D/F Ammonia

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

D/F *Ammonia*

Operator	Norsk Hydro
Built	1929
Flag	Norway
Port of registry
Previous names
Specifications
Length	70.4 m
Beam
Gross Tonnage	929 gross tonnes
Speed
Engines	2x 336 kW steam engines
Passengers	250
Vehicles
Crew

D/F Ammonia is a steam powered railway ferry on Tinnsjå that connected Rjukanbanen with Tinnosbanen. The ferry was one of the four railway ferries on Tinnsjå 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]

[edit] 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.