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   NORWAY: Ships on Norwegian Lakes 11.06.1981  
Click to enlargeRailway ferry "Storegut" (Big boy) crossing the lake Tinnsjø in the County of Telemark. The ferry's task was to carry trains twice daily across the lake, a distance of 30 km (19 miles) between Tinnoset station on the national Tinnos railway and Mæl station on the private Rjukan railway. This was a standard gauge railway with a length of 16 km (10 miles) in addition to the ferry. "Storegut" was built in 1956 at the yard in *Tinnoset by Glommens Mekaniske Verksted. It has a length of 87,6 m. It is powered with 2250 hp and has 156 m track on deck. For a long time it was the largest lake ferry in Northern Europe (1119 b.r.tons) and could carry 20 wagons. This is a view of the ferry going northward loaded with tank wagons and a box car. Originally "Storegut" was the nickname of a giant native Norwegian who disappeared in the mountains, probably killed by an enemy. This ferry line is also known in relation to the famous sabotage raids on the heavy water production during World War II. The Rjukan railway was opened in 1909 and closed down in 1991. The ferry is now laid-up at Mæl. Efforts are, however, being made to save the vessel as well as the railway line as a future museum project. The railway and the ferry were run by Hydro Transport AS, a part of Norsk Hydro, which has industries in Rjukan. "Storegut's" predecessor steam ships on the route had their own post office.

Catalogue Nos.: Sc 789 / SG 883 / Mi 844 / YT 800 / NK 892
 

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