A row of busts of men on a warehouse shelf.
Photo: Fredrik Gahm, Swedish Railway Museum/SMTM. CC-BY.

Collections

The Swedish Railway Museum in Gävle is Sweden’s national museum for railway history and cultural heritage. Our rich and representative collections hold a wealth of stories and artefacts from Swedish railway history from the 19th century onwards. The collections consist of over 300 vehicles, over 25,000 artefacts, almost 500,000 photos and an extensive archive and library.

Collection

Many people are interested in the railway and its history and cultural heritage. The museum receives many offers, including from private individuals, for items to be included in the collections. Naturally, these offers are very welcome. Each offer is considered in relation to SMTM’s guidelines and objectives for the collection. We attach great importance to ensuring that the material offered complements the existing collection and that it tells the history of people and events.

We ask that you please do not submit unsolicited material to those working at the museum’s reception desk. Instead, please contact the agency’s registrar at registrator@smtm.se, or contact one of the museum’s curators.

Lending

The museum regularly loans out artefacts from its collections. We welcome this, as it means that the collections reach a wider audience. We do not charge any administrative fee in connection with the loan.

The borrower must be able to meet the museum’s requirements for factors such as security and climate. The museum primarily lends items to other museums and public organisations. Unfortunately, it is not possible to borrow items as a private individual. Please contact the registrar or one of the museum’s curators for more information.

Financial appraisal

The museum is not able to appraise the financial value of items, neither its own or someone else’s. If you own an artefact you would like to have appraised, please contact an auction house or antique dealer. The Swedish Railway Museum focuses on the cultural and historical value of items.

Read more about collecting and lending on the Swedish National Maritime and Transport Museums’ (SMTM) website
  • Two hands wearing white gloves prepares a silver SJ sign to be archived.

    Collection and lending

    The Swedish Railway Museum expands its collections through regular acquisitions of new artefacts. These are often contributed by members of the public. To enable more people to access the collections, the museum also lends out objects. Do you have material you would like to offer to the museum, or would your institution like to borrow an item from the museum’s collections? Contact the registrar at registrator@smtm.se, who will direct you to the right person at the museum.

  • A close-up of old textiles stored in boxes.

    Artefacts

    There are over 25,000 artefacts in the collection, ranging from large steam locomotives to small uniform buttons.

  • The black steam locomotive Prins August from 1956 stands on a track surrounded by green grass.

    Vehicles

    The collection with over 300 vehicles, includes locomotives, wagons, carriages and other railway vehicles.

  • A close-up of an open hardcover book with drawings with one hand holding down the spread.

    Archives

    Our archive contains a wealth of interesting materials for anyone wishing to research and immerse themselves in Sweden’s railway history.

  • A person sitting in a leather armchair flips through a book with shelves of books in front of him.

    Museum Library

    Welcome to the Swedish Railway Museum Library, which contains Sweden’s foremost collection of railway history literature.