HÖYRYRAIDE OY/STEAMRAIL

Museumtrain operator Höyryraide Oy/Steamrail Ltd. was founded in 1994 by  Mr. Tapani Laaksomies. Its home base was in the town of  Porvoo on the South Coast of Finland until 2014.  In the beginning the rolling stock consisted of Tk3 steam locomotive 1168 and three restored wooden frame passenger coaches.     The company operated with also a second base in Suolahti in Central Finland from 2004 to 2013, with Hv3 steam locomotive  995 and three restored wooden frame passenger coaches. In 2013, the company purchased a depot, including an original engine shed and turntable, in Nurmes in Northern Karelia, where all the rolling stock is now stationed . The company has a certificate of safety issued by the Finnish Transport Safety Agency allowing it to operate museum trains throughout the Finnish rail network.

Locomotives and carriages

Steam locomotive Tk3 1168 was completedat at Lokomo Works in Tampere in1952. It served VR (State Railways) in the Oulu region and other areas until 1970, when it it was assigned to emergency reserve stock in Lievestuore. As the steam era faded away, it was left to rust at Haapamäki locomotive park until 1997, when it was saved from being scrapped and moved for repairs to Pasila Workshops in Helsinki. Tk3 1168 was restored there between 1997 and 1999 by Tapani Laaksomies. At present it is the only remaining Lokomo Works Tk3 series steam locomotive to have been restored for museumtrain services.

Steam locomotive Hv3 995 was completed in 1941 at the Lokomo Works in Tampere. It served VR (State Railways), based in several depots including Helsinki, Sortavala (ceded to the USSR after WW2), Kouvola and Seinäjoki until 1966, when it too was assigned to the emergency reserve in Lievestuore. In 1977 it was moved to Oulu to be a monument to honour  of the bygone era of steam trains. The locomotive was rusting at Oulu railway station until 2004, when it was saved from being scrapped and moved for repairs to Suolahti. Hv3 995 was restored there between 2004 and 2011 by Tapani Laaksomies. It is the only remaining Hv3 series steam locomotive to have been restored for museumtrain services. The two other remaining Hv3 series steam engines are monuments one at Kerava railway station and the other one in Haapamäki locomotive park.

Both Steamrail`s steam locomotives, Tk3 1168 and Hv3 995, are wood-fired with birch logs. Hv3 995 is the only remaining passenger train locomotive in Europe using wood rather than  coal for fuel. In other words Hv3 995 is a very special steam locomotive in the whole world. So no fossil fuels or coal dust when travelling with our steam locomotives !

Coaches Ei 22764 and Ei 22767 both have a capacity of 72 seated passengers, Coach Efi 22375 has capacity of 60 seated passengers plus a luggage compartment which can also be used as a simble café. Coach Ei 22798 is a day coach with a capacity of 72 seated passengers, Em 2767 is a sleeping car with a capacity of 33 berths/53 seated passengers, Em 2183 is a sleeping car with a capacity of 22 berths/50 seated passengers. The last three wood framed carriages mentioned above were restored in Pieksämäki by Steamrail between 2004-2005.

On the behalf of the Steamrail Company we wish You a pleasant journey with us!