MF Storegut
Encyclopedia
MF Storegut is a railway ferry that operated between Tinnoset
and Mæl on the lake Tinnsjø, Norway
. She was launched on 25 May 1956 and taken out of service after 4 July 1991 when the Tinnsjø railway ferry
ceased operations. As of 2008 Storegut is docked at Tinnoset and is used for chartered heritage services. She is named for the poem "Storegut" by Aasmund Olavsson Vinje
.
tracks spanning the length of the vessel; allowing 21 cars of chemicals weighing 800 tonnes to be carried. In addition she could carry 400 passengers above and below deck. When she was launched she was the largest lake ferry in Northern-Europe at 1,119 tonnes.
She has three diesel engines from Motoren Werke Mannheim, each at 590 kW (750 hp). Normal operation calls for use of two engines providing 13 knots (25.5 km/h) to 14 knots (27.4 km/h), but additional thrust can be provided through use of all three engines, giving 15 knots (29.4 km/h); The travel time on the 30 kilometres (18.6 mi) route was 80 minutes. The hull is in steel while the bridge is in aluminum. There were three saloons, including one for women and one for non-smokers.
of Hydro
the operating company Norsk Transport
needed increased capacity. The old steam ferries were too small, too slow and burned too much coal for the company's liking; instead they opted for a new diesel ferry to be built. Construction started on the docks of Tinnoset in 1955 by Glommens Mek. Verksted, with completion the following year. Storegut became the main ferry for Norsk Transport, with Rjukanfoss
and Ammonia
as reserves—Storegut was dimensioned to handle all the transport on her own. The older ships burned two and a half times the fuel, used an extra 25 minutes on the crossing, so in 1969 Rjukanfoss was stranded and dismounted.
announced that they were working on making Storegut, along with the rest of the railway between Notodden
and Rjukan
, a World Heritage Site
.
Tinnoset
Tinnoset is a village in the municipality of Notodden, Norway, located at the southernmost end of Tinnsjå.It is the terminus of Tinnosbanen; cargo is transshipped from the railway to the Tinnsjø railway ferry at Tinnoset....
and Mæl on the lake Tinnsjø, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. She was launched on 25 May 1956 and taken out of service after 4 July 1991 when the Tinnsjø railway ferry
Tinnsjø railway ferry
Tinnsjø railway ferry was a Norwegian railway ferry service on the lake Tinnsjå that connected the railways of Rjukanbanen and Tinnosbanen. The long ferry trip made it possible for Norsk Hydro to transport its fertilizer from the plant at Rjukan to the port in Skien...
ceased operations. As of 2008 Storegut is docked at Tinnoset and is used for chartered heritage services. She is named for the poem "Storegut" by Aasmund Olavsson Vinje
Aasmund Olavsson Vinje
Aasmund Olavsson Vinje was a famous Norwegian poet and journalist who is remembered for poetry, travel writing, and his pioneering use of Landsmål .-Background:...
.
Specifications
As the fourth and last delivered railway ferry for Tinnsjø, Storegut was the largest and the only one not steam powered. She has a track length of 156 metres (511.8 ft) on two parallel standard gaugeStandard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
tracks spanning the length of the vessel; allowing 21 cars of chemicals weighing 800 tonnes to be carried. In addition she could carry 400 passengers above and below deck. When she was launched she was the largest lake ferry in Northern-Europe at 1,119 tonnes.
She has three diesel engines from Motoren Werke Mannheim, each at 590 kW (750 hp). Normal operation calls for use of two engines providing 13 knots (25.5 km/h) to 14 knots (27.4 km/h), but additional thrust can be provided through use of all three engines, giving 15 knots (29.4 km/h); The travel time on the 30 kilometres (18.6 mi) route was 80 minutes. The hull is in steel while the bridge is in aluminum. There were three saloons, including one for women and one for non-smokers.
History
After the dramatic sinkingNorwegian heavy water sabotage
The Norwegian heavy water sabotage was a series of actions undertaken by Norwegian saboteurs during World War II to prevent the German nuclear energy project from acquiring heavy water , which could be used to produce nuclear weapons...
of Hydro
SF Hydro
SF Hydro was a Norwegian steam powered railway ferry that operated on Tinnsjø in Telemark. The ferry operated between Mæl and Tinnoset between 1914 and 1944, connecting the two railways Rjukanbanen and Tinnosbanen. The railway was used to transport raw materials and fertilizer from Norsk Hydro's...
the operating company Norsk Transport
Norsk Transport
Norsk Transport AS was a railway- and shipping company responsible for the transport of chemicals from Norsk Hydro Rjukan. A subsidiary of Norsk Hydro, the company was founded in 1907 and operated until 1991....
needed increased capacity. The old steam ferries were too small, too slow and burned too much coal for the company's liking; instead they opted for a new diesel ferry to be built. Construction started on the docks of Tinnoset in 1955 by Glommens Mek. Verksted, with completion the following year. Storegut became the main ferry for Norsk Transport, with Rjukanfoss
SF Rjukanfoss
SF Rjukanfoss, prior to 1946 named Rjukanfos, was steam-powered railway ferry that operated between Mæl and Tinnoset on the lake Tinnsjø, Norway. Owned by Norsk Transport, she was launched in 1909, expanded in 1946 and decommissioned in 1969....
and Ammonia
SF Ammonia
SF Ammonia is a steam powered railway ferry on Tinnsjø that connected Rjukanbanen with Tinnosbanen, Norway. The ferry was one of the four railway ferries on Tinnsjø that was used by Norsk Hydro to transport chemicals from Rjukan to the port in Skien...
as reserves—Storegut was dimensioned to handle all the transport on her own. The older ships burned two and a half times the fuel, used an extra 25 minutes on the crossing, so in 1969 Rjukanfoss was stranded and dismounted.
Heritage
The ferry remained in service until the closing of the ferry service, after which she became docked at Tinnoset in an operational state, along with Ammonia. She is used as part of the heritage railway or for chartered trips. In 2004 the foundation running the ferries went bankrupt, with problems financing the necessary NOK 400,000 to keep the two remaining ferries operations. In 2008 the Norwegian Directorate for Cultural HeritageNorwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage
The Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage is a government agency responsible for the management of cultural heritage in Norway. Subordinate the Norwegian Ministry of the Environment, it manages the Cultural Heritage Act of June 9, 1978....
announced that they were working on making Storegut, along with the rest of the railway between Notodden
Notodden
is a town and municipality in Telemark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Øst-Telemark. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Notodden....
and Rjukan
Rjukan
Rjukan is a town and the administrative center of Tinn municipality in Telemark . It is situated in Vestfjorddalen, between Møsvatn and Tinnsjå, and got its name after Rjukanfossen west of the town. The Tinn municipality council granted township status for Rjukan in 1996. The town has 3 386...
, a World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
.