Aleksi Perala Posted January 16 Posted January 16 (edited) VR Class Dm3 and Dm4 were multiple units used by the Finnish State Railways (VR) in 1952–1972. Ten of both series were ordered in 1949. They were manufactured by Valmet in 1952–1953. Four more Dm4 multiple units were ordered and manufactured in 1954. Sadly, all have been scrapped.Dm4 had an engine at both ends of the carriage, while the Dm3 had a luggage compartment instead of the engine at one end. In 1956–1959, all Dm3 series were converted to Dm4 by adding an engine instead of the luggage compartment. Technical data Maximum speed: 110 km/h Length: 21 000 mm Width: 3 194 mm Wheel system: originally B´B´, 1A0A01 (the poorly functioning cardan shaft that transferred power from the inner wheelset to the outer wheelset was later removed, resulting in two driven axles) Wheel length: 16 200 mm (Dm3), 16 400 mm (Dm4) Wheel diameter: 960 mm Weight in running order: 40.6 t (Dm3), 47.5 t (Dm4) Engines: General Motors 2-stroke 12-cylinder twin diesel engine (two straight-six cylinders coupled together by a gearbox) Power: 350 hp https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:VR_Class_Dm4 Here is my model of Dm4 1609 in 1:42 scale - 10 studs wide. It is powered by a 12V train motor and it has 12V lights. It's all genuine LEGO. I used some electrical tape for the front stripes and stickers of course. I built it in 2021 and have been going back to it for a couple of years now. It's not quite finished yet; I can't get the bogies right and I need to figure out how to make the side walls curvature without compromising the inside structure. IMG_1727_SIDE by Aleksi Perälä, on Flickr IMG_1735_FRONTSIDE by Aleksi Perälä, on Flickr IMG_1760_FRONT by Aleksi Perälä, on Flickr IMG_1767_FRONT by Aleksi Perälä, on Flickr IMG_1780_FRONTSIDELEFT by Aleksi Perälä, on Flickr IMG_1844_SIDELEFT by Aleksi Perälä, on Flickr IMG_2108_INSIDE_FULL by Aleksi Perälä, on Flickr There's a three-unit carriage that goes with it that I will be adding here once I get a chance to take photos of it. I've also built a mail carriage based on proposed technical drawings; it was never built in real life. Edited January 17 by Aleksi Perala edited photos Quote
zephyr1934 Posted January 17 Posted January 17 That looks amazing, and a ton of detailing, great work! Quote
Aleksi Perala Posted January 18 Author Posted January 18 (edited) Thanks @Phil B. Once you go 10W you won't go back! At least that's what happened to me. But I don't run my trains anymore, apart from shows. They reside on my shelves, window sills and on the top of my piano. Thanks @zephyr1934. Speaking of details, where do you draw the line? I mean, some small details get easily blown out of proportion when built from bricks and that's where I give up / leave them out. But it is the details that make the design. Like the saying: "God is in the details". If you know what the details' function is then they are meaningful, and then you don't want to leave them out. Like if you are a steam engine driver you know every bit of your engine and if you built a model of it you wouldn't want to leave anything out. You know the dozens of places where the oil goes. I don't... at least not yet : ) I haven't taken many photos of MOCs before. Now I understand why: I'm out of my comfort zone! It's hard. But it's so worth it. I notice things I haven't seen before. I need to go back and forth. I have a lot to learn. Edited January 18 by Aleksi Perala Quote
zephyr1934 Posted January 19 Posted January 19 On 1/18/2025 at 6:21 AM, Aleksi Perala said: Speaking of details, where do you draw the line? I mean, some small details get easily blown out of proportion when built from bricks and that's where I give up / leave them out. But it is the details that make the design. Like the saying: "God is in the details". When you figure that you you've become a master builder... and it looks like you are there. I think it is fun to see different people attempt the same locomotive (or train car, or ...) and what each person emphasizes differently. And then to see how their perspective impacts their selection (e.g., 6 wide vs 8 wide results in some of the largest trade offs). Quote
LEGO Train 12 Volts Posted January 19 Posted January 19 10 Stud is not my favorite format, but the shapes of this locomotive are wonderful: all curves and details! The interior details are awesome too! Quote
Aleksi Perala Posted January 24 Author Posted January 24 (edited) Thank you for the nice words everyOne! Here's the rest of the train, still work in progress... "Kiitojuna" is the name given to the high-speed passenger train operated by VR (the Finnish State Railways) in the 1950s. The service began in 1954, when the first three multiple unit carriages were completed by Valmet. Another three carriages were completed later. One carriage consisted of three units connected in series; they were hardly ever separated. The first unit (KEi) had 62 third class seats. The middle unit (KEis) had 56 third class seats and housed a diesel generator that generated electricity for the entire carriage. The end unit (KCik) had a small kitchen and 35 second class seats. One carriage had 153 seats in total. The carriages were mainly pulled by Dm4 multiple units and sometimes by Hr11 diesel locomotives. They operated from Helsinki to Turku, Pori, Vaasa, Savonlinna and Kuopio. With a top speed of 110 km/h, they were the most modern rolling stock in Finland of their time. The railcars were then used in railcar and express train traffic until they were finally withdrawn from service in the early 1970s. One KCik unit and one Hr11 locomotive still exist today, both are outdoors in poor condition. I built my train based on detailed drawings by Tapio Keränen in his article about Dm4 and Kiitojuna comprising the whole number 5 issue of "Junat" magazine from 1994. Also a book called "Harmaan kiitojunan tarina" has been a great help. In this 1:42 scale model each unit is about 50 cm long, which makes the whole train just over 2 meters long when pulled by the Dm4. The rubber stuff between the units is black pneumatic hose. The curtains are made of masking tape. The train is coupled by old type magnets and it has BMR ball bearings on all wheels. Photos taken by me and Melissa Speirs. Edited January 26 by Aleksi Perala added interior shots Quote
Selander Posted January 25 Posted January 25 Really great model, excellent design and color scheme. A tad too wide for my taste 😁 but what a looker on the shelf 💪👍👌🙌 Quote
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