VR Class Sr2
Encyclopedia
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
. They are closely based on the class Re 460 (or Lok 2000
) locomotives of Swiss Federal Railways
.
The nicknames of this class are Alppiruusu (Edelweiss
), Käkikello (Cuckoo clock
), both referring to the Swiss origin of the locomotive, and Marsu (Guinea pig
), from the looks of the locomotive.
The locomotive has GTO-thyristor inverters driving three-phase asychronous AC motors. The maximum power of each air-cooled motor is 1560 kW at 2600 V. Combined, they are capable of a power output of 6100 kW (5000 kW continuous power). The motors are small and fit entirely within the bogies. The bogies weigh only 15.8 tonnes and are equipped with radially steered axles. This reduces rail wear significantly. A redesigned bogie construction was refitted by the manufacturer in the mid-2000s after the locomotives were found to oscillate sideways when running at speeds of over 160 km/h (99.4 mph).
The whole construction of the locomotive is modular and all functions are controlled by several microprocessors via the locomotive bus (MICAS S2). The system is redundant, so that a failure in one processor does not harm the overall system. The data lines are fiber optic cables.
Sr2 units are fitted with Unilink couplers, which combine a SA3
and a traditional chain coupler.
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...
. They were built by SLM
Swiss Locomotive and Machine Works
Swiss Locomotive and Machine Works were a railway equipment manufacturer based in Winterthur in Switzerland...
/ 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 ....
and later by Adtranz
Adtranz
ABB Daimler-Benz Transportation , commonly known under its brand Adtranz, was a multi-national rail transport equipment manufacturer with facilities concentrated in Europe and the USA....
and finally Bombardier Transportation
Bombardier Transportation
Bombardier Transportation is the rail equipment division of the Canadian firm, Bombardier Inc. Bombardier Transportation is one of the world's largest companies in the rail-equipment manufacturing and servicing industry. Its headquarters are in Berlin, Germany....
and assembled 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:...
. They are closely based on the class Re 460 (or Lok 2000
Lok 2000
The Re 460 series are modern four-axle electric locomotives of the Swiss Federal Railways. They originally replaced Re 420, Re 440, Re 620 locomotives. They were introduced as part of the Bahn 2000 project, a massive project to modernise and improve capacity on Switzerland's railways...
) locomotives of Swiss Federal Railways
SBB-CFF-FFS
Swiss Federal Railways and SFR are not in official use) is the national railway company of Switzerland headquartered in Bern. Formerly a government institution, it is since 1999 a special stock corporation with all shares held by the Swiss Confederation or the Swiss cantons...
.
The nicknames of this class are Alppiruusu (Edelweiss
Edelweiss
Edelweiss , Leontopodium alpinum, is a well-known European mountain flower, belonging to the sunflower family.-Names:The common name comes from German edel, meaning "noble", and weiß "white", thus signifying "noble whiteness".The scientific name Leontopodium is a Latin adaptation of Greek...
), Käkikello (Cuckoo clock
Cuckoo clock
A cuckoo clock is a clock, typically pendulum-regulated, that strikes the hours with a sound like a common cuckoo's call and typically has a mechanical cuckoo that emerges with each note...
), both referring to the Swiss origin of the locomotive, and Marsu (Guinea pig
Guinea pig
The guinea pig , also called the cavy, is a species of rodent belonging to the family Caviidae and the genus Cavia. Despite their common name, these animals are not in the pig family, nor are they from Guinea...
), from the looks of the locomotive.
History
In 1992, VR odered the first 20 class Sr2 locomotives; later 20 more were ordered with 12 options. Finally only six of the 12 options were transformed into orders, forming a total fleet of 46 engines. The locomotives are used on both passenger trains and freight trains, and they are the primary locomotives of the fast InterCity trains in Finland.Technical information
When introduced, the Sr2 was the strongest and fastest locomotive of the VR. It was designed with a top speed of 230 km/h (142.9 mph) and early units had that speed marked on them. During test runs, it has achieved a speed of 232 km/h (144.2 mph). However, VR later limited the top speed to 210 km/h (130.5 mph). During normal service the locomotives do not exceed 200 km/h (124.3 mph).The locomotive has GTO-thyristor inverters driving three-phase asychronous AC motors. The maximum power of each air-cooled motor is 1560 kW at 2600 V. Combined, they are capable of a power output of 6100 kW (5000 kW continuous power). The motors are small and fit entirely within the bogies. The bogies weigh only 15.8 tonnes and are equipped with radially steered axles. This reduces rail wear significantly. A redesigned bogie construction was refitted by the manufacturer in the mid-2000s after the locomotives were found to oscillate sideways when running at speeds of over 160 km/h (99.4 mph).
The whole construction of the locomotive is modular and all functions are controlled by several microprocessors via the locomotive bus (MICAS S2). The system is redundant, so that a failure in one processor does not harm the overall system. The data lines are fiber optic cables.
Sr2 units are fitted with Unilink couplers, which combine a SA3
SA3 coupler
The SA3 coupler is a type of railway coupling used mainly, but not exclusively, in Russia and other states of the former Soviet Union.Railways in Russia used European buffers and couplings from their inception. These couplings had three main limitations. Firstly the load was limited. Secondly, the...
and a traditional chain coupler.