real time web analytics
Report - - Hallan Saha factory - Kotka, Finland - August 2014 | European and International Sites | 28DaysLater.co.uk

Report - Hallan Saha factory - Kotka, Finland - August 2014

Hide this ad by donating or subscribing !

KronJewels

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
Right, afraid I can't do much in terms of history for this as the info is all in Finnish and my Finnish is pretty poor. Have heard that this site has served as both a wood pulp factory (for sending to nearby paper mills) and a saw blade factory, at different times. Looks to have most recently manufactured wood pulp, and I've also been told it closed in 1938. If this is true it's in ridiculously incredible condition, so I'm tempted to say the factory closed when the company Halla, founded in 1871, ended operations in 1986.

The company seems to have originally leased the entire peninsula that the factory stands on, and there is evidence around the site of demolished larger buildings, so I think it was a fairly large operation.

Apologies for poor photos, I just enjoy the exploring and I'm not really a photographer. I also had messed my foot up the day before and had to use a stick to walk the 4km to this place, so I wasn't able to explore it quite as comprehensively as I would have liked!

First we checked out this disused railway bridge crossing over to the peninsula; presumably this brought wood to the factories here.
IMG_1547.jpg


Underneath one end of the bridge was a small brick building with these devices in...there were also a few holes in the floor showing water underneath, and lots of bases for machinery. Any ideas what this might be?
IMG_1549.jpg


Exterior shot - looks like it was quite nice looking in its heyday as factories go.
IMG_1555.jpg


Main factory floor:
IMG_1557.jpg


Upper level at the rear of the previous image
IMG_1571.jpg


Power room - was very happy to find this!
IMG_1558.jpg


Looking down from the top of the tower at the front; there was oddly no way into this other than by going onto the roof - didn't fancy climbing the chimney too though!
IMG_1579.jpg


Just in front of the factory was a smaller building of traditional Scandinavian timber construction - it seems to have been a locker room for workers and maybe a social club or offices of some kind.
IMG_1588.jpg


I find it odd that they left their shoes behind...
IMG_1590.jpg


Round the back of the factory there were some pipes inside a big square concrete tunnel (mostly above ground) that looked to go on for a long way. Could have been something interesting down there but didn't have the light or foot health to investigate!

Anyhow, I'll leave you with this beautiful Finnish evening...
IMG_1546.jpg
 

Cuuvin

28DL Colonial Member
28DL Full Member
Underneath one end of the bridge was a small brick building with these devices in...there were also a few holes in the floor showing water underneath, and lots of bases for machinery. Any ideas what this might be?
IMG_1549.jpg

Probably rotary screen filter on water intake for plant, similar to this:

ProfiDrumECO55.jpg
 

KronJewels

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
Thanks mw0sec and Coxieboy!

Cuuvin that sounds plausible. It was the only piece of equipment left in the building, so no idea what plant it could have been taking water in for.
 

WildBoyz

Is this the future?
28DL Full Member
I really like how close the trees are to the buildings in this. Disappointed you didn't get involved with the chimney though :P
 

slayaaaa

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
Yeah you've got some nice pics there mate. No need for any apology! Nice report, thanks for posting it. Looks really nice.
 

KronJewels

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
I really like how close the trees are to the buildings in this. Disappointed you didn't get involved with the chimney though :P

Even without my injured foot I don't know if I'd have felt comfortable doing that without a harness and hooking a line onto every few rungs (It was just metal rungs set into the outside of the chimney). Maybe next time!
 

Pia

28DL Member
28DL Member
This is my homevillage. I was living there 1961-1978. My mother, father, uncle and grandma working at Halla sawmill. When I was at school I`m also working there few summers. There is very many children at the village and we grow up really free and independent. Have a really happy childhood!
 

Pia

28DL Member
28DL Member
This is Halla village at 1970`s. There is about 200-300 people who living there.
 

Attachments

  • Halla.jpg
    Halla.jpg
    297.6 KB · Views: 214

Who has read this thread (Total: 6) View details

Top