East of Värnamo runs the Ohsabanan, a 14.5 kilometer long narrow-gauge museum railway lined with beautiful nature and the wings of history. The railway is operated and trafficked by the Ohs Bruk Railway Museum Association. This has always been a true experience for train enthusiasts, but the number of train enthusiasts seeking out this place has thinned out over the years. Since its inception in the 1970s, not much has changed here. Something needed to be done.
– As a visitor, one wants more than just an experience of riding a train. The challenge for many non-profit associations is the visitors, states Oscar Rydsjö, who has been the marketing manager for Ohsabanan for a couple of years now.
– Our source of income primarily comes from those who visit us and we compete against commercial tourist attractions.
It was time for something new so that the association, with the aim of preserving Ohsabanan, could continue to exist.
However, there was a really popular arrangement. Since 2008, the association has organized the Santa Train, a festive event where visitors ride a steam train up to Gimarp to meet Santa, grill sausages, and enjoy Christmas treats.
– We have sold out of tickets on the same day they were released. The problem has been that everything has been provisional. We have not been able to take care of our guests in a good way and there has been poor standards for toilets and service, explains Oscar.
This prompted the association to brainstorm further on its winning concept. If the association could offer service under a roof, it would have been significantly easier to carry out attractive events. At the same time, they realized that charter trains for companies yield the best return per volunteer hour.
– So we started to think about how we can improve our operations.
There were quite a few discussions at the coffee table. Perhaps one could create a new station building at the midpoint station Gimarp? The area could be made attractive for both events and themed trips if it had weather protection, better serving options, toilets, and a grill area.
So the association decided to take action. A project group was formed and Oscar, who was relatively new to the association at the time, began working with the others to conduct a mapping, analysis, and project description. His role was to provide a market perspective on Ohsabanan.
At the annual meeting, the idea was presented, which led to a long discussion within the association. How should one relate to the museum aspect in relation to the business aspect?
– Such buildings did not exist on the railway when it was active. The building itself is not museum-like and it is important that we do not build an amusement park, but that we still build for a museum operation. We had quite a long discussion about how to do this in a good way.
”The more people you get on board, the greater
the likelihood that this will continue.”
He states that the association stands on three legs. Firstly, there is the initial one, that the industrial railway should be preserved. Secondly, there are the volunteer members. The third leg? The visitors. All three parts must harmonize for the association to survive.
– If the members don't think it's fun, the association dies. If the old is not preserved, the visitors won't come, and if the visitors don't come, there is nothing. Everything is interconnected. This is a way to secure the association's future by getting more return on our volunteer efforts.
The proposal was voted through. The association contacted Småland tourism and the destination unit in Värnamo municipality for support.
– The more people you get on board, the greater the likelihood that this will continue. Once we had found partners and realized that everyone benefits from this, it was just a matter of sitting down and working on the application, says Oscar.
The project was divided into smaller sub-projects based on what needed to be done according to the mapping. The National Heritage Board granted the association support for toilets. Leader Linné Småland granted the association support to build a weather shelter with serving possibilities for up to 80 people.
– The idea is to offer our visitors better comfort. When we have events like the Santa Train, it is not fun for our visitors to stand outside. If we are to be able to do charter trips for companies and larger organizations, they require more or less that you can eat under cover.
A fully equipped and permanent preparation kitchen also makes it much easier for the association to arrange events.
– It has been quite tough before, as there is so much that needs to be fixed beforehand. Having a finished facility that is ready to use makes it more enjoyable. You can deliver a better experience and it doesn't take as much time, says Oscar.
The investment benefits not only the association. It is also part of a larger, local context.
– There are many people living nearby who don't really know what Ohsabanan is. This project is just as much about connecting Ohsabanan with the local community and the local business sector.
It is, in fact, young people from the area who are employed when Ohsabanan arranges charter trains, and the association will use catering from local restaurants.
– We are not doing this solely for ourselves, but want to develop the entire village. It is about long-term sustainability for the association, that we gain some form of legitimacy, a context.
Just over two years after the association's decision to invest, the weather shelter is in place, in time for the first summer. But there have been challenges along the way. During the time between the approved application and the Agricultural Agency's formal decision on Leader support, the war in Ukraine broke out. Unexpected events have led to significant cost increases for the association.
– We are such a small association that we cannot absorb these costs ourselves. That has been the major challenge, says Oscar.
The association has tried to scale back as much as possible. The kitchen will initially lack interior walls, they will be put up next season to spread out the costs. Now they are seeking funds for new, permanent kitchen equipment instead of the one they currently have gathered and borrowed.
”We do not do it solely for ourselves,
but want to develop the entire community.”
But despite the setbacks, the future feels bright. The association has received orders for trains that have not been possible to carry out before. During the summer, the Glasståget premiered, a collaboration with Sia where visitors take a train to Gimarp for ice cream tasting.
– We bake cinnamon buns and like sausages, and whoever comes up with the best ice cream flavor wins a ticket to Astrid Lindgren's World. We try to create an all-inclusive experience. We would not have been able to do it so well if we had not had this facility.
Dividing everything into smaller projects, is that something you recommend to others?
– Yes. These are large investments and if funders see that others believe in the project, it builds trust, as well as spreading the risk. For us, it is nice that not everything happens at once. I was sitting and counting my hours on everything I have put into this project and it is indeed a lot of time. I have averaged 25 hours a week over the past year.
In the end, has it been worth it?
– Yes. We used it for the first time during Glasståget in June and it was a monumental success. It looks better and the function is better than I expected. I and the association are super satisfied. It will be incredibly exciting to showcase it to more of our visitors.
Want to know more about Ohsabanan? Visit their website or follow them on social media!
Published: October 17, 2023