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The construction of the new locomotive shop at Minkiö started on Monday 29.10. after almost one year break since casting the foundation. The work started with the preparation ground work for casting the floor of the shop. There is a slight hurry in completing the floors before the temperature drops permanently bellow freezing.
After the floor has been made the steel frame of the building will be constructed. The aim is to get the walls and roof completed by the end of the year.
The shop is built by the Municipality of Jokioinen and the work is funded by the municipalities of Jokioinen and Humppila, the Tavastia centre of labour and economy, and the Ministry of transport and communications. The shop is constructed by H&E Kallioinen Oy from Jokioinen.
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The long lasting dream is fulfilling
The construction of a new heated workshop building of Jokioinen Museum Railway will start rolling full ahead later this month. Volunteers of the Museum Railway have been waiting for the new work shop for long time. All the work until now had to be done in old cold locomotive sheds and accommodation has been on old railway sleeping coaches. The kitchen and toilet facilities have been without running water.
The board of Jokioinen municipality approved the HE Kallioinen Oy from Jokioinen to construct the new workshop with a budget of 1,6 million Finnish marks. YIT Huber Oy will take care of heating, water and air conditioning work. Electricity will be done by Jorpek Oy from Jokioinen. The total price of the new workshop will be 2,1 million Finnish marks.
The construction work will start latest by the end of October. The foundation of the workshop was completed already last year. the workshop should be ready by the end of June next year. The total surface area of the shop will be 600 m2. For the volunteers the new workshop will include a new kitchen, accommodation for ten people, sauna and bathroom and toilets.
Also loaned money is needed
This summer the Häme region Economic Development Office granted to Jokioinen municipality 480 000 Finnish marks of EU funding and 370 000 Finnish marks of government funding to be used for the workshop project. Jokioinen municipality will participate with 250 000 Finnish marks and Humppila with 100 000 Finnish marks. The Museum Railway Association and Jokioinen Museum Railway Oy will both cover the private funding of 500 000 Finnish marks.
Because the 1.7 million Finnish mark estimated cost of building will be exceeded by a half a million Finnish marks the Museum Railway Association will take a loan of 500 000 Finnish marks. Part of the development project is also to develop the tourist and commercial capabilities of Jokioinen Museum Railway.
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The very successful operating season 2001 of Jokioinen museum railway ended with the Star Light Train on Saturday evening 22 of September. A record long ten car passenger train was headed by the Loviis-Weisjärvi Railway number 6 and the traditional Star Light Train locomotive Jokioinen railway number 4.
The train lit by electric and oil lamps was full to the last seat.
AT the peak time there were more than 250 passenger on board the train. The original the plan was to run with eight passenger coaches but because of a high number of passengers both of the open summer coaches had to be added to the train. Because of the long train and short track length at the end stations a helper locomotive was attached at the end of the train to avoid running around the locomotive
The Star Light Train requires a large number of volunteer workers to guarantee safe running in the middle of night. There were total of 30 volunteers responsible of operations and security on that Saturday evening and also many more working in the cafe.
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On Sunday 12.8. the first ever harvest market was held at Minkiö station. Local farmer were selling their products on a filed next to Minkiö station. There were a lot of people attending the market although the weather was cloudy. The market day was also the last day of the summer when two trains were running simultaneously. The steam train traffic will continue with one train running every Sunday until end of August. The traditional star light train will be on Saturday evening 22.9.
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The 30th aniversary celebration of Jokioinen Museum Railway will be held on Tuesday August 21. At the Bio Kaari cinema in Forssa there will be an invitation only show of the film "Dream Makers" telling the story of early years of the Jokioinen Museum Railway. The celebration will continue at the Jokioinen Museum Railway. At Minkiö station a train reassembling the first official train in 1971 will depart towards Humppila at 15.30 carrying the invited guests. The train will return to Minkiö at 17.00 when the celebration will end.
On 21.8. 1971 the first museum train of Finland was running on then a private common carrier Jokioinen railway. The last narrow gauge railway in Finland was later saved by small but enthusiastic group of volunteers who later on established Museum Railway Forssa-Humppila association which was later renamed as Museum Railway association. This same association is still today running the museum trains of Jokioinen Museum Railway.
The Jokioinen Museum railway is the only private common carrier narrow gauge railway in Finland. It keeps up the memory of Jokioinen railway opened for traffic in 1898. The remaining track length is 14 km and gauge 750 mm.
Museum trains have been running without interruption on summer Sundays since 1978. The whole railway is maintained and run by fully volunteer labor. The Jokioinen Museum Railway also has the oldest steam locomotive in operation condition in Finland. An old 1909 Tampella locomotive from 1909. Currently a 100 year old H.K. Porter locomotive from Äänekoski-Suolhati railway is under renovation and when finnished will be the oldest running steam locomotive in Finland.
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This year the hot and sunny weather favored the Day of the Museum Railway. There was a large number of visitors following work demonstrations and trying to drive a diesel locomotive. Total of 1500 voyages were made on board steam trains. The work demonstrations included eg. replacing railway sleepers, blacksmith demonstrations and possibility to follow the work of a break man in a moving train.
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This year's Minkiö farmers market had large crowds of visiting people. More than 1000 people visited the market and most of the stallholders ran out of the products just after the noon. The day was also the busiest weekend for the steam trains with more than 1100 voyages made during the day. There will be also a second market at Minkiö station this year. On Sunday 12.8. there will be Minkiö harvest market with farmers selling the summers crop.
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The railway travelling development plan prepaired by the Museum railway Associations is going forward. The municipal board of Jokioinen voted for the plan. Now the aim is to complete the plans so Jokioinen could ask for bids for the project.
Jokioinen is seeking for 850 000 Finnish marks of EU money to develop the museum railway related tourism. The total budget of the project is 1.7 million marks. The Tavastia regional board has accepted the project.
The part of Jokioinen municipality is 250 000 marks and of Humppila municipality 100 000 marks in years 2001 - 2003.
The museum railway is one of the two important travel destinations in Jokioinen, this is the reason the municipality is taking care of the project. The main object of the project is to build a new workshop to service and restore the rolling stock of the railway.