owned the tracks. Faringe, an old train junction, became the main office and workshop. The tracks between Faringe and Rimbo were removed in 1978.
Current Train Rides
When to Ride
Today, trains run on Sundays from June to early September. In July, they run four days a week. Many school trips and other special group rides happen in late May and throughout the year.
What You'll See
On a typical Sunday, you can see two trains pulled by old steam engines. There's also one train pulled by a motorcar. You can even take old buses that connect to the Fjällnora outdoor swimming area.
On weekdays, it's usually similar to Sundays. Sometimes, a diesel train might replace one of the steam trains. There's often an early extra train to Faringe. This train connects to the Thun's outlet store.
See also
In Spanish: Upsala-Lenna Jernväg para niños
- List of heritage railways
- Roslagsbanan
Images for kids
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Marielund railway station in 2006.
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SRJ 28 Stortysken at Lenna Station in June 2005. This is one of the biggest steam locomotives ever built for 891 mm tracks.
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SRJ 3 Rimbo at Faringe. This is the oldest locomotive from the SRJ, built in 1884.
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BLJ 5 Thor at Uppsala Ö in June 2006
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BLJ 4 Långshyttan leaving Uppsala Ö in September 2006
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Tp 3515 leaving Faringe
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Motorcars arriving at Marielund
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Uppsala station
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Bärby station
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Almunge station
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Faringe station
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Thor crossing the E4 bridge
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Thor arriving at Uppsala Ö
