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Last year the number of passengers taking Jokioinen Museum Railway trains rose 20%. The final count for year 2001 was 12 331 journeys. Trains were running on 15 scheduled operating days. In addition to traffic on these days there were charter and work trains running on other days. There were total of 259 passenger and 89 goods or work trains running at Jokioinen Museum Railway in the operating year 2001.
The total number of journeys in 2001 was about 1000 more than the five year average.
The operating turnover was better than ever. One reason was successful charter train sales. The increased income is needed for the construction of the new work shop which will take most of the income in next five years.
In summer 2001 there were six different special days at the museum railway: the opening of the operating season, Sunday market at Humppila station, Minkiö country market, the day of the museum railway, Minkiö harvest market and the 30 year celebration of museum train traffic in Finland. The most popular happening was surprisingly the day of the museum railway with more than 1800 journeys in a single day. In addition to these happenings there was the traditional starlight train on a September Saturday night. This Year there were at most more than 300 passengers on-board the train. Because of this in autumn 2002 the starlight train will be run by two trains.
In autumn 2001 the construction of the new locomotive and carriage shop started in Minkiö. The rails inside the shop were laid by the museum railway volunteers. Also the earth work for the connecting spur were made by the volunteers. By the end of year 2001 the walls of the accommodation part were already standing. The construction work should be completed by the end of this spring.
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The board of directors for 2002 of the Museum Railway Association maintaining and operating the Jokioinen Museum Railway was elected. The annual meeting of the association was held in Hyvinkää on Sunday 25.11.
Mr Antti Välkki from Jokioinen will continue as the Chairman of the board. Mr Välkki is the ex Tax Director of Jokioinen municipality and he has been the Chairman of the association since 1989. Mr Martti Virtanen from Riihimäki will continue as the Vice Chairman and Mr Marko Tuominen from Jokioinen will continue as a Secretary. Mr Olli Virtanen from Kirkkonummi will continue as a Treasurer. Mr Jussi Tepponen will continue as a Vice Member of the board and the Chief of Operations of the Jokioinen Museum Railway. Mr Janne Rutonen from Hämeenlinna was elected as a Member of the board. The two other Members of the board Lauri Niemi and Juha-Pekka Viitanen will continue on the board until end of their two year terms.
The membership fees for year 2002 will be 24 € for adults and 12 € for the under 18 years old members.
The Finnish Railway Historical Society donated a 5000 Finnish mark grant to the Museum railway Association for the work done for railway preservation in Finland.
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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.