VR Class Dr16
Encyclopedia
The Dr16 is a class of diesel-electric
locomotives used by VR
(Finnish Railways). The 23 locomotives have a single, off-centre cab and are currently VR's most powerful diesel locomotive
s. Their nickname is "Iso Vaalee" (Big Blonde). They are presently mainly used on heavy freight services in northern Finland
; their main passenger duty is the haulage of trains on the non-electrified line between Kemi
and Kolari
in Lapland. Dr16 locomotives were also used extensively on the line between Oulu
and Rovaniemi
, prior to the completion of the electrification
of the line in 2004.
class diesel locomotives. The company had installed a bigger engine on a Dr12 (which became the Dr15) and modified one Dv12 to run on electricity instead of diesel. However, the company wanted a totally new locomotive, and finally chose Valmet's type M in 1983, with Strömberg providing the electrical components. VR originally ordered 23 locomotives, with an option of 20 more when the first series were delivered.
Oy at Tampere
(numbers 2801-2809) or by Transtech Oy
at Otanmäki
and Taivalkoski
(numbers 2810-2823).
Pielstick 12PA4-V-200VG. The Pielsticks produced originally 1660 kW, but in 1997 they were limited to an output of 1500 kW to increase durability.
The locomotive was very modern at its time and it was among the first to use microprocessor-controlled GTO thyristor inverter-driven three-phase asychronous AC motors. The construction is modular, and data is transmitted via optical fiber cables between modules. The maximum speed is 140 km/h. The maximum frequency of the inverters corresponds to 156 km/h, and the locomotive has reached that in test runs. The locomotive provides 400 kW 1500V electricity for heating of passenger cars.
In addition to the prototypes, one series locomotive, number 2814, was scrapped in 2000 after sustaining serious damage in a level crossing accident near the municipality of Ii
. After the accident, the obstruction clearing device of the Dr16 was redesigned and strengthened according to the recommendation of the accident investigation board.
Sources: ; Isovaalee.info
that implements some of the components of the Dr16. The two locomotives share also the same computer system. It is owned nowadays by Maansiirto Veli Hyyryläinen Oy (part of Destia
group).
from SLM
and ABB
.
Diesel-electric
Diesel-electric transmission or diesel-electric powertrain is used by a number of vehicle and ship types for providing locomotion.A diesel-electric transmission system includes a diesel engine connected to an electrical generator, creating electricity that powers electric traction motors...
locomotives used by VR
VR Group
VR or VR Group is a state-owned railway company in Finland. Formerly known as Suomen Valtion Rautatiet until 1922 and Valtionrautatiet / Statsjärnvägarna until 1995...
(Finnish Railways). The 23 locomotives have a single, off-centre cab and are currently VR's most powerful diesel locomotive
Diesel locomotive
A diesel locomotive is a type of railroad locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine, a reciprocating engine operating on the Diesel cycle as invented by Dr. Rudolf Diesel...
s. Their nickname is "Iso Vaalee" (Big Blonde). They are presently mainly used on heavy freight services in northern Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
; their main passenger duty is the haulage of trains on the non-electrified line between Kemi
Kemi railway station
Kemi railway station is located in the town of Kemi in the Lapland Province of Finland. It is operated by VR. The distance to the Helsinki Central railway station, via Haapamäki and Oulu stations is 858.3 kilometres....
and Kolari
Kolari railway station
Kolari railway station is located in the municipality of Kolari in the Lapland Province of Finland. It is the northernmost railway station in Finland, located north of Helsinki Central railway station ....
in Lapland. Dr16 locomotives were also used extensively on the line between Oulu
Oulu railway station
The Oulu Railway Station is located in the centre of Oulu, Finland, in the city district of Vaara. All trains are operated by VR. Nearby is the bus station for long-distance buses....
and Rovaniemi
Rovaniemi railway station
Rovaniemi railway station is located in Rovaniemi, Finland. The line from the south opened in 1909; it is now the northernmost point of VR's electrified railway system, with direct daytime and overnight passenger trains to Oulu, Tampere, Helsinki and Turku...
, prior to the completion of the electrification
Electrification
Electrification originally referred to the build out of the electrical generating and distribution systems which occurred in the United States, England and other countries from the mid 1880's until around 1940 and is in progress in developing countries. This also included the change over from line...
of the line in 2004.
History
In the beginning of the 1980s, Valtionrautatiet needed new locomotives to replace its aging Dr12 and Dv12VR Class Dv12
The Dv12 is the standard Finnish medium-weight diesel-hydraulic road locomotive operated by VR. As all the main lines of Finnish railway network have been electrificied, the locomotive is designated mostly to unelectrified, less frequently used side lines. Occasionally it may still pull cargo...
class diesel locomotives. The company had installed a bigger engine on a Dr12 (which became the Dr15) and modified one Dv12 to run on electricity instead of diesel. However, the company wanted a totally new locomotive, and finally chose Valmet's type M in 1983, with Strömberg providing the electrical components. VR originally ordered 23 locomotives, with an option of 20 more when the first series were delivered.
Four prototypes
It was originally planned that two locomotives would be first built as prototypes, the first of them being fitted with a Wärtsilä engine and the second one with the Pielstick. While the first prototype ran on its own on for the first time, the Pielstick was under its engine cover due to the Wärtsilä proving three tons too heavy. When completion of the Wärtsilä engine was delayed a second time, the second prototype was also fitted with a Pielstick. Due to these engine problems, the number of prototypes was extended to four on January 1986. The locomotives, numbered 2801-2804, were taken into service in 1985-1987: the first two had a Pielstick engine, the latter two a Wärtsilä. On VR confirmed that Pielstick engines would be fitted on all the upcoming locomotives. The Wärtsilä engines were kept on the two prototypes, as refitting them would have been too costly.The main series
After an extensive testing programme, the 19 series locomotives were delivered between 1990 and 1992. The manufacturer had anticipated a larger series to be ordered to replace old heavy line diesels (Dr12 and Dr13); however, the rapid progress of the electrification of Finnish main lines decreased the need for new heavy diesel locomotives and thus no further orders materialized. The locomotives were designed and assembled in Finland, either by ValmetValmet
' was a Finnish state-owned conglomerate. Valmet was formed in 1951, when the state of Finland decided to group their various factories working on war reparations to the Soviet Union under one company...
