Finnish Electric Locomotives

Sr1 was the first electric locomotive class to be used in Finland in early 1970's. After much debate these locomotives were bought from the east from the Novocherkassk locomotive factory. All units received upgrades to their controls before they could be taken in to use. Exotic at the time was that there was a fridge to keep the drivers drinks and food cold. Although under powered this device attracted much attention. Almost as much attention was paid to the then enormous looking capabilities of the new Wolves. A series of tests were the Sr1 would haul over a kilometer long freight train were deviced. As far as i remember most of the trains people gathered to see by the track side to see consisted of the empty 4 axle flat cars.

The Wolves started to evolve with periodical scheduled full maintenance overhauls by their owner VR. The first outside appearance change was painting both ends with bright yellow for better visibility, since it was supposedly a "quiet" electric locomotive. Now in retrospect can be said that even today with the upgraded blowers you can hear the wolves howling miles away before you can actually see them, but hopefully a few less hits to people, cars, elks and deer resulted from this action. Late 1980s was a period of VR searching for progress. The wolves got the new "Intercity style" red-black-white pain scheme and a few were even upgraded from 140 km/h to capable of hauling the passenger trains at 160 km/h. Initially you could tell the units from the distance by looking at their wheels, which were all iron, while most of the older units still had "spiked" wheels (like the old carts). However, the personnel running these 160 km/h units told they were scared because the locomotive handled so poorly on higher speeds that no more test locos were built and the ones that existed were finally converted back to 140 km/h with the appearing of the class Sr2 of VR.

Since then the division of use between the Sr2 Guinea Pigs and the Sr1 Wolves has been clear. The Sr2 haul most of the higher speed heavy passenger trains and most all trains in the southwest, where the Sr1 handle most of the freight and occasional regional traffic coaches. During the 2008-2009 recession with a surplus of locos it was obvious that if the Sr2 was available, the personnel chose to use those for any purpose. There is also one freight route exception: The SR1 is unable to handle a train, or even run itself, in the humid conditions of the Vuosaari harbor tunnel, so 1 - 2 Sr2 need to be assigned there instead.

The maintenance for the SR1 is done today both in Hyvinkää VR loco works (the heavy periodical overhauls) and Kouvola locomotive works for the "lighter" maintenance.

The Sr1 Wolves will be phased out as a reserve power with the next time VR-Yhtyma will buy new locos within 5 years. The age shows and the wolves are unable to feed the excess energy back to the 25kV networks unlike any more modern loco would. Painting green is then not the only solution for turning the locomotive environmentally friendly.

Due to VR-Yhtyma extensive refurbishing program the class Sr1 locos have evolved through the years and are now in a better shape than when they arrived to Finland as new. Almost all units are still in traffic after 4 decades of active work.

   4rail.net Sr1 Wolves Special Theme Page... 

Technical details for class Sr1 "Siberian Wolf"
-> Type: Sr1 (VL40 of Novocherkassk)
-> Operator: VR-Yhtyma
-> Usage: Medium multipurpose locomotive
-> Builder: Novocherkassk (2 last units put together in Finland from Soviet parts)
-> Production dates: 1973 to 1985, 199?, 1996
-> Numbers built: 112 , two unit added later to the roster from the spare parts
-> Numbers in use: ~110

-> Seen: Finland, none were built for the U.S.S.R. itself

-> Energy Source: 25 kV 50Hz overhead electric
-> Power output: 3280 kW (4460 Hp)
-> Transmission: electric DC, Bo'Bo'
-> Traction motors: Novocherkassk type
-> Tractive Effort: _ kN at lower speeds
-> Braking effort on traction motors (dynamic braking): not available
-> Wheel arrangement: Bo'-Bo'
-> Wheel diameter: 1250 mm as new

-> Maximum operational speed where possible: 140 km/h (87 mph), some units were capable of 160 km/h (99mph) for a few years before the type Sr2 arrived, when those were converted back to 140 km/h.

-> Length: 19 m
-> Heigth:
-> Width:

-> Weight: 84 metric tons
-> Max axle weight: 21,5 metric tons

-> Notes:
  - Some units will receive the new so called "Sallad livery" of VR-Yhtyma
  - Scrapped due to accident: 3048 and 3089
  - There are plans to retire the obsolete locomotive type with the new
     VR-Yhtyma class Sr3 starting year 2013

The Sr2 class belongs to the locomotives developed at the Swiss LOK2000 program. The Swiss Re460/465 as well as the Norwegian/Swedish counterparts are almost identical in the looks. These locomotives have been a great success story to their operator VR-Yhtyma. Additional bonus to their power is their capability sometimes to feed up to 50% of the energy back to network when braking on their motors.

The fleet of 46 locomotives is currently being slowly painted to greenish tone, the earlier being the great red-white-gray scheme seen on the left and similar earlier "V"-look (instead of the letters VR) that the first 20 units originally wore.

   4rail.net Sr2 "Guinea Pigs" Special Theme Page...  

