North Friesland Railway


The North Friesland Railway was a railway serving the sparsely populated north of the Dutch province of Friesland. It was operated by the North Friesland Local Railway Company. It was what would be known in the UK as a light railway. The line was built to standard gauge and was about in length.

History

The NFLS had a network of lines in north Friesland. The lines opened in eight stages:
Leeuwarden – Ferwerd22 April 1901
Ferwerd – Metslawier2 October 1901
Stiens – Tzummarum2 December 1902
Tzummarum – Franeker Halte1 October 1903
Tzummarum – Midlum-Herbaijum1 October 1903
Midlum-Herbaijum – Harlingen2 May 1904
St. Jacobiparochie – Berlikum before 1910
Metslawier – Anjum24 August 1913

Wetsens station closed in May 1902, less than eight months after opening. On 1 December 1905, the NFLS was taken over by the Hollandsche IJzeren Spoorweg-Maatschappij, which itself was nationalised on 1 December 1938, becoming part of Nederlandse Spoorwegen.

Locomotives

The NFLS had a fleet of 10 2-4-2T locomotives, numbered 1-10. They became HSM 1051-60 and NS 7101-10. The locos cost f23,300 each and were built by Maschinenfabrik Hohenzollern.

Carriages

The NFLS had the following passenger stock, all built by Nederlandsche Fabriek van Werktuigen & Spoorwegmaterieel, Amsterdam:
QtyTypeClassNFLS NºHSM NºNS Nº
10four-wheel carriage2nd classB1–10B1060–69B1071–80
25four-wheel carriage3rd classC1–25C1072–96C1146–70
2four-wheel brake carriage2nd classBDL1–2BDP1070–711001–02
3four-wheel brake carriagepost and baggageLD1–3DP3003–05PD1026–28

Freight wagons

The NFLS had the following freight stock:
QtyTypeNFLS NºHSM NºNS Nº
2vanDE1–2DP3001–02D2261–62
9van with brakesman's cabCHG1–911950–58CHC3236–44
2van with steam heatingCHFF51–5211959–60CHC3561–62
4open wagon with brakesman's cabCL201–0429960–73GL43661–64
16open wagonCL301–1629974–89GL41816–31
2van with brakesman's shelterFO601–025490–91FB70774–75
8vanFO651–585492–99FB70571–78
3water tank WW1–34197–99 to 1911
4142–44 after 1911		158059
158056–57
1ballast wagon113646—

The stock was all built by Nederlandsche Fabriek van Werktuigen & Spoorwegmaterieel, Amsterdam except for the two 6,500 litre water tanks, which were built by Nivelles in 1896, and thus acquired second hand.

Closures

The lines were closed in stages, with some short term reopenings taking place during the Second World War:
SectionDateAction
Tzummarum – Franeker Halte8 October 1933closed, track lifted
Tzummarum – Harlingen15 May 1935closed to passengers
Dokkum-Aalsum – Anjum15 May 1935closed to passengers
Stiens – Tzummarum15 May 1936closed to passengers
Leeuwarden – Dokkum-Aalsum1 July 1936closed to passengers
Midlum-Herbaijum – Harlingen11 January 1938closed, track lifted
Leeuwarden – Dokkum-Aalsum28 May 1940reopened to passengers
Stiens – Tzummarum28 May 1940reopened to passengers
Leeuwarden – Dokkum-Aalsum1 December 1940closed to passenger
Dokkum-Aalsum – Anjum27 July 1942closed
Stiens – Tzummarum30 October 1942closed to passengers
Tzummarum – Midlum-Herbaijum7 December 1961closed, track lifted
Minnertsga – Tzummarum4 May 1966closed, track lifted
Mooie Paal – Berlikum27 September 1971closed, track lifted
Stiens – Minnertsga1973closed
Holwerd – Dokkum Aalsum1975closed
Stiens – Holwerd1978closed
Stiens – Dokkum-Aalsum1980track lifted
Stiens – Minnertsga1980track lifted
Leeuwarden – Stiens1997closed
Leeuwarden station2006track lifted

Stations

Leeuwarden - Anjum line

All distances are from Leeuwarden station.
Leeuwarden Rijksweg station was demolished in 1970
Jelsum station was demolished in 1944.
Finkum station was demolished by 1970
Hallum station was demolished in 1970
Ferwerd station was demolished in 1974
Hantum station was demolished by 1960.
Dokkum-Aalsum station was demolished in 1974.
Wetsens station closed in May 1902.
Oosterbierum station was demolished by 1980.
On 12 June 1927, NS locomotive 7124 derailed near Holwerd and ended up on its side in a dike. The locomotive was recovered on 23 June and returned to service after repairs were made.