This year the Museum Railway Association operating the Jokioinen Museum Railway applied for a grant of the National Board of Antiquities to repare the two hole Saustila stone culvert and all other culverts on the railway.
For the National Board of Antiquities it was a surprise how many stone culverts exists at Jokioinen Museum Railway in nearly original condition. The board made a field trip to study the Saustila culvert and decided to include all the stone culverts of the Jokioinen Museum Railway in a register of historical monuments. Because of this all the culverts are now protected by a law.
At the same time the National Board of Antiquities granted 8000 euros to check all the culverts and to make a renovation plan for them.
This is a first phase in larger project to repair all the stone culverts to last for the next 100 years. The designition of historical monument is very important for Jokioinen Museum Railway and also the fact that we are now the longest railway line in Finland with 19th century stone culverts in original condition.
Later on the plan is to poist signs next to the culverts that people renting handcars can stop to admire the work of the 19th century stonemasons!