Utö used to have its own short railway to carry the ore. Some sources say it was the first railway in Sweden. The wagons loaded 3.5 - 3.7 tonnes and were pulled by horses or oxen, one pair per cart. About 8500 - 10200 tons of iron were transported annually. The railway went uphill from the mines to today’s Värdshus, and then downhill to the harbour. An effective braking system was needed for the wagons. It was the job of brakemen (“bromsare” in Swedish) or rather “brakeboys”. Typically, young boys 10-12 years of age rode the wagons down the steep hill. It was a dangerous job as they had to pull the brakes and jump off the speeding wagons before they reached the water.