VL8

what is it?

The VL8 (Russian: ВЛ8)is an electric two-unit mainline DC freight locomotive used in the Soviet Union, still operated today by the state-owned Russian rail company RZhD and Ukrainian Railways. The initials VL are those of Vladimir Lenin (Russian: Владимир Ленин), after whom the class is named.

who runs it

Russian RailwaysUkrainian RailwaysAzerbaijan RailwaysGeorgian Railway

base stats

• speed 100 km/htop speed
• weight 180 tin working order
• built 1,723made in total

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 73 years ago, in 1953.
• 🐘Weighs about as much as 30 African elephants (~6 t each).
• 📏27.5 m long: about 6 cars parked nose to tail.

electric locomotive: Draws power from overhead wires or a third rail and pulls separate carriages.

spec sheet

built

1953–1967

number built

1,723

kind

Electric

traction

electric

origin

🇷🇺 Russia

builders

Novocherkassk Electric Locomotive Plant

operators

Russian Railways, Ukrainian Railways, Azerbaijan Railways, Georgian Railway

top speed

100 km/h

power

—

gauge

1,520 mm Russian broad gauge

electric system

3 kV DC Catenary

wheel arrangement

Bo′Bo′+Bo′Bo′

length

27.5 m

weight

180 t

From the Wikipedia infobox and Wikidata. Blank means the sources don't say.