Blovstrødbanen

Blovstrødbanen (Narrow Gauge)

Blovstrødbanen is a narrow-gauge historic railway located in Blovstrød in Allerød Municipality. The track is built, operated and administered by volunteer members of the association Blovstrødbanen – Dansk Jernbane-Klub, which is a track association under the Danish Railway Club (DJK). The railway is also DJK's department for narrow gauge equipment.

The track was opened on 11 November 1981 on the track from the old tipper track that transported clay to Blovstrød brickworks. Parts of the brickworks buildings are still preserved, living rooms have been set up in the old carpentry workshop and workshops in the old brickworks building.

Currently, the track is approximately 1.2 km long, with stations at Blovstrød H (Blovstrødhallen), Storkevad (Blovstrød teglværksvej), Teglværket and Oskar Jensens Bro (immediately west of the S-Bahn in the Allerød Sø area). The track width is 700 mm and the track is laid with used materials donated by various tracks.

Every year at Whitsun, the people behind the track also take part in the Græsted Veterans Meet, where a fixed track is built so that the guests at the meet can have a ride.

Blovstrødbanen History

The track has been gradually expanded over the time since the association started. On 11 November 1981, the first section of the line was opened, in the area between the S-line and the former potter's workshop, from Bloustrød Teglværk. The line also used the former two-track steam depot, which, however, had to have an increase in the height from track to ceiling, as the Blovstrød line's locomotives were somewhat taller than the original locomotives that had run on the brickworks line. The track then followed the track from the old tipper track down to the tunnel under the S-Bahn.

A platform was built along the S-Bahn, and the station was called Teglværket.

In 1987, tracks were laid north of the former potter's workshop, and two tracks were laid into one of the brick factory's drying sheds that ran along the east side of the potter's workshop. This drying shed was used to store the track's equipment and equipment for maintenance.

Blovstrødbanen 1980s Plans to Extend the Tracks

Already in the 1980s there were plans to extend the track towards Blovstrød town, which was also realized over time.

from the end of the 80s, Blovstrødbanen began to extend the track to the north. In addition, a former bridge that the tipper railway had raised and reconstructed. One where the tipper track's northbound and southbound tracks had crossed each other. On the same occasion, the track was extended a good distance to the north to an open area where the brickworks had had drying racks. Today, the area is used for the storage of rails, sleepers and the like. Blovstrødbanen was able to inaugurate the new section to the north in 1991 under festive circumstances, in which the mayor of Allerød municipality participated. A crossing station without a platform was built along the open area. This station was called Søbakken.

In March 1992, the Blovstrød railway was unfortunately seriously damaged when the drying shed used by the railway as a carriage shed caught fire. During the fire, the railway lost its two closed goods wagons (also called flour wagons) and passenger car 3618. One of the railway's steam locomotives was also damaged during the fire. Subsequently, the track has kept the passenger cars under press lines, and for a longer period had a marquee with truck press lines as a carriage hall.

Until 1993, the track was extended to the north again. From Søbakken, the track was extended down a hill, after which the track had to cross the new Blovstrød Teglværksvej, which was built at the same time. The line established a full crossing, and a single track station just north of the road. This station was called Storkevad, after the former stepping board on the Gribskov Railway, which had been closed in 1992.

In the mid-90s, the track continued to work both with the equipment and with extensions. As the line now had both a northbound and a southbound direction, the platform at Teglværket was extended and raised so that it could better handle longer trains and was easier for the line's passengers to get off. In 1996, another extension of the track was made, when the southbound direction of the track was extended further along the old Tipvog track, to a distance west of the S-Bahn. A single-track terminus was established here, which was named Oskar Jensens Bro. In the same year, Blovstrødbanen was able to put two new row cars into operation as passenger cars, (471 and 56).

At the end of the 90s, work was started on the track's latest and longest extension, from Storkevad st to Blovstrødhallen. Around 2000, excavation work began along the Neff warehouse hotel, and subsequently sleepers and rails were laid. In 2001, the track was able to inaugurate the new section under festive conditions. Thereby the track reached its current length.

In 2002, the track's newest turnip wagon was built, and all the track's turnip wagons made a trip to Hedeland's Veteranbane, where many turnip wagons were driven with two turnip steam locomotives. 2002 was the same year that one of the Blovstrød Railway's steam locomotives (B4) came back to Blovstrød after being loaned to the Aalholm Automobile Museum since 1991. The locomotive (B4) was subsequently in operation on the Blovstrød Railway until 2011.

Around 2015, the track at Oskar Jensens Bro was extended a little bit, when 10 m of extra track was laid.

The plan is to extend the track down to Kattehalevej, and preferably all the way through Sønderskov to Tivolihuse (approx. at Hyrebakken 4), which was part of the former tipper track from Blovstrød brick factory. However, there is no timetable for when Blovstrødbanen can begin this extension.

Blovstrødbanen Overview

Blovstrødbanen Type:Historic Railway (Narrow Gauge)
Blovstrødbanen Status: Active
Blovstrødbanen Locality: Blovstrød,
Allerød Municipality
Blovstrødbanen End Stations: Blovstrødhallen
Oskar Jensen's Bridge
Blovstrødbanen Number of Stations: 4
Blovstrødbanen Opened: November 11, 1981
Blovstrødbanen Owner(s): Danish Railway Club
Blovstrødbanen Operator(s): Blovstrød Line – Dansk Jernbane-Klub
Blovstrødbanen Character: Tourist traffic
Blovstrødbanen Depot(s): Teglværket Station
Blovstrødbanen Track Length: 1.2 km
Blovstrødbanen Number of Tracks: 1
Blovstrødbanen Track Width: 700 mm