VR Class Dr13

The VR Class Dr13, called Hr13 before 1 January 1976, was a heavy diesel locomotive used by VR Group in Finland, designed by the French company Alstom. The class consisted of 54 locomotives, of which the first two were built at Alstom's factory in Belfort, France, and shipped to Finland in 1962, while the rest were built in Tampere at the factories of Lokomo (odd numbers) and Valmet (even numbers). The class was introduced between 1962 and 1963 and the last units were withdrawn by June 2000. It was the most powerful and the fastest diesel locomotive in VR Group service, with two MGO V16 BSHR engines, each driving its own generator, and two large electric motors, one for each bogie, driving the three axles via an external gearbox. The French design had teething problems in the severe Finnish climate and earned the nickname Hyppyheikki, or Jumping Heikki, for its bumpy ride on poor track.