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#4615· VR Dr 16

VR Class Dr16

🇫🇮 Finland ·built by Valmet· from 1985· diesel locomotive

🛤️ diesel locomotive diesel ✓ in service
10 photos from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences
  1. 1. VR Dr16 2811: Teemu Vehkaoja· CC BY-SA 3.0
  2. 2. Taconite train 5053 at Hangas Oulu Finland: TeVe· CC BY-SA 2.5
  3. 3. ArcticRail Dr16 2811 Tampere 2025-09-30: Taavi Väänänen· CC BY-SA 4.0
  4. 4. VR Dr16 locomotive in Oulu Jul2009 001: Methem (Mikko J. Putkonen)· CC BY 3.0
  5. 5. 10.07.16 Kemi Dr16 2818+2822 (28434733275): Phil Richards from London, UK· CC BY-SA 2.0
  6. 6. 10.07.16 Kolari Dr16 2818+2822 (27814569964): Phil Richards from London, UK· CC BY-SA 2.0
  7. 7. 10.07.16 Kolari Dr16 2818+2822 (28431960345): Phil Richards from London, UK· CC BY-SA 2.0
  8. 8. Dr16 2805 Kolari: junafani· CC BY-SA 3.0
  9. 9. Dr16 locomotive 2815 in Tornio 20130917 001: Methem (Mikko J. Putkonen)· CC BY 3.0
  10. 10. VR Dr16 2815 Siilinjärvi - Lapinlahti: Kabelleger / David Gubler· CC BY-SA 4.0
Read about it on Wikipedia ↗
VR Class Dr16, photo 1 of 10
1/10 Teemu Vehkaoja· CC BY-SA 3.0

what is it?

The Dr16 is a class of diesel-electric locomotives built for VR Group. The 23 locomotives have a single, off-centre cab. Their nickname is "Iso Vaalee" (Big Blonde).

who runs it

VR GroupArcticRail

base stats

  • speed 140 km/htop speed
  • power 1.7 MWpower output
  • weight 82 tin working order
  • built 23made 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 41 years ago, in 1985.
  • Top speed is 1.1× a car on the Dutch motorway (130 km/h).
  • 1.7 MW is about 20 family cars (~85 kW each) flat out.
  • Weighs about as much as 14 African elephants (~6 t each).
  • 17.6 m long: about 4 cars parked nose to tail.
  • Served for 14 years (1986–2000).

diesel locomotive: A diesel engine on board drives the wheels, usually through a generator (diesel-electric).

spec sheet

built
1985–1992
in service from
1986
retired
2000
status
in service
number built
23
kind
Diesel-electric
traction
diesel
origin
🇫🇮 Finland
builders
Valmet, Škoda Transtech
operators
VR Group, ArcticRail
top speed
140 km/h
power
1.7 MW
gauge
1,524 mm Russian broad gauge
wheel arrangement
Bo′Bo′
length
17.6 m
weight
82 t
nicknames
Iso Vaalee (Big White)
Dutch name
VR Dr 16

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

Sources: Wikidata Q4350781, Wikipedia: VR Class Dr16 (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-25.

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