European Railroad Discussion > Around Southern Finland, 4/24 & 25/04

See also: https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?17,6068366
 
The main lines of VR in southern Finland form a triangle with Helsinki at the southeast vertex, Turku at the southwest vertex and Toijala, 26 miles south of Tampere, at the north vertex.  Passenger trains departing Turku go to only two places: Helsinki, about 120 miles east, and Tampere, by way of Toijala, about 100 miles northeast.  Helsinki to Tampere, by way of Toijala, is about 110 miles.  There are intermediate stops.  All trains between Turku and Helsinki terminate at Helsinki and Turku, respectively.  Many trains from Turku and Helsinki to Tampere continue north or east.
 
A fellow American consultant and I decided to take a quick tour around the triangle on this Saturday.
 
Turku, 4/24/04
1. Our train led by Sr2s #3221 + #3227 was about to leave for Tampere on Track #6.
Tampere, 4/24/04
2. Southbound trains were led by Sr1 #3062 (to Turku) on Track #3 and Sr2 #3226 (to Helsinki) on Track #4.
3. Tr1 2-8-2 #1088 was in a parking lot near the station.  It has since been moved to the Locomotive Museum (Veturimuseo) in Toijala near the VR station, beautifully rebuilt and displayed.

Gerry

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Tampere, 4/24/04
4. Visible from the station were two roundhouses.  This is the south one.  The other was on the other side of the building at left.  Both roundhouses and the intermediate building have been cleaned up, and this one has a sculpture where the turntable had been.
Hyvinkää, 4/24/04
This is 80 miles south of Tampere, and 30 miles north of Helsinki.  A short walk from the VR station down Hyvinkäänkatu (Hyvinkää Street) takes you to the Suomen Rautatiemuseo (Finnish Railway Museum).  Into the mid-1990s this was the site of VR’s main shops.
5 & 6. These cars were among the few items displayed outside.  The interior of the building was rather dark and tightly packed (now it’s nicely renovated); however,

Gerry

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Hyvinkää, 4/24/04
7 & 8. I did get a tight picture of Class Tr2 2-10-0 #1319.  ALCO and Baldwin each built 10 of these, nicknamed “Truman,” in 1946 and 1947.  They were all retired by 1968.
9. A s/b VR Intercity train was led at speed by Sr2 #3210.

Gerry

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Hyvinkää, 4/24/04
10. We took this Class Sm2 EMU pair to Helsinki.
Helsinki, 4/24/04
11. A “tram mall” runs through the main shopping district.
12. This “pub tram” sponsored by Koff brewery gave a tour of the city.

Gerry

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Turku, 4/25/04
13. Sr1s #3002 and #3062 were tied down near the roundhouse.
14. A Class Sm3, Pendolino, arrived from Helsinki on Track #7.
15. Class Dv15 #1973 was tied down.  This Class was retired in 2004.  In “warm for Finland” weather (above 60°F) Dv15s and Dv16s were frequently run with the engine access panels open.
 
References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VR_Group
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Finnish_locomotives
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finnish_Railway_Museum
 
Gerry

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