Train Driver`s View - Sulitelma - Norwegian Heritage Line | The Setesdal Line

Drivers Eye View from the Diesel Railcar Sulitelma.
Filmed in July 2023 at the Norwegian 3`6" Narrow Guage Heritage Line - The Setesdal Line.

History:
The construction of the Setesdal Line, connecting Kristiansand and Byglandsfjord, commenced in 1893 and was completed in 1896. This 78 km long railway was initially built as a 1067 narrow gauge line. In the beginning of the 1930s, a decision was made to rebuild the section between Kristiansand and Grovane to standard gauge in anticipation of the Southern Mainline, which would connect Kristiansand to the country's capital, Christiania (Oslo).

From 1938 all goods traveling to and from Setesdal had to undergo gauge transfer at Grovane, which proved to be costly. Additionally, with the increasing use of trucks for transportation, the government's plan to phase out steam locomotives in favor of electric and diesel propulsion further sealed the fate of the Setesdal Line. The last ordinary train ran on September 1, 1962. An extra train was operated on the following day, carrying all the usable locomotives and carriages, but there was only room for a minority of those who wanted to travel on the last journey.

Already on the 3. september the dismantling of the line began, working their way from Byglansafjord headed for Grovane.
Some railway enthusiasts from the Danish Railway Club suggested leaving the first 4-5 km from Grovane intact in the hope of starting a similar club in Norway. In 1963, Setesdalsbanens Hobbyklubb (Setesdal lines's Hobby Club) was founded, and already in 1964, the first museum train was operated. Thus, The Setesdal Line became the country's first museum railway.