Torstamåla torvmuseum

Working-life museum in a preserved peat litter factory by Torstamåla fly (marsh), with machines, a peat railway and viewings a few days a year.

Opening hours unknown

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About the museum

Torstamåla torvströfabrik (Torstamåla Peat Litter Factory) was founded in 1945 by Lennart Roos, and the present factory building dates from 1960. The factory lies south of Torstamåla village, next to Torstamåla fly (marsh). The peat was extracted by hand on a small scale, which was not particularly profitable, and extraction ceased in 2002. From 1965 the tenant Ragnar Andersson ran the factory alone.

When operations were closed down and the storm Gudrun had blown off the factory roof, a group of local-history enthusiasts became involved in preserving the facility. The association Torstamåla torvmuseum (Torstamåla Peat Museum) was formed in 2006 and soon received support to renovate the building. Since then volunteers have built up the peat railway, about one kilometre long, with a locomotive and wagons, as well as the transport jetty into the factory.

All the factory's machines are preserved and still work, including a press for peat bales driven by a hot-bulb engine (tändkulemotor). During the viewings, visitors can ride the locomotive out to the peat extraction area and then follow the peat's journey from block to litter in the factory's machines. The factory is one of two preserved peat factories in Kalmar County.

Highlights

Factory with all its machines preserved
Peat railway of about one kilometre with locomotive and wagons
Bale press driven by a hot-bulb engine
Viewing from peat extraction to finished peat litter