Technical details for Sr2 "Guinea Pig" " Marsu" "Möhkö"
-> Type: Sr2
-> Usage: medium to heavy multipurpose locomotive
-> Builders: several, originally built by SLM of Switzerland, then ABB, Adtranz,
Bombardier and Transtech
-> Production dates: 1995 - 2003
-> Numbers built: 46
-> Numbers in use: 46

-> Users: VR-Yhtyma
-> Seen: Finland, sisters in Switzerland, Sweden and Norway

-> Energy Source: 25 kV 50Hz overhead electric
-> Power output: 6100 kW (8294 Hp)
-> Traction motors: AC
-> Tractive Effort:
-> Braking effort on traction motors (dynamic braking):
-> Wheel arrangement: Bo'Bo'
-> Wheel diameter: 1100 mm

-> Maximum operational speed where possible: 210 km/h (130 mph)

-> Length: 18,7 m
-> Heigth: 4,3 m
-> Width: 3,0 m

-> Weight: 83 metric tons

Unit 3221 on the left shows the newest greenish tone while unit 3214 little lower wore the old "V"-scheme still in 2004. Pictures by Stanislav Voronin and John McKey.

Technical details for VL82 / VL82M
-> Type: VL82 / VL82M 
-> Builder: Novocherkassk 
-> Operators: RzD (the Russian Railways)
-> Usage: Heavy electric on the area where double electric voltage is needed (3000V DC + 25 kV 50 Hz)
-> Production dates: prototype in 1966, production from 1967-8,
      M series p:1972, production 1973-1979.  
-> Numbers built: 91  
-> Numbers in Use: unknown, but due to shortage of dual electric power the
      demand is high which would suggest most units still being in use.

-> Gauge: 1520 mm (5 ft)
-> Possibly seen in: Russia, Finland, Biela Russia, Ukraine

-> Energy Source: electric 3000V DC and 25kV 50Hz  
-> Power output: 2800/2540 kW (3806/3453 Hp),
      M: 3020/2880 kW (4106/3915 Hp)        
-> Traction motors: Novocherkassk NB-420A 4 x 700kW, M: NB407B 4 x 755kW 
-> Tractive Effort: 320 kN start / 200 kN at 50 km/h
-> Wheel arrangement:  Bo-Bo x 2
-> Wheel diameter: 1250 mm (typical on the eastern side)

A truly rare piece of machinery, the modern bielectric loco "Vuoksa" is shown here at the trade fair in St Petersburg, Russia. This same loco was ordinarily part of the fleet for cross border traffic between Russia and Finland, but disappeared sometime in 2009 to the other parts of Russia, probably due to very severe shortage of the 3000V+25kV locomotives there. While Russia is trying to modernize, ramping up production seems to be hard even in the traditional Soviet areas like locomotive production.

We hope to see "Vuoksa" back on the Fenno-Russian border area where it is also much needed and where it was assigned earlier to replace ancient 2M62 and more 2M116 locomotives as well as the few Tep70 operating there now. Once the train "Repin" is getting a new life between St Petersburg, Russia and Lappeenranta, Finland, this locomotive might be able to take the train non stop the whole way (instead of 1 - 2 locomotive changes now) on it's route. This would very effectively cut down the journey times.

Picture by Denis Shalyapin.

Technical details for EP10
-> Type: EP10 
-> Builder: Novocherkassk Electric Locomotive Plant and Bombardier
-> Operators: RzD (the Russian Railways)
-> Usage: Heavy electric on the area where double electric voltage is needed (3000V DC + 25 kV 50 Hz)
-> Production dates: 2005 - 2006   
-> Numbers built: 12   
-> Numbers in Use: 12

-> Gauge: 1520 mm (5 ft)
-> Possibly seen in: Russia, Finland

-> Energy Source: electric 3000V DC and 25kV 50Hz  
-> Power output: 7200 kW (9655 Hp),
-> Traction motors: Novocherkassk  
-> Tractive Effort: kN start
-> Wheel arrangement:  Bo'Bo'Bo'
-> Wheel diameter: mm 

VR-Yhtyma has finally announced its intention to replace the technologically obsolete Sr1 wolves with around 100 new electric locomotives. The tenders for these are now out. Two strongest candidates for the delivery are the international giants Bombardier and Siemens. So far VR-Yhtyma has been in serious talks about the delivery with these two. Both have several product lines to offer, most likely from Bombardier being Traxx-platform and from Siemens their new Vectron product line. The Vectron derives from the famous Eurosprinter solutions. But as always, the locomotive might come outside these manufacturers, if the price is not right. On 1520 mm / 5' domain there are a dozen other players, even Chinese have now raised their interest in this sector with their locomotives arriving for example to Estonia in 2012.

Technical details for Sr3
-> Class: Sr3
-> Type:
-> Manufacturer
-> Owner: VR-Yhtyma / Ratarahti / Proxion


Left the Deutsche Bahn class 185 Traxx locomotive number 244 is hauling an intermodal train with speed past Weil am Rhein, at the German-Swiss border. Picture by Ilkka Siissalo.

Traxx-platform was a strong candidate when motive power for the Finnish far north ore train locomotives were considered. It was later decided that the ore will be carried by trucks to the Kiruna track, trans loaded to train and hauled to Narvik, a harbor which is kept open year round by the Atlantic gulf stream. All the Baltic sea ports in Finland and Sweden freeze in the winter and ice braking would had cost too much for transporting ore.

Left the Metronom class 146 Traxx locomotive number 10 is ready to start a heavy regional train at Hamburg Altoona, northern Germany. The Traxx locos have proved their worth in icy conditions as the ones in Sweden prove. Picture by Ilkka Siissalo.

  Eurosprinter Locomotives Page...

The class 189, still in production, is the predecessor of the new Vectron platform. Eurosprinter ES64F4 is here waiting for trainorders at Duisburg, Germany. Picture by Ilkka Siissalo.

  Eurosprinter Locomotives Page...

State of the art Vectron demonstrator of Siemens is seen here near Innotrans fair in 2010.

  Vectron Locomotives Page...