Köping–Uttersberg–Riddarhyttan Railway

The Köping–Uttersberg–Riddarhyttan Railway (Swedish: Köping-Uttersberg-Riddarhyttans Järnväg or KURJ) was a narrow-gauge railway in central Sweden, 46 kilometres (29 mi) long. The railway ran northwest from the port city of Köping to several small industry cities such as Uttersberg and Riddarhyttan. The line operated between 1864 and 1968.

Construction

Gauge incompatibility

The railway was built with a gauge of 1,093 mm (3 ft 7 in). The railway was planned to be constructed to a gauge of 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in), relatively common in Sweden at the time. When the locomotives and rolling stock were ordered, however, there was an error – possibly confusion between the Swedish fot and the English foot, which differ by about 2.7%, or more likely because Köping–Uttersbergs järnvägsaktiebolag assumed the gauge was measured from the centre of the rail to the centre of the rail.

It was only when the rolling stock was delivered that the error was noticed. It was decided that moving one rail outwards on the half-built railway would be cheaper than re-gauging the vehicles.

Operation

Freight traffic started on the part-opened line in 1864, and in 1866, the full 35 kilometres (22 mi) of the Köping-Uttersberg Railway was officially Opened. In 1880 a new 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) line, the Uttersberg-Riddarhyttan Railway was built by another company, but to the same gauge. This was purchased by the Köping-Uttersberg Company in 1911, and the combined railway became the Köping–Uttersberg–Riddarhyttan Railway.

Closure

Passenger traffic ended in 1952, although a freight service continued until 1968, after which all the track was removed.

References

^ List of Swedish narrow gauges

External links

The Railway – KURJ
KURJ, Köping–Uttersbergs–Riddarhyttans Järnväg (in Swedish)

59°30′23″N 16°00′03″E / 59.5064°N 16.0009°E / 59.5064; 16.0009

[1] List of Swedish narrow gauges

[1]

v t e Track gauge (list)
Minimum-gauge Minimum-gauge railways	15 in (381 mm) 400 mm (15+3⁄4 in) 16 in (406 mm) 18 in (457 mm) 19 in (483 mm) 500 mm (19+3⁄4 in) 20 in (508 mm) 21 in (533 mm) 1 ft 10 in (559 mm)
Narrow gauge	2 foot and 600 mm 2 ft 3 in (686 mm) 750 mm (2 ft 5+1⁄2 in) 760 mm (2 ft 5+15⁄16 in) 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) 800 mm (2 ft 7+1⁄2 in) 891 mm (2 ft 11+3⁄32 in) Swedish three foot 900 mm (2 ft 11+7⁄16 in) 3 ft (914 mm) 950 mm (3 ft 1+3⁄8 in) Italian metre gauge 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) metre gauge 1,050 mm (3 ft 5+11⁄32 in), 1,055 mm (3 ft 5+1⁄2 in), 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) 1,093 mm (3 ft 7 in), 1,100 mm (3 ft 7+5⁄16 in), 1,200 mm (3 ft 11+1⁄4 in) 4 ft (1,219 mm) 4 ft 1 in (1,245 mm), Middleton Railway 4 ft 6 in (1,372 mm), Scotch gauge 4 ft 6+1⁄2 in (1,384 mm), Scotch gauge 4 ft 7+3⁄4 in (1,416 mm) 4 ft 8 in (1,422 mm), almost standard gauge 4 ft 8+1⁄4 in (1,429 mm) 1,432 mm (4 ft 8+3⁄8 in)
Standard gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in / 1,435 mm, Stephenson gauge
Broad gauge	1,440 mm (4 ft 8+11⁄16 in) 1,445 mm (4 ft 8+7⁄8 in) 1,450 mm (4 ft 9+3⁄32 in) 4 ft 9+3⁄8 in (1,457 mm) 1,458 mm (4 ft 9+13⁄32 in) 4 ft 10+7⁄8 in (1,495 mm), Toronto gauge 5 ft / 1,524 mm and 1,520 mm (4 ft 11+27⁄32 in), Russian gauge. 5 ft 2+1⁄4 in / 1,581 mm and 5 ft 2+1⁄2 in / 1,588 mm, Pennsylvania gauge 5 ft 3 in (1,600 mm), Irish gauge 5 ft 4+1⁄2 in (1,638 mm), Baltimore gauge 1,668 mm (5 ft 5+21⁄32 in), Iberian gauge 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm), Indian gauge 1,945 mm (6 ft 4+9⁄16 in), De Arend 7 ft 1⁄4 in (2,140 mm), Brunel gauge 3,000 mm (9 ft 10+1⁄8 in), Breitspurbahn 8,200 mm (26 ft 10+27⁄32 in), Lärchwandschrägaufzug 9,000 mm (29 ft 6+5⁄16 in), Krasnoyarsk ship lift
List of track gauge articles	List of track gauges List of tram track gauges Miniature railways Minimum-gauge railways Large amusement railways
Gauge differences	Bogie exchange Break of gauge Dual gauge Gauge conversion list Variable gauge
Transport mode	Tram and light rail Rapid transit Miniature Scale model
Categories	by country by imperial units by metric units by name lists of track gauges