The twenty-first of December. We are not yet leaving Minkiö station, but we will still admire the winter landscape of the station. In winter, at the latest after Santa's train has ran and the snow is covereing the ground, the Museum Railway falls into hibernation. Adherence, though, continues inside the workshop hall like in Santa's workshop. Wagons and locomotives are already being repaired and serviced at a brisk pace for the summer.

The big projects this winter are the repair of the steam locomotive HKR5, Sohvi's water tanks, the restoration of the locomotive's log bunker to its original appearance, the repairs and maintenance of the locomotive's machinery and painting of the locomotive. Another big project is the completion of the second replica of the Jokioinen railway passenger car to be built on the original chassis.

But outside, Minkiö station sleeps over the winter and the open goods wagons and railway tracks in the yard are covered in snow. There is still a long time untill spring, but already tomorrow the day will start to lengthen, which means that we are already heading towards spring!

Snowy railway station area. A red station building and a snow-covered yard with an open snow-covered freight wagon.
The snow covers Minkiö station and the Jokioinen railway short open freight wagon. Photo: Jussi Tepponen 10.12. 2008.