Christmas Eve and the time of the traditional Museum Railway Association's Christmas card. The Christmas card has been made like before by PTJ Koskinen, a steam locomotive driver on the museum railway.

Santa has decided to make his journey with a genuine Jokioinen railway box snow plow, which has been renovated at Jokioinen Museum Railway in early 2020. The snow plow is pushed by the ex Hyvinkää-Karkkila railway steam locomotive number 5, Sohvi.

In addition to presents, Santa has his loyal elves controlling the blades of the snow plow and, of course, Peter who greets his friend sitting on a tree branch.

Instead of plowing snow, Santa has harnessed his train to plow Corona Viruses out of the way. The steam coming out of the injectors of Sohvi takes care of disinfecting the plowed viruses. So there is no infection risk and all children and everyone else can safely let Santa to come in and to bring Christmas presents!

A steam locomotive pushes a box snow plow, where Santa Claus, two elves and a Peter the reindeer travel. The snow plow is not plowing snow, but Corona Viruses off the tracks.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2021 are wished by the Museum Railway Association and Jokioinen Museum Railway. Drawing: PTJ Koskinen 2020.

One night for Christmas and the darkest day of the year is behind! Santa is already ready for his trip tomorrow and has decided to take a train due to the lack of snow. And not just any train is good for Santa, he decided to jump on the authentic Jokioinen Museum Railway steam train.

Santa Claus on the end platform of the guard's van was immortalized in the 2017 Santa Train. This year, Santa's train could not be operated due to the corona epidemic, but with this Christmas calendar, everyone has been able to take a small train and time trip in the winter wonderland of Jokioinen railway.

Santa Claus  stands on the end platform of a red guard's van. The van is pulled by a steam locomotive. In the background, a wooden red cooperative warehouse building stands.
Santa Claus on the end platform of LWR51 guard's van at Minkiö station. Photo: Marko Laine 2.12. 2017.

The December 22nd. Two nights for Christmas. Now is the time to admire Humppila's new station building under Christmas lighs. The station, which is the former Riipa railway halt building from Ostrobothnia near Kokkola, was brought to Humppila about exactly two years ago. It marked the beginning of a major renovation of the station, which lasted more than six months, and finally the station was inaugurated in June 2019. At the same time, the renovated Humppila station park was also opened.

In the picture, the station building looks like it has always been in this location. Traditional Christmas candles on windows and a small snow cover create an authentic Christmas atmosphere. The spruce tree behind the photographer’s back is also Christmas-lit, as it has been for many years before. Now you can almost rest and breathe deeply and just let Christmas come.

Yellow wooden station building with Christmas candles on windows. There is a small layer of snow on the ground.
Snow has covered the ground and Christmas candles shine through the windows of Humppila station. Photo: Marko Laine 27.11. 2020.

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.

The twentieth of December and fourth Advent Sunday. Four days to Christmas. We will still stay at Minkiö station, which over the years has become the center of operations of the Jokioinen Museum Railway and an active museum depot. Let's go back in time to the Autumn Colours Train in snow described on the third of December and operated less than twenty years ago in October 2002.

In the picture, the train is just crossing the Kiipuntie level crossing on the way from Jokioinen to Minkiö. The train is hauled by the steam locomotive HKR5 "Sohvi", which started museum railway operations in Finland. The locomotive's plow wings are useful when the locomotive pushes over the Kiipuntie level crossing.

At the first departure of this specific fall train, there was a funny incident that the conductor of the train will probably still remember. As the train left Minkiö for Humppila, a branch of snow-covered birch growing at the corner of the station swept the snow from the roof of the conductor carriage to the neck of the conductor standing on the end platform of the carriage. A cold and cheerful start for the day!

A train pulled by a steam locomotive crossing a snowy level crossing
A 2002 autumn train from Jokioinen to Minkiö, surprised by snowfall, crossing the Kiipuntie level crossing just before arriving at the station. Photo: Teemu Virtanen 5.10. 2002.