Finnish Steam Locomotive Class A5

The Finnish Steam Locomotive Class A5 was a class of two locomotives, being the first class of locomotive manufactured in Finland.[2] These first Finnish locomotives were production experiments, which allowed the State Railways to investigate the construction methods of locomotives. The State Railways locomotives ordered the construction of a workshop in Helsinki in 1868, at the same time 10 passenger locomotives were ordered from Great Britain for the St. Petersburg railway line (see Finnish Steam Locomotive Class C1). As a result, the locomotives produced in the Helsinki workshop were similar to those produced in Great Britain.[2]

Finnish Steam Locomotive Class A5
A5 4-4-0 No 58 locomotive in the Finnish Railway Museum.
Type and origin
Power typeSteam
BuilderHelsingfors / VRHki Valtionrautatiet, Helsingin konepaja = VR:s workshop in Helsinki
Serial number57 and 58
Build date1874–75
Total produced2
Specifications
Configuration:
 • Whyte4-4-0
Gauge1,524 mm (5 ft)
Length13.7 m (44 ft 11+38 in)
Loco weight65.4 tonnes (64.4 long tons; 72.1 short tons)
Fuel capacityCoal: 5.3 m3 (190 cu ft);
Wood: 8.5 m3 (300 cu ft)
Water cap.5.9 m3 (210 cu ft)
Firebox:
 • Grate area1.24 m2 (13.3 sq ft)
Heating surface88.6 m2 (954 sq ft)
Performance figures
Maximum speed80 km/h (50 mph)
Career
Nicknames“Lankkihattu”
First run1874
Withdrawn1927
DispositionOne preserved (No. 58), at the Finnish Railway Museum
sources:[1][2]
Builder's Plate of Finnish Steam Locomotive Class A5 No 58 preserved at the Finnish Railway Museum

The British produced locomotives were built in 1869 while the first Finnish Locomotives were constructed in 1874 and 1875.[2] The British locomotives set the design characteristics of the Finnish A3, A5 locomotives.[2] The price of the domestically produced Finnish locomotives was almost 50% higher than the imported locomotives.[2]

A5 No. 58 is preserved at the Finnish Railway Museum Until the 1920s it pulled passenger trains in southern Finland. In its last few years of operation it was also used for shunting. A5 locomotives were nicknamed "Lankkihattu" because they were similar to the A6 locomotives, which were had with brass steam domes.[2]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "VR: N Höyryveturit". Suomen Rautatiehistoriallisen Seura ry. Archived from the original on 2016-06-29. Retrieved 2013-04-16.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "A5". Finnish Railway Museum (in Finnish). Archived from the original on 25 March 2012.
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