Norberg, Västmanland County, Västmanland Province, Sweden

🇸🇪 Norberg is a locality and the seat of Norberg Municipality in Västmanland County, Sweden. Best known for the Norbergfestival which is Scandinavias biggest electronic music festival, organized in an old iron ore mine. Norberg consists of two large parts, the actual Norberg in the south and Kärrgruvan (Marsh Mine) in the north, along with smaller settlements scattered around the area.

History Iron-making in Norberg can be traced back to the 6th century, but the area has been populated since the Nordic Stone Age.

The blast furnace plant at Lapphyttan, probably originates from the 11–1200s (currently under reconstruction elsewhere), shows the beginning of the mining community that grew up in Bergslagen. In the Middle Ages, Norberg was a marketplace where mountain men in the surrounding districts gathered.

The oldest preserved buildings in Norberg are in Norbergsån, the area around Norberg church with farms that originate from the Middle Ages, while many current buildings are from the 18th century. The oldest parts of Norberg's church, including the vaults, date from the 13th century. The interior was changed after a big fire in 1727 and the church tower was rebuilt in 1904. In the cemetery is a bone chamber from the 18th century.

Despite an extensive fire in the mid-18th century, one can still see the original settlement pattern in central Norberg with booths, laundries and a wash-house along the river, while farm houses and residential buildings are nearby.

In the 1970s, raw molten iron was transported by rail from the blast furnaces at Spännarhyttan to the steelworks at Surahammar. Spännarhyttans blast furnace was shut down for good in 1981.

Landmarks Elsa Andersons Konditori is a historic pastry shop. Formerly a hostelry, it was founded in 1916 and is located next to the square in Norberg. It has been awarded with a diploma from the Gastronomy Academy. On 21 August 2015 it was totally destroyed by a fire but it reopened in 2017.

Engelsberg-Norberg Railway Engelsberg–Norbergs Järnväg, the Engelsberg–Norberg Railway, is a 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge railway between Ängelsberg and Kärrgruvan in the province of Västmanland in Sweden, now being used by the Engelsbergs Norberg Järnvägshistoriska förening (ENJ), a heritage railway association.

History The 18 km (11 mi) long railway line was built in the 1850s with the purpose of transporting iron ore between the Norberg mining area and the lake Åmänningen, for further transport on barges on the Strömsholm Canal. Transport of goods on the first part of the line, Kärrgruvan – Trättbo begun in December 1853 with the first steam engine built in Sweden, Förstlingen (the First One), constructed by the Munktell Mechanical Workshops in Eskilstuna. A reconstructed company, Norbergs Nya Järnvägs AB was formed in 1855 and finished the whole line to Ängelsberg at the lake of Åmänningen in 1856. At that time the railway had a 1,188 mm (3 ft 10+25⁄32 in) gauge, widened to the Swedish 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge in 1876.

In 1962 passenger service was discontinued, followed by freight services in the mid 1990s.

The Heritage Railway Association Engelsbergs Norberg Järnvägshistoriska förening (ENJ), the Engelsberg-Norberg Heritage Railway Association, started in 1999, aims to organize regular traffic for tourists with diesel railcars between Ängelsberg and Kärrgruvan. The association has two locomotive sheds, including a roundhouse and turntable at Ängelsberg and a shed at Kärrgruvan. The latter was built in 1857 and is the oldest preserved locomotive shed in Sweden.

ENJ uses three 1950s railcars for regular traffic: • The Multiple Unit YBo7 No 1156, constructed 1957 by ASJ, Östersund • The Multiple Unit YBo7 No 1255, constructed 1959 by Eksjö-verken, Eksjö • The Control Unit Ybfoby No 2076

ENJ also has other stock for permanent way and maintenance use, including: • 0-4-0DM Deutz 'Grodan' (Frog), in green

As well as various coaching stock awaiting restoration in the sidings at Kärrgruvan. ENJ's long term hopes are to run a summer steam service on the line, and has secured these coaches to be used when appropriate motive power becomes available. For now, the railcars provide the backbone of the service.