Chicken Feathers: Friday Night Steam

All aboard! We're off to Finland!

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

VR Class Tk3
Tk3 1170 Karjaalla.JPG
Tk3 with wood chimney
Type and origin
Power type     Steam
Builder     Tampella, Lokomo and Frichs
Build date     1927–1953
Total produced     161
Specifications
AAR wheel arr.     2-8-0
Gauge     1,524 mm (5 ft)
Driver diameter     1,270 mm (4 ft 2 in)
Length     16 m (52 ft 6 in)
Locomotive weight     51.8 tonnes (51.0 long tons; 57.1 short tons)
Boiler pressure     14 bar
Cylinders     Two, outside
Performance figures
Maximum speed     60 km/h (37 mph)
Tractive effort     94 kN (21,130 lbf)
Career
Operator(s)     VR
First run     1927
Withdrawn     1975
Disposition     five restored, many others preserved

The Finnish VR Class Tk3 (original classification 'K5') was a 2-8-0 light freight locomotive. It was the most numerous steam locomotive class in Finland with 161 built. 100 locomotives were constructed between 1927 and 1930,[1] with a further 61 ordered and constructed 1943 - 1953.[2] They were numbered 800-899,1100-1118,1129-1170.

They were designed for a low axle load of just 10.7 tonnes. This allowed them to operate on lightly laid secondary lines, but during their many years of service, up to the end of the steam era, they were also widely used on main lines hauling slow passenger trains that had frequent stops.

They were affectionately called "Pikku-Jumbo" (The Little Jumbo) because of their good performance despite their low weight. They had a low fuel consumption (usually Tk3s used birch wood) and good riding characteristics. They also had good steaming characteristics and were very popular among locomotive crews.

The livery of Tk3 was the same as other VR steam locomotives: dark locomotive green with a black smokebox. When new some locos were lined with thin gold decoration. The gold decorations were not repainted during maintenance, so they were seldom seen.

Two Tk3-type engines were originally supplied by Tampella to Rauma Rautatie as Nos. 9 and 10 (ex-No.8) in 1935 and 1927 respectively. These engines became Tk3 1117 and 1118 after the private railway was absorbed by the State network in 1950.[1]

Contents

    1 Preservation
    2 Gallery
    3 See also
    4 References
    5 Literature

Preservation

The following are preserved

    852 Pieksämäki
    859 Kouvola
    1100
    1103 Retallack Leisure Centre & Holiday Park, Cornwall, UK.[3]
    1104 Haapamäki
    1105 Varshavsky Rail Terminal Museum St.Petersburg
    1106 Parola
    1108 Turku
    1110
    1111 Haapamäki
    1112 Vaala
    1129
    1130 Haapamäki
    1132 Porvoo,
    1134 Acton, Suffolk, England,
    1135 Haapamäki,
    1136 Haapamäki,
    1137,
    1138 Suolahti,
    1139 Haapamäki,
    1140 Tampere
    1141,
    1142 Haapamäki,
    1144 Acton, Suffolk, England,
    1146 Haapamäki,
    1147 Rovaniemi,
    1148 Rovaniemi,
    1150 Suolahti,
    1151 England
    1152 Ämmänsaari, Suomussalmi,
    1154 Haapamäki,
    1157 Acton, Suffolk, England,
    1159 Kokkola,
    1163 Pasila,
    1165 Seinäjoki,
    1167 Rauma, Finland,
    1168 Porvoo,
    1170 Karjaa.