#2383
Soviet locomotive class IS
🇺🇦 Ukraine ·built by Luhanskteplovoz· from 1932· class of Soviet 2-8-4 locomotives
2 photos from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences
- 1. Lokomotiva v Kyjevě: Dezidor· CC BY 3.0
- 2. Паровоз ИС20-16 1937: Unknown photographer· Public domain
what is it?
The Soviet locomotive class IS (Russian: ИС; Ukrainian: Паровоз ІС, romanized: Parovoz IS) was a Soviet passenger steam locomotive type named after Joseph Stalin (Russian: Иосиф Сталин; Ukrainian: Йосип Сталін, romanized: Yosyp Stalin). The contract design was prepared in 1929 at V.V. Kuybyshev Locomotive Factory in Kolomna, Russian SFSR. The IS series locomotives were manufactured between 1932 and 1942. The last one was built in 1942 during the Great Patriotic War against Nazi Germany.
base stats
Bars compare against all trains: 600 km/h (maglev), 1,700 seats; power, weight and number built on a log scale up to 20 MW, 1,000 t and 20,000 built.
fun facts
- First built 94 years ago, in 1932.
- Weighs about as much as 22 African elephants (~6 t each).
steam locomotive: Burns coal, wood or oil to boil water; the steam drives pistons that turn the wheels.
spec sheet
- built
- 1932–1942
- retired
- 1987
- status
- retired
- number built
- 649
- kind
- Steam
- traction
- steam
- origin
- 🇺🇦 Ukraine
- builders
- Luhanskteplovoz
- top speed
- 115 km/h
- power
- —
- gauge
- 1,524 mm Russian broad gauge
- wheel arrangement
- 2-8-4
- weight
- 133 t
From the Wikipedia infobox and Wikidata. Blank means the sources don't say.
Sources: Wikidata Q3741052, Wikipedia: Soviet locomotive class IS (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-25.