VR Class Sr1

Infobox Locomotive Auto
name=VR class Sr1
powertype=Electric


caption=VR Class Sr1 number 3089 at Helsinki Central station in 1997
builddate=1973-1996
builder=Novocherkassk Electric Locomotive Factory
gauge = RailGauge|1524
weight=84 metric tons
uicclass=Bo'Bo'
firstrundate=1973
disposition=still in service
numinclass=112 built, 110 in use
wheeldiameter=1250 mm
poweroutput=3,100 kW
wheelbase=
tractiveeffort=280 kN
electricsystem = 25 kV 50Hz AC
collectionmethod = pant
locobrakes =
trainbrakes =
topspeed=140 km/h
length=18.96 meters
width=
height=
transmission=
railroad=VRThe Sr1 is a class of electric locomotives built for VR (Finnish railways). These 25kV locomotives were built in the Soviet Union at the Novocherkassk Electric Locomotive Factory between 1973 and 1985. Electrical equipment for the locomotives was supplied by the Finnish company Oy Strömberg Ab (later part of ABB). Two additional locomotives of this class were built at the VR Hyvinkää Machine Workshop in 1993 and 1995, number 3111 from spare parts and number 3112 from the original prototype locomotive (number 3000) that was never used by the VR.

The locomotives originally carried a dark red livery, with white stripes around and below the cab windows. The stripes were later replaced with yellow warning panels (resembling stylised wings) below the cab windows. From the early 1990s onwards this livery has been replaced by a white livery with red stripes. The nicknames for these locomotives are "Siperian susi" (Wolf of Siberia; in Finnish slang "susi" can also mean a poorly manufactured object, compare English "dog"), "Kaalihäkki" (Cabbage Cage) and "Sähköryssä" (Electric Russian).

Locomotives number 3098-3110 were rebuilt with new bogies allowing a higher maximum speed (160 km/h) in the 1990s (3111 and 3112 were originally built for this speed), but since 2003 they have been restored back to the original top speed due to the speed being raised at the expense of tractive effort (possibly the delivery of the faster Sr2 class also had an effect). The last Sr1 to be equipped with bogies allowing 160 km/h was number 3107.

Two Sr1 class locomotives have been damaged beyond repair, number 3048 in an accident in Jokela in 1996 and number 3089 in an accident in Jyväskylä in 1998.

ee also

*Finland
*VR Class Sr2

External links

* [http://olaviahokas.com/trainstuff/oavr.html Photographs of VR Sr1 locomotives]
* [http://www.railfaneurope.net/pix/fi/electric/Sr1/pix.html Further photographs from Railfaneurope.net]