VR Class Dr12 (original designation ''Hr12'') was a heavy

diesel-electric locomotive A diesel locomotive is a type of railway locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine. Several types of diesel locomotives have been developed, differing mainly in the means by which mechanical power is conveyed to the driving wheels ...

of Valtionrautatiet (Finnish State Railways). The first 6 locomotives were ordered in 1956. They entered service between 1959 and 1963. The locomotives were built by 2 manufacturers, Valmet and Lokomo, both based in Tampere. All Hr12 class locomotives with even numbers were produced by Valmet, while all odd numbers were produced by Lokomo. The locomotives were withdrawn in the early 1990s.

Features

When it was introduced, the Dr12 gave drivers a new experience of comfort and forward visibility compared to steam locomotives, but compared to the newer VR Class Dr13, the Dr12 had a heavy axle load and slow acceleration with a top speed of only 120 km/h. The reason for this was that the locomotive turned out to be underpowered. The problem of the top speed was corrected in the last 10 locomotives by changing the transmission in such a way that the technical top speed was increased to 140 km/h, but this feature was never used. As a result, the entire locomotive series had a maximum permissible speed restricted to 120 km/h. However, due to the high axle weight, the Dr12 had good adhesion properties and it was considered to be a reliable and robust locomotive. It was well-suited to heavy trains with relatively low speed requirements. In addition to the underpowered engine, the second problem of the Dr12 was the heavy axle load, which could damage lightly laid tracks. In practice it could only be used on Western Finland's heavily laid lines.

Technology

Dr12 consisted of two three-axle bogies each of which had one driving motor per axle, on which rested a very rigid steel body with the hardware and the cabins. The locomotive had one large 182-liter 1,800 hp V16 diesel engine mounted in its centre, which was directly connected to the main and auxiliary generator sets. Cabins had safety zones in both ends which were designed to protect the driver and equipment in a collision. Two locomotives could be connected to be controlled by one set of controls, but this feature was used very rarely.

Use

Dr12 was intended for use on heavy passenger and freight trains. As the timetables got tighter, the acceleration of the Dr12 turned out to be insufficient for passenger trains. Both the locomotive numbers 2200 (made by Valmet) and 2201 (made by Lokomo) started their careers in April 1959. The locomotives were based at Tampere depot, where they initially pulled express trains and heavy freight trains between Helsinki and Seinäjoki and between Riihimäki and Kouvola. The electrification of the main lines and the upgrade of the tracks allowed the operating area of the Dr12s to expand to unelectrified lines in the East and North, where they replaced the

VR Class Hr1 The Hr1 class (original classification P1) was the largest passenger express steam locomotive built in Finland. Twenty-two were built between the years 1937–1957. They were numbered 1000–1021. In the 1930s, there was a need for faster and h ...

and

VR Class Tr1 The VR Class Tr1 is a class of heavy freight locomotive built in Finland and Germany. Before 1942 VR Class Tr1s originally had the class name R1. They were nicknamed “Risto”, after the Finnish President Risto Ryti. They were numbered 1030� ...

locomotives. By 1980 Finland's major railway lines had been electrified, which drastically reduced the need for diesel traction. In the end Dr12 locomotives were used in

Turku Turku ( ; ; sv, Åbo, ) is a city and former capital on the southwest coast of Finland at the mouth of the Aura River, in the region of Finland Proper (''Varsinais-Suomi'') and the former Turku and Pori Province (''Turun ja Porin lääni''; ...

and

Tampere Tampere ( , , ; sv, Tammerfors, ) is a city in the Pirkanmaa region, located in the western part of Finland. Tampere is the most populous inland city in the Nordic countries. It has a population of 244,029; the urban area has a population o ...

areas, including the Turku–Tampere line. The last Dr12 locomotive (no. 2216) was withdrawn after pulling a timber train from

Salo, Finland Salo () is a town and municipality of Finland. It is located in the Southwest Finland region. The municipality has a population of () and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is . The municipality is unilingually Finnis ...

to Turku on 19 December 1990. This same locomotive is now preserved and it was used at the VR Group's 150th anniversary in August 2012 on the

Hanko Hanko may refer to People *August Hanko (military personnel), August Hanko, German First World War flying ace Places *Hanko, Finland, town and municipality *Hanko Peninsula, Finland *Hankø, an island in the Oslo Fjord in Norway *The asteroid ...

–

Hyvinkää Hyvinkää (; sv, Hyvinge, ) is a city and municipality of Finland. It is located in the Uusimaa region, approximately north of the capital Helsinki. The city was chartered in 1960. The population of Hyvinkää is (). Its neighboring municipal ...

line.

Numbering

* Years of manufacture (Nos.): ** 1959 (2200–2205) ** 1960 (2206–2219) ** 1961 (2220–2227) ** 1962 (2228–2231) ** 1963 (2232–2241)

Gallery

References

External links

*
Finnish Railway Museum
{{Finnish locomotives Dr12 Dr12 Dr12 Railway locomotives introduced in 1955 5 ft gauge locomotives