Railway Museum Days 11.-12.8.2012
Finland’s biggest ever railway event to be held in August in Hyvinkää.
The historic main celebration in the 150th anniversary year of Finnish railways and VR is being held at the Finnish Railway Museum in Hyvinkää over the weekend 11 – 12 August. A very wide selection of passenger and freight rolling stock and track maintenance equipment through the ages will be on display at what will be the biggest event ever for the railway sector in Finland. Many vintage steam and diesel locomotives, for example, will be there. The last time a large cavalcade of rolling stock was on display to the public was in 1962 when the railways celebrated their one hundredth anniversary. Thousands of visitors from Finland and abroad are expected.
The event in August will also include vintage train services on an exceptionally large scale for Finland. During the two days a frequent service with vintage trains pulled by steam and diesel locomotives will operate on the route Hyvinkää-Lohja-Karjaa-Hanko. In Lohja there will also be a feeder service provided by vintage diesel railcars between the centre of Lohja and Lohja station. Visitors will also have an opportunity to examine modern rolling stock, so they can see what developments in rolling stock and technology have taken place over the years.
The event is being put together in close cooperation by the Finnish Railway Museum, VR, Pohjolan Liikenne, the Finnish Transport Agency, the Finnish Transport Safety Agency Trafi, contractors, and operators of vintage railway services. “We have wanted to give everyone involved in the sector the chance to take part in building what is a unique event for Finland,” says Markku Nummelin, chairman of the organizing committee.
In addition to the rolling stock display and vintage train services, there will also be opportunities to observe demonstrations of railway work. The public will be able to see for example how a track point is installed and how a radio-controlled locomotive actually works in practice.
The event area in Hyvinkää will be open on both days from 10.00 to 19.00, but the vintage trains will run from early in the morning to late in the evening.
Timetables for vintage trains in finnish.
Last year pictures:Flickr.
