Mutebo-Aspnäs Jernväg

Mutebo-Aspnäs Jernväg Background and a Brief Account of Facts Hans Hellsten Proprietor and Builder 1 What is a miniature models of steam engines – typically railway and what is live in scales 1:16 or 1:12. steam? The prototype engines could be locomotives, ship engines, steam Miniature railways are common in tractors, or stationary engines. The the Great Britain. Also, there are models were true miniatures of the several in Switzerland, Germany, real thing, operating on steam, fired Holland and in the US. In most other with coal and strong – not toys. Such countries they are rare. In Sweden, models are called live steam – three such railways are open to the “echtdampf” in German. Mainly in general public, viz. “Sandlidsbanan” the United Kingdom, at the zenith of outside Borås; one at the State the hobby, there was some hundred Railway Museum in Gävle; and this model engineering clubs. Many still one. exist and they operate their own train Miniature railways are an old tracks for running the model phenomenon. It started as a curiosity engines. Standard gauge models loco in the end of the nineteenth century. in the scale 1:12 runs on 5” (127 Miniature railways did also find mm) gauge track and may weigh 100 some local use for goods transports. kg. Originally the gauge was 15” (381 It is not clear whether the model mm) allowing 50 and more engineering hobby is a growing or passengers. Some of these original diminishing movement. The hobby railways still operate. has evolved and changed form. Forty In the twentieth century smaller years ago the live steam models scale model trains appeared. In always were hand-made out of scrap Sweden we are all familiar with metal and iron and bronze sand electric model trains in gauge H0, castings to be machined by the i.e. in the scale 1:87. However, the model engineer. This took a very British hobby of “Model long time – 2000 hours or even Engineering” did not spread much in more. Just a few people have that Sweden. This was leisure activity time (or patience) today. With amongst thousands. Men, with a modern CNC machines, beautiful variety of professions like engineers, machining can be done to a mechanics, lawyers, doctors, and the relatively small cost. Thus today like, constructed a mechanical many of these models can be bought amateur workshop in their home, as kits for self assembly. with a small lathe and drilling Another trend today is that miniature machine. There they spent the long railways, i.e. railways with very winter hours before the advent of large scale models used for carrying television. The products were real passengers, are becoming common. Today, these railways are 2 built in gauges 7 ¼” (184 mm - this gauge is scale 1:8 for standard gauge My history and is the one used at Mutebo- Aspnäs Järnväg), 10 ¼”, 12 ¼”, 15” When 12 years old, I came across and 18”. The locomotives for these the model engineering hobby in the railways will be large and weigh form of a book “Miniature from hundred kilos to several tons. Locomotive Construction” by Martin Apart from CNC machining, there Evans. Most of the English I did not are today improved techniques for understand, but I grew fascinated by quality welding and for precision the possibility of making engine cutting of steel plate. Exploiting the miniatures. Plans for quitting school new techniques in boiler and training to become an instrument manufacturing for instance, the maker were stopped by my parents. boiler will be just as functional and Later, as a university student, I safe, but much faster to produce than equipped a spare room in my an old riveted boiler. In all, it is grandmother’s flat in Stockholm possible to build large miniature with a small lathe and milling engines with much less effort than machine and started building a 7 ¼” before. gauge locomotive in the little spare time I had. After 20 years a friend Nostalgia activities are probably a eventually completed it, and I ran it useful thing helping people to put on the “Sandlidsbanan” outside the modern society in a bigger Borås. I bought a minibus to context. One should have the deepest facilitate transport of the engine in possible respect for the enormous order to use this very nice track technical and social development layout. However, it was a lot of which has occurred in today’s effort to load the train into the bus society. However modern and go off to the track. The idea technology is scaringly streamlined emerged that I would build my own and efficient and provides little miniature railway. understanding of its internal workings. Experiencing steam engines and former days transportation technology helps in giving perspective to its modern counterparts and hopefully to uphold the interest in taking these even further. It is thus hoped that a visit to Mutebo-Aspnäs Jernväg could be of some little benefit and joy in these respects for children of all ages. 3 ÍN 7. 2. 4. 1. 6. 3. 5. 0 15 30 45 60 75 90 105 120 135 150 meter Figure 1: Railway Layout: 1. Visitor’s Parking; 2 Main Terminus; 3. Café; 4. Theatre; 5. Living House; 6. Meeting Loop “Mutebo Nedre”; 7. Turning Loop “Mutebo Öfvre”, with workshop, engine shed and sidings. compels you to all labour of keeping Thus, I and my wife Monica started the railway in good shape year after to look for a house in the year. One such can be forming a countryside, sitting in a piece of land club as is done in the UK. However I suitable for a railway project. and my wife were appealed by “commercial” running. We wanted In 1997, in the rush of being the first to keep the railway for the general to get the present house, the public with the sensation that people inspection of the surroundings had to actually are paying for what we be a quick one. A later more careful offer. I run the railway and my wife survey revealed elevations making a small café adjoining. We have both the subsequent construction more much enjoyed this combined complex than appreciated. Also the concept, having received 18000 land premises had to be extended by guests up to the present time, which acquiring an adjoining farm field. By is 7 seasons of running 3 hours in this addition our land lot has a total Saturdays and Sundays during June area of about 10 000 sqm. to August. All visitors have been a For me personally, a railway for true joy to meet; many have become your exclusive individual use would regulars visiting us over and over not be fun in the long run. There again, and some our dear friends. must be some basic reason which 4 makes one complete loop. It then winds on a bank to the higher Layout and operation plateau where there is another turning loop. Here there is a building The farmer selling the adjoining adapted as a workshop and rolling field knew a small digging enterprise stock storage. There are also service run spare time by a fire fighter and tracks leading to ash pit, engine his son. He also knew about a small shed, sidings and a traverse crane by family enterprise running a gravel which engines and coaches are pit. The digging firm was closing shifted into the workshop and down so for them to take on making additional stables. the earth works, construction had to start right away, which was in 1997. Midpoint on the track there is a So moving into the house was mixed passing loop. with land survey, planning and the railway construction. The turning loops allows for continuous running while at the Laying out the railway a number of same time a complete tour uses part things had to be considered. There of the track two times in different should be a terminus with the directions giving variation to the tour adjoining café, and there should in spite of a limited track length. The parking places for the public. The length of the railway excluding layout had to cope with the height sidings is 450 m, while a complete differences of around 7 meters from tour is 700 m. Due to the fairly slow one end of our premises to the other. process of climbing the incline, a Also the living house should be tour takes a quarter of hour. The separated from railway layout in passing loop makes two-train order that the railway traffic should operation quite interesting, with the not intrude on the family private life. down train holding and letting the up Moreover there had to be a train pass at this spot. Supporting supplement of suitable water for two-train operation there is steam operation. There had to be a semaphore signal system based on workshop and a storing place for the the line blocking principle. It will be rolling stock and also arrangement described in more detail later on. for lifting trains into the workshop for storage and service. The overall height variation to be encompassed by the railway is 6.1 The layout is showed in Figure 1. meter. In view of the limited track Basically our land lot is divided into length this difference is significant. two relatively level plateaus with a To reduce gradients the entire lower slope in between. The bottom loop is elevated to a constant level plateau is the former farm field by extensive banking. The remaining where the terminus café and parking height to the upper loop is thereby 5 place now is.

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