The 19th century brought sweeping industrial changes across the world. Finland, once heavily reliant on agriculture, gradually transformed into an industrial society. This era was marked by technological advancements and an increasing use of steam power.
Steam engines became the heart of industrial progress, revolutionizing production by generating mechanical energy and electricity. Fiskars was no exception—on the contrary, it was deeply impacted by these changes.
Fiskars Ironworks was one of the first industrial pioneers worldwide to begin manufacturing steam engines. In 1836, the Machine Workshop was established under the leadership of John (from 1849: von) Julin, Anders Thalus Ericsson, and David Cowie, marking the true start of steam engine production. The first one in Finland was built by the latter two, and by the following year, full-scale manufacturing was underway at Fiskars.
Railway Construction Begins in Finland
The growing need for efficient transportation drove railway construction forward. Finland’s first railway line was inaugurated on January 31, 1862, connecting Helsinki and Hämeenlinna. This milestone improved transport networks and linked key economic centers.
Over the following decades, additional main railway lines were built, with steam locomotives playing a central role in this expansion—despite the fact that the earliest railways had originally been designed for horse-drawn traffic.
Railways became a lifeline for many communities, and their significance for Finland’s economic and social development cannot be overstated.
Even before this, the idea of using rail tracks to improve transportation had emerged at the Orijärvi mine, where a short, local railway was constructed in 1827. However, horse-drawn wagons were used, as they didn’t have access to motorized locomotives.
Fiskars’ First Railway Plans
In 1860, Fiskars officials discussed the high transportation costs between the ironworks and the outside world. The industry struggled to remain viable as coal prices rose and the Fiskars River became increasingly difficult to navigate due to land uplift and siltation. Fine particles—such as sand, clay, and organic materials—had gradually accumulated on the riverbed, making the waterway too shallow for transport.
To address these transportation challenges, improve connectivity, and enhance productivity, a railway construction proposal was introduced as early as 1861. Lieutenant Colonel A. Appelberg of the state railways was commissioned to examine, assess, and measure the planned railway route. He analysed elevation differences and slopes along the route to ensure optimal safety and energy efficiency.
He also mapped the precise railway route, taking into account curvature radii and straight sections. This meticulous process was crucial for ensuring railway stability and functionality while minimizing costs and environmental impact.
In the 1885 handwritten copy of the 1861 plan, “Afskrift af Beräkningarne och Betänkandet, som åtföljde Jernvägs-Ingenieur A. Appelbergs instrumentala undersökningsprofiler och planer till en hästjernväg mellan Fiskars Walsverk och Skuru bro i Pojo, S.V. Nyland, [—], avskrivet 21.10.1885”, it was named as the “Construction of a horse-drawn railway from the Rolling Mill at Fiskars through the forest, down to the Pohjankuru loading site by the Pohja Bay.”
Industrialist John von Julin recognized that motorized railway transport could triple cargo volume while increasing transportation costs by only 850 rubles per year. However, the plan was not realized until thirty years later.
According to history professor Gabriel Nikander (1884-1959), a lack of financial resources was the primary reason the railway between Pohjankuru and Fiskars was not built in the 1860s. Per-Olof Blomqvist also argued the delay was due to administrative stagnation during the so-called “guardianship administration,” which managed Fiskars’ affairs until John von Julin’s son, Emil Lindsay von Julin, inherited the ironworks and took over its leadership.
It was not until his brother and successor, Albert von Julin, became the director of Fiskars Ironworks in 1875 that efforts to rescue the ironworks from economic hardship gained momentum.
The Little Locomotive “Pikku-Pässi”
It took until August 30, 1891 for the so-called Pikku-Pässi—a narrow-gauge steam locomotive—to begin operating between Fiskars and Pohjankuru harbor. According to historian Kenneth Silver, the train was affectionately nicknamed “Pässi”, “Little Pässi,” or “The Little Train” by the locals. Another commonly used term was “Fiskars-Pässi”, distinguishing it from two other locomotives at Åminnefors.
Today, the most widely recognized name is Pikku-Pässi, or simply Pässi.
It was common for steam locomotives to be called Pässi, Little Pässi, or Big Pässi — Bässen in Swedish — because they resembled rams due to their sturdy and determined nature. The name conveyed an image of a strong, forward-charging beast. The locomotive’s powerful steam puffs and roaring sounds reinforced this comparison, making the name a perfect fit.
This small locomotive was manufactured in Germany in 1890 (despite having the serial number 2571/1891) and had the honor of operating Finland’s first narrow-gauge, motor-driven railway until October 4, 1952. Only Finlayson in Tampere had managed to introduce a narrow-gauge railway earlier, in 1876, but it lacked a motorized locomotive, and its wagons were pulled by horses.