You can find them resting exposed to the elements above and behind the local fishing store in Delsbo, Sweden. Their bright yellow and orange paint schemes have become muted with age and abused by graffiti. Half of their windows are gone, boards and trash bags in their place. The unrestored rälsbussar (railbuses) of the out of service Dellenbanan railway have been left without maintenance to face the intense weather of the Swedish Hälsingland. Built in the 1940s and 1950s, the X17 and Y6 railbuses and the X10 commuter engines left to rust on the rails were a melancholic sight to see. Walking between them made me wonder why some vehicles are restored and others are left to crumble into dirt. Of course, the answer comes down to simple numbers. There were too many to save them all. If every '59 Cadillac was protected and restored they wouldn’t have the same appeal. Rarity is intrinsic to worth. For old things to be culturally important, not everyone can have access to them. It’s a catch 22.

Seeing the decaying commuters permanently left to rust amongst overgrown foliage left me curious if there were any organizations for train preservation. As it turns out, there was. Since 1915, what is now simply called the Järnvägsmuseet (Railway Museum) has operated in locations across Sweden. Today, they are located in a medium sized Swedish city named Gävle. The museum has two locations. There is an expansive train yard that was originally built in 1904 and another large location that is currently under renovation. Both locations are reached by rail from the Gävle train station. Poetically, the short railways are travelled by another X-17 Diesel rälsbuss. Only unlike the decrepit pair in Delsbo, the museum’s X-17 is gleaming, bright, and proud. Her interior kept pristine and original. Even the “Smoking OK” signs still adorn the walls. One preserved and one abandoned, a stark contrast.