Ångsågen

Ångsågen is more than just the place where the association has its base – it is an area filled with history and stories from the railway’s infancy and beyond. When the railway reached Nässjö in 1864, SJ built its first locomotive station here. The facility was expanded over time and when the location became cramped, the locomotive station was moved to northern Nässjö in 1911, where we currently have an engine shed and the engineering department is housed. Stores and a building where train drivers could spend the night and attend courses were instead built at Ångsågen.

The name Ångsågen comes from the old steam-powered saw that was located close to the area. Once upon a time, the lake Runnerydsjön reached all the way here and the site became a hub for transport and industry. But the area also had a nickname: Pinnakajen, because a spindle-back chair factory (pinnstol in Swedish) used the railway to transport its goods. Initially, shipments took place using Decauville tracks, then later with lorries. A box factory also had its loading dock here – a place full of activity that has now become silent.

The old drivers’ hostel was demolished in the 1950s and replaced by a new track inspector’s residence. SJ’s gardener also worked from here, with flowers and stores that brightened up the area. The warehouse itself, where the museum is today, was built in the 1930s in conjunction with the dualling of the mainline between Tranås and Mjölby. After having served as a store for SJ and the Swedish Rail Administration, the building was given a new lease of life when it was taken over and renovated by the association.

Ångsågen is now a place where history meets the present, a place where visitors can discover Nässjö’s railway heritage and get a sense of the area’s rich industrial past. Come and experience the stories that have shaped the place – and the people who have lived and worked here by visiting our museum!