D/F AMMONIA

'D/F ''Ammonia''' is a steam powered railway ferry on Tinnsjø that connected Rjukanbanen with Tinnosbanen. The ferry was one of the four railway ferries on Tinnsjø that was used by Norsk Hydro to transport the fertilizer from Rjukan to the port in Skien. The ferry is the only remaining steam powered railway ferry in the world, and can still be seen docked at Mæl.^[1]

Contents

History

References

External links

History

In 1909 Norsk Hydro opened its fertilizer factory in Rjukan, Rjukan Salpeterfabrikk along with the hydro electric power plant Vemork in addition to a 130 km long railway and seaway transport corridor. The chain consisted of the following sections

★ Rjukanbanen, railway line from Rjukan to Rollag (Mæl), 16 km

★ Tinnsjø railway ferry from Rollag to Tinnoset, 30 km

★ Tinnosbanen from Tinnoset to Notodden, 34 km

★ Telemark canal from Notodden to Skien, 54 km with barge

★ In 1919 the canal was replaced with the railway Bratsbergbanen from Notodden to Skien.^[2]
D/F ''Ammonia'' was the third ferry that Norsk Hydro built to operate on Tinnsjø. The first, D/F ''Rjukanfoss'', was delivered along with the opening of the railway in 1909 while D/F ''Hydro'' was delivered five years later. The ferries each made two round trips each day. In 1929 the plant was expanded and a third ferry, D/F ''Ammonia'' was delivered.
The ferry was in active service all the way until 1991 when the factory closed. Since 1957, when the last ferry on the section, M/S ''Storegut'' was delivered, D/F ''Ammonia'' has been used as a reserve ferry.

References

1. Tinnoset Helge Nisi
2. Fakta om Rjukanbanen Maana Forlag

External links

★ Stiftelsen Rjukanbanen

★ Web site on Rjukanbanen

★ Private web site with focus on ferries on Tinnsjø