The VR Class Vk3 was originally called the Finnish Steam Locomotive Class I3. The

Finnish State Railways VR-Group Plc ( fi, VR-Yhtymä Oyj, sv, VR-Group Abp), commonly known as VR, is a government-owned railway company in Finland. VR's most important function is the operation of Finland's passenger rail services with 250 long-distance and 800 co ...

ordered three similar classes of locomotives; The American-built Baldwin Class I1s, and the Class I2s and Class I3s, built at

Tampella Oy Tampella Ab was a Finnish heavy industry manufacturer, a maker of paper machines, locomotives, military weaponry, as well as wood-based products such as packaging. The company was based mainly in the Naistenlahti district of the city of ...

. All were tank locomotives, which did not have to be turned at terminal stations and could run in both directions at the same speed. All the Class I locomotives were used for local transport until the mid-1920s. After the mid-1920s the more efficient Class N1 locomotives entered service and the Class I locomotives were transferred to the shunting duties. Locomotive No. 456 was the first state railway locomotive to be fitted with a superheater; the results were successful and from then on, almost all the Finnish State Railways steam locomotives were fitted with superheaters. Locomotive No. 489 was built in 1909, was equipped with a superheater, and was initially used for local traffic around

Helsinki Helsinki ( or ; ; sv, Helsingfors, ) is the capital, primate, and most populous city of Finland. Located on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, it is the seat of the region of Uusimaa in southern Finland, and has a population of . The city ...

. It served for 55 years before being withdrawn from shunting duties in 1964. It is now preserved at the

Finnish Railway Museum The Finnish Railway Museum ( fi, Suomen Rautatiemuseo) is located in Hyvinkää, Finland. It was founded in 1898 and located in Helsinki. The museum was moved to Hyvinkää in 1974. The museum is on the original station and yard site of the Han ...

External links

Finnish Railway Museum

References

{{Finnish locomotives Vk03 Vk03 Railway locomotives introduced in 1906 Tampella locomotives 2-6-4 locomotives