Salo Art Museum’s Steam Locomotive

On the turntable in the courtyard of Salo Art Museum Veturitalli (Mariankatu 14) there is a steam locomotive manufactured by Tampella in 1921. It is one of the smallest steam locomotives used by VR Group. This type of locomotive was nicknamed “Kana” [Hen] due to its peculiar “pecking” style of movement.

The “Hen” in the courtyard of Salo Art Museum Veturitalli operated in cities such as Lahti, Kotka and Kouvola until 1970, when it was withdrawn from service. In the summer of 1986, the locomotive was relocated from the train depot in Lievestuore to the steam locomotive park in Haapamäki. Members of the Association of Museum Locomotives in Haapamäki restored it to its present condition. The “Hen” was brought to the turntable of Veturitalli in spring 1998.

The locomotive is located right by the railway line, on a turntable behind the museum building. Turntables were used to direct the locomotives to the different stalls in the roundhouse. This turntable has a diameter of 13.7 metres and it was turned by hand, like most of the turntables in Finland.