This is a list of locomotives and multiple units that have been used in Finland. VR Group (Coporatised in 1995, previously Valtionrautatiet, Finnish state railways) had a monopoly on passenger traffic until 1.1.2021, but is currently the only passenger operator on the Finnish rail network. Some trainsets are however owned by other companies such as . The Finnish railways are laid to the gauge of .
Classification system At the beginning of traffic, locomotives were distinguished by their names, and by 1865 also by their numbers. In 1887, the locomotives were given their original classification system. It was based on the wheel arrangement of the locomotives: each wheel arrangement was assigned a letter of the alphabet, which was followed by a serial number. The assignment of letters to different wheel arrangements was made when the first locomotive using it was brought into service; the letter A signified a 4-4-0 wheelbase in the Whyte notation, B signified a 0-4-2ST locomotive, C a 0-6-0 locomotive, and so on.
On 8 October 1942, the notation system was changed to two letters and a serial number. The first letter in the designation now signified the types of trains the locomotive was generally planned to haul: H () for passenger trains, P () for local (commuter) trains, T () for freight trains, S () for mixed freight-passenger trains and V (vaihto, literally "switch") for a switcher locomotive. The second small letter indicated the weight of the locomotive: r (raskas) = heavy (axle load over 14.1 t) v (väliraskas) = midweight (axle load 11.1–14.0 t) k (kevyt) = light (axle load under 11.0 t) m = mechanical transmission (in multiple units) s (sähkö 'electric(ity)') = electrical transmission (in multiple units).
When diesel locomotives were taken into service in the 1950s, they were additionally differentiated by the steam locomotive classes by beginning their numbering from 11 instead of the next free number in running order. As a result, the last steam-powered heavy passenger locomotive class was designated Hr3, and its first diesel-powered counterpart Hr11.
The current VR locomotive classification system was taken into use on 1 January 1976. The first (capital) letter was now used to differentiate between locomotive types: S () for electric, D for diesel and T () for maintenance equipment. The serial numbers of diesel locomotive classes were not changed, the Hr11 class becoming Dr11. In addition to this the borderline between midweight and heavy locomotives was changed to 15.1 tons and the second letter in multiple units is always m (for ).
The multiple unit classification system follows a similar logic as the locomotive classification system: the first letter signifies the power source (in addition to electric and diesel, gasoline (B, bensiini) and wood gas (P, puukaasu) have been used), followed by the letter m (moottorivaunu) signifying a multiple unit, followed by a serial number.
Electric locomotives Image Class In service NumbersQuantity VR Class Sr1 1973–present 3001–3112112 VR Class Sr2 1995–present 3201–324646 VR Class Sr3 2017–present 3301–338080
Diesel locomotives Image Class In service Numbers Lightweight (axle load 8.1–11.1 t) VR Class Tve1 1958–1963 406–436 VR Class Tve5 1978–1979 601–610 Midweight (axle load 11.1–14 t) VR Class Tve2 (OTSO2) 1962–1964 441–448 VR Class Tve3 1950–1960 451–487, 491–495 VR Class Sv1 1980-19843201 VR Class Sv11 1953–1964 1725 (later 1703) VR Class Vv12 1953–1965 1700–1702 VR Class Dv11 1958–1992 1804–1819 VR Class Dv12 1963–present 2501–25682601–26642701–2760 VR Class Dv15 1958–2004 1955–2012 VR Class Dv16 1962–2008 2013–2040 Heavy (axle load 14 t and up) VR Class Tve4 1978–1983 501–540 VR Class Hr11 1955–1972 1950–1954 VR Class Dr12 1959-1990 2200–2241 VR Class Dr13 1962-2000 2301–2354 VR Class Dr14 1969–present 1851–1874 VR Class Dr15 1980 2439 VR Class Dr16 1986-2026 2801–2823 Fenniarail Class Dr18 2015–present 101–106 VR Class Dr19 2023–present 2831-2890North Rail Class Dr202020–present29008-29016North Rail Class Dr212021–present1562, 1570, 1574
Petrol-Paraffin locomotives Image Class Number Type Manufacturer Wheel arrangement Built Notes VR Class Vk11 101, 102 Petrol-paraffin locomotive Ab Slipmaterial, Västervik, and Lokomo B 1930, 1936 101 preserved at the Finnish Railway Museum
Petrol-Paraffin locomotive references Data from: Finnish Railway Museum official website
Steam locomotives