Skabo Jernbanevognfabrikk was a mechanical workshop focusing on design and construction of railcars. It was established by Hans Skabo in Drammen, Norway, in 1864; it became the first rail car factory in the country when it took delivery of the cars for Kongsvingerbanen. Due to the size of the venture, it moved to Tyskerstranden at Skøyen in Kristiania (now Oslo) in 1873.[1][2]
Because the delivery of rail cars is uneven, Skabo participated in other manufacturing, including coachworks for trucks, buses and taxicabs. The first Norwegian-produced trolleybus was delivered from Skabo in 1911.[3] Also technical devices and stalls and in 1926 firewood powered snow melters; the latter contraption rather unsuccessful.[4] In 1948 the company was bought by Norsk Elektrisk & Brown Boveri (NEBB), who sold it to Strømmens Værksted in 1959; moving all activity to Strømmen and closing the Skøyen plant.[4]
Many of the wooden passenger cars delivered to both Norges Statsbaner[7] and others are built by Skabo. This included the cars delivered to Urskog-Hølandsbanen[8] and Nesttun-Osbanen.[9] For NSB the models included A11, A20, A21, B2, B3, B9, B20, B23, B30, B31, DF37, F2, F3, F20, R1, R20, WLAB, WLB and ZU21.[10]
For Oslo Sporveier Skabo built several trams, including models KSS 32, KSS 95, KSS96, Hkb 42, EB 1001, EB 1007, OS 397, Hkb 110, EB 1013, Hkb 205, OS 166, OS 170 and EB 1011.[11]