The railway was important for efficient operation of the mines. Today you can ride with the train into the dark mining tunnels. We can promise a very special and different train ride than you are used to.

Locomotive "Blåmann" with a school class on a trip into the mine and the locomotive parked at the station. Photo Tor Resser ©

The railway is an important part of a living and exciting mining museum. The small trains on the mine area and on the track between the washery and the shipping quay at Grunnavågneset were a significant feature that many on the island will remember with joy. At the same time, track operations represent an important part of the technical culture saga.

The track is a narrow track with a track width of 600 mm, which was always used at Stordø Kisgruber. Venelaget has built a total of 250 meters of track from Gruo station to the mine opening behind "Snikkarverkstaden", plus side tracks to the locomotive and wagon stables. Furthermore, trains can be driven 250 meters into the mine and 50 meters into the mine by the shaft tower.

The railway naturally connects many of the old buildings that lie in a row on the mining area and the buildings all tell their part of the history from the mining period: the lift house, the "Stigerkontoret", the shaft tower with stone crushers, the smithy and the carpentry workshop.

Three trolleys for passenger transport and a special trolley for wheelchairs are built on a voluntary basis. Excavation, graveling and laying of sleepers and rails are also done by voluntary work. We have received a good amount of railway tracks from Nittedal Torvindustri in Solør and from Os municipality in Hordaland. Sleepers was cut at Litlabø sawmill.

You can read more details about the railway in the book - Nye og gamle spor i Gruo by Per Ivar Tautra.