Oy at Tampere
Tampere
Tampere is a city in southern Finland. It is the most populous inland city in any of the Nordic countries. The city has a population of , growing to approximately 300,000 people in the conurbation and over 340,000 in the metropolitan area. Tampere is the third most-populous municipality in...
(numbers 2801-2809) or by Transtech Oy
Transtech Oy
Transtech Oy is Finland's major domestic manufacturer of railway rolling stock. It specialises in building railway vehicles for extreme climatic conditions, such as those encountered in Finland.-History:...
at Otanmäki
Otanmäki
Otanmäki is a village to the south-west of Kajaani, Finland. Otanmäki is located in Vuolijoki within the bounds of the City of Kajaani municipality....
and Taivalkoski
Taivalkoski
Taivalkoski is a municipality of Finland, it is located in the Province of Oulu and is part of the Northern Ostrobothnia region.The municipality has a population of and covers an area of ofwhich is water. The population density is....
(numbers 2810-2823).
Technical information
Originally the engines were planned to be of Finnish design (Wärtsilä Vaasa 8R22), but after tests with two prototype locos, the engine type was changed into FrenchFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Pielstick 12PA4-V-200VG. The Pielsticks produced originally 1660 kW, but in 1997 they were limited to an output of 1500 kW to increase durability.
The locomotive was very modern at its time and it was among the first to use microprocessor-controlled GTO thyristor inverter-driven three-phase asychronous AC motors. The construction is modular, and data is transmitted via optical fiber cables between modules. The maximum speed is 140 km/h. The maximum frequency of the inverters corresponds to 156 km/h, and the locomotive has reached that in test runs. The locomotive provides 400 kW 1500V electricity for heating of passenger cars.
Livery
The first two prototypes were painted in a white/red livery to go with VR's recent InterCity brand, showcasing the VR logo next to the cab. The final livery (starting from number 2803) added some grey on the side of the engine covers. Two of the locomotives (numbers 2816 and 2819) have been repainted in a new white/green livery in 2010 and 2011. These have been called Iso Kalpee (Finnish for "Big Pale") by railroad enthousiasts.Fleet details
Of a total of 23 built locomotives, five Dr16:s have been withdrawn from service and/or scrapped. This includes all of the prototype locomotives (numbers 2801–2804), which were withdrawn between 2004 and 2009.In addition to the prototypes, one series locomotive, number 2814, was scrapped in 2000 after sustaining serious damage in a level crossing accident near the municipality of Ii
Ii, Finland
Ii is a municipality of Finland.It is situated by the Bothnian Bay, at the mouth of river Iijoki, and it is part of the Northern Ostrobothnia region. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is .The municipality is unilingually...
. After the accident, the obstruction clearing device of the Dr16 was redesigned and strengthened according to the recommendation of the accident investigation board.
| Built | First test runs | Official delivery | Withdrawn | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2801 | Pielstick engine. | ||||
| 2802 | July 2009 | Pielstick engine. Closest to the series locomotives. | |||
| 2803 | Wärtsilä engine. | ||||
| 2804 | Wärtsilä engine. |
| Delivered | Withdrawn | |
|---|---|---|
| 2805 | ||
| 2806 | ||
| 2807 | ||
| 2808 | ||
| 2809 | ||
| 2810 | ||
| 2811 | ||
| 2812 | ||
| 2813 | ||
| 2814 | ||
| 2815 | ||
| 2816 | ||
| 2817 | ||
| 2818 | ||
| 2819 | ||
| 2820 | ||
| 2821 | ||
| 2822 | ||
| 2823 |
Sources: ; Isovaalee.info
Ttm1
Also known as type N locomotive or Dv13. It is a smaller work locomotiveWork train
Work train refers to any of a number of rail cars intended for internal non-revenue use by the railroad's operator. Work trains serve functions such as track maintenance, maintenance of way, revenue collection, system cleanup and waste removal, heavy duty hauling, and crew member transport.- Types...
that implements some of the components of the Dr16. The two locomotives share also the same computer system. It is owned nowadays by Maansiirto Veli Hyyryläinen Oy (part of Destia
Destia
Destia is a Finnish contractor of road maintenance, roadworks, railways and other infrastructure construction. It is a government enterprise created in 2008 by privatization of the former Tieliikelaitos . This corporation, in turn, was a separated in 2001 from Tielaitos, state agency for road...
group).
Sx prototype
Valmet originally prepared the Dr12 to be modified as a full electric locomotive while building it, designing it for speeds up to 180 km/h (111.8 mph). It was estimated that the electric and diesel variants would share 80% of their parts. However, VR finally ordered the Sr2 locomotivesVR Class Sr2
The Sr2 is a class of electric locomotives of the VR Group. They were built by SLM / ABB and later by Adtranz and finally Bombardier Transportation and assembled by Transtech Oy...
from SLM
Swiss Locomotive and Machine Works
Swiss Locomotive and Machine Works were a railway equipment manufacturer based in Winterthur in Switzerland...
and ABB
Asea Brown Boveri
ABB is a Swiss-Swedish multinational corporation headquartered in Zürich, Switzerland, and best known for its robotics. ABB operates mainly in the power and automation technology areas. It ranked 143rd in Forbes Ranking ....
.