| 4. Virrat-Mantilo |
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Virrat, the biggest town in nearby has a railway station and a railway station street, but not railway traffic!
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There was one 4 persons' draisine that they use in competitions at the trainyard, why here is unclear.
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Route a1, from Vaskuu to track I is what we used.
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Old Wärtsilä-product rusts without use.
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If you look real closely, there are more tracks here in Virrat. But they are totally bushed.
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East of Virrat railway station, a bridge which has lots of rubber wheel traffic going under it.
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Something looms there.
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It is the Eastern semaphore.
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Again 600 meters after the semaphore the caution signal.
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A sign of the upcoming. There have been no poisonings here, and you can see it. The worst section was Mantilo-Kotala, which had trees fallen over the track. In a couple places the draisine had to be led through the overgrown bushes.
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After a few kilometers of pumping comes the station of Mantilo. Doesn't look very spectacular, but here is one abandonment.
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The abandonment is this water tower. It's surrounded by such thick bushes that if you don't know, chances are you can bypass it on wheels without noticing it.
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Found an entrance :)
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The first entrance was a disappointment. There is no way up unless you can fly.
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Well, atleast there is a valve!
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Further checking revealed that instead of crawling through some hole, there is a door which takes to a room with ladders to upper platforms.
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The tower is quite dim from inside, since the windows are planked.
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But there is always some light. Fine brick interior it is.
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The top, maybe the fourth platform or so provides access to the roof.
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What a lake view it would be, if those spruces were not so tall.
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The strongly made tower is starting to fall, piece by piece.
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