Close doors and gates! Let's take a virtual tour on the Skara-Lundsbrunn railway.
The station was once the largest narrow-gauge station in northern Europe, serving trains heading in five different directions. Today, only the heritage railway remains. About 600 meters from the station, you'll find the old engine sheds with an accompanying workshop. Once a full-scale facility, it housed a blacksmith shop and carpentry, where no tasks were too large.
Now, the heritage railway utilizes the premises, and we carry out similar tasks as in the past, albeit on a smaller scale.
Just behind the engine sheds, a section of the old Timmersdala line remains, extending to Vilanhallen. The track used to reach Skara Camping, a bit further away, but today it terminates at Vilanhallen.
In 2023, the stop was renamed Vilan after being known as Skara Camping for many years. This track is also the route taken by the Cheese Express to the Cheese Fair.
Here is the first proper station along the track. Nearby, there's a nature trail leading to the remains of Nabbeborg, also referred to as Tveta Borg and Skara Borg in various writings. It's unclear when and by whom the fortress was built, but it could date back as early as the 1200s. Nowadays, not much remains except for some terrain irregularities.
This is the highest point of the track, at 124 meters above sea level. Only Gårdsjö surpassed this elevation during the time of the old Västergötland-Göteborg Railway. In the past, there was a siding used by the egg association to load railway wagons with eggs bound for the market in Gothenburg. There was also a general store and several other businesses, including a dairy and a blacksmith shop. The location is named after Myråsen Farm, which is now the home of Myråsen Riding Club.
But what is this? Another railway? Yes, it's the SPNJ (Skogsmarks Putte-Nutte Järnväg) situated halfway in the woods and halfway in a garden. It's a small hobby railway with a 600 mm track gauge, and the owner is often out, joyfully driving their train with a broad smile on their face as we pass by.
At this station, there is a mill dating back to the 1800s. Originally, a mill with roots as far back as the 1500s stood here. There is an association that manages its operation, and every year on "Mill Day" in August, they start it up and grind flour as it was done in the past. During this event, there are guided tours, flour sales, and other entertainment. A nature trail, Sörboleden, also begins at the mill, stretching approximately three kilometers and rich in plant life, including some rare species. The trail leads into a deep ravine formed after the end of the ice age. Along the way, you'll cross six bridges and encounter two springs, one of which is iron-rich.
The northern terminus of the heritage railway. Here, you'll find the station building, goods warehouse, loading dock, and a siding.
Feel free to bring a picnic basket to enjoy in the railway park or purchase an ice cream at the station building.
In the summer of 2024, a playground was also constructed in the park.
As part of the regular Sunday service, there is a journey on a railcar between Lundsbrunn station and the Lundsbrunn Spa stop. The town is most renowned for its spa, where people used to come to drink water from the Odins Spring, whose reputation for health benefits dates back to the 1720s. Until the fall of 2015, the spa was a conference and spa facility in a magnificent setting with excellent facilities and small pavilions. In the fall of 2018, the entire facility was purchased by Astro Sweden AB. Lundsbrunn also boasts a golf course with an accompanying restaurant.
Skara-Lundsbrunns Järnvägar
Box 191
532 23 SKARA
Bankgiro 274-2138
Swish 123 511 60 66
org. nr 868400-8629