HKR 5 steam locomotive overhaul

This blog follows overhaul of the steam locomotive number 5 "Sohvi" of the ex Hyvinkää - Karkkila railway (Tampella 289/1917) on the Jokioinen Museum Railway.

Dark blue new steam locomotive loaded on SVR's open goods wagon.
Colored builder's photo of the HKR 5 locomotive loaded on VR's wagon in Tampere.

Background and history of the locomotive

In 1917, the then Hyvinkää-Pyhäjärvi railway ordered the third and last new tank locomotive from Tampella. The sister locomotives of number 5, locomotives number 3 and 4, had already been delivered to the railway in 1911.

The locomotive was completed on 31.12. 1917, being the first locomotive to be completed in independent Finland. The locomotive was used to haul mixed and freight trains from 1918 until the closure of the track in 1968.

After the Hyvinkää-Karkkila railway was closed the locomotive was doanted in 1969 to the associtaion "Friends of Locomotives" and moved to Forssa. After a couple of years of renovation work, the locomotive started museum train traffic in Finland in August 1971. This year marks exactly 50 years of that event and the intention is that the refurbished locomotive will pull a train to celebrate 50 years of Finnish museum train traffic in the early summer of 2021.

Reparation targets

The aim of the locomotive repair work is to repair the locomotive's leaking water tanks, restore the locomotive's firewood bunker to its original appearance, paint the locomotive in its original color and service and repair the locomotive's steam engine.

Support locomotive renovation

If you want to help Sohvi to get new water tanks, so that Sohvi can pull museum trains again in the summer, you have the opportunity to donate money for Sohvi's renovation. Even a small donation will help and bring the renovation project closer to completion.

You can access the donation page from the link below:

Help Sohvi to get new water tanks

Done at the end of last week and in the weekend:

The wheels have been cleaned, the truck wheels completely cleaned. All of the wheels are primed and top painted. The water glasses have been repaired, the valves have been grinded and packed. The throttle handle has been rebuilt. The back of the firewood bunker was built and the steam dome cover was finished.

Things to do: Fixing the painting of the frame, second layer of painting would make a difference on both the frame and especially the wheels. Grinding of the Turret Valve of the fountain would now be easy to do. The window frames (loose) still need to be sanded and painted black.

The black painted frame of the locomotive and the wheels painted with gray primer.
The left-hand side of the locomotive wheels have been primed already and the frame has top coat finish. Photo: Marko Laine 24.01. 2021.
A man paints the locomotive wheels with a blue topcoat.
The wheels of Sohvi are painted with a blue topcoat. Photo: Marko Laine 24.01. 2021.
The running gear and the frame. The wheels and the rim of the frame are painted blue, otherwise the frame is painted black.
The wheels and the rim of the frame have been painted on a blue color. The entire running gear is now painted with top coat. Photo: Marko Laine 24.01. 2021.

The overhaul of Sohvi has now progressed so far that the locomotive's boiler jacket has now been painted three times with top coat paint and the railings of the firewood bunker have been started to be restored to their original appearance.

A blue steam locomotive cabin with a 15 cm cut off the top of the firewood bunker at the rear.
Later added welded fillings between its lowest and middle railings have been removed from the firewood bunker of the cab. Photo: Marko Laine 18.01. 2021.
Black freshly painted locomotive boiler from the front.
The locomotive boiler jacket and the smoke box have been given three coats of new top coat paint. Photo: Marko Laine 18.01. 2021.
Black freshly painted locomotive boiler from the rear without the locomotive cab which has been removed.
The boiler jacket inside the cabin has also been painted. Photo: Marko Laine 18.01. 2021.

In the days between Christmas and New Year a lot of work has been done at Minkiö with the 103-year-old locomotive. The modification work on the fire wood bunker was continued with laser precision. The boiler jacket was cleaned, primed and painted 2-3 times. The frame and wheels were scraped, sanded and cleaned. The frame was painted with primer and topcoat. Once we get the blue topcoat paint the wheels can be also painted.

A steam locomotive boiler jacket partly painted with a gray primer and partly with a graphite black surface color.
The boiler jacket has been sanded and primed and now the first coat of topcoat is going on. Photo: Teppo Niemi 29.12. 2020.

Before painting, it was time to wash the locomotive frame and boiler lagging of all the dirt that had accumulated in them. The locomotive was washed with a hot water pressure washer, after which scraping of the old paint from the frame, boiler blades and wheels will begin.

A steam locomotive boiler and a frame outdoors in a hot water wash surrounded by steam clouds.
After dismantling, the locomotive was washed with a hot water pressure washer. Photo: PTJ Koskinen 11.12. 2020.

Renovation work on the steam locomotive Sohvi will continue this week as well. The locomotive's water tanks are waiting to be repaired and the locomotive's cab will be converted to its original appearance. The frame, wheels and machinery are serviced and painted. The locomotive is to be restored as close as possible to its 1917 appearance.

The cabin and water tanks have been removed from the steam locomotive. Only the boiler is left on the frame.
The locomotive has now been dismantled and the grinding and painting of the boiler jacket can then be started. Photo: Marko Laine 1.12. 2020.
A blue steam locomotive cabin on a concrete floor.
The locomotive's cab has been raised on the shop floor and the work of converting the fire wood bunker to the original look and the groundwork for painting the cabin can begin. Photo: Marko Laine 1.12. 2020.
Two blue locomotive side water tanks tied on top of a trolley.
The water tanks are waiting to leave for reparation on top of a push cart on a track in front of the Minkiö workshop. After they return the tanks are supposed to be waterproof again! Photo: Marko Laine 1.12. 2020.

The next big step was to remove the locomotive cab. Now the work is over and the cabin is detached and lifted by a shop crane next to the locomotive. Most of the dismantling work has now been done and the actual repair of the locomotive can begin.

The stripped steam locomotive frame in the workshop with a blue locomotive cab next to it.
The locomotive's cab is detached from the frame and lifted by a shop crane next to the locomotive. Photo: Tuukka Selkälä 28.11. 2020.