NKLJ Line – An Important Transport Route

The line was used to transport raw materials and goods to the industries along its route. However, as railways were no longer utilized in the same way by the mid-20th century, the line was gradually decommissioned. From the 1950s onwards, sections were closed down bit by bit, and by the 1980s, the tracks were removed from almost the entire line. Today, only a few kilometers of the line remain.

Stjärnfors Mill Became Stjärnfors Works

In the heart of Hagfors municipality lies the old industrial area where the foundation of the Uddeholm Company was laid. In 1668, the first dam in Stjärnsfors was built to harness the water power of the Uvån River. It was Johan Karlström from Älvsbacka who initiated iron production with two hammer forges and a blast furnace. The ironworks industry was developed into a major industry by the patron Bengt Gustaf Geijer during the 18th century and encompassed a dozen works in the region. Stjärnsfors Works was the center of Uddeholm’s development for over 200 years, and when the modern Hagfors Ironworks came into operation in 1878, production was moved there.

From Iron to Paper

When the era of ironworks ended, a pulp factory was built in its place. The industrial era also came to an end in the mid-1950s, and today, some of the buildings remain. Stjärnsfors Mill by the Uvån River existed long before the first ironworks was established. The mill was water-powered until 1920, when the latest power station was built. The current mill operated from 1940 to 1956 and was restored to its original condition in 1996. Today, it serves as a mill museum.

Hagfors Railway Museum

You can view the carriages and locomotives that once traveled the NKlJ line by visiting the Hagfors Railway Museum. The museum houses several old steam locomotives, including the first NKlJ locomotive, manufactured in England in 1874. You can also admire one of the world’s best-preserved road locomotives, the so-called “Steam Horse” from 1862. Additionally, you can visit the old engine sheds, now an environmental museum showcasing what a railway workshop looked like in the past.

Construction of the Klarälvsbanan

The development of what is now Klarälvsbanan has occurred in different stages and projects:

• Deje – Forshaga: inaugurated in August 2000.
• Forshaga – Karlstad: completed in 2002.
• Forshaga – Munkfors: finished in 2003-2004.
• Munkfors – Uddeholm: the final asphalt was laid in the fall of 2005.
• The first tourist season on Klarälvsbanan (90 kilometers of paved multi-use road) was in 2006.

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