VL10

The VL10 is an electric two-unit mainline DC freight locomotive used in the Soviet Union and is still operated today by the state owned Russian rail company RZhD, Ukrainian Railways and Georgian Railway. The initials VL are those of Vladimir Lenin, after whom the class is named.

History

The VL10 series was built as a replacement for the ageing VL8 which, by 1960, no longer met Soviet rail requirements. The VL10s were manufactured at the Tbilisi Electric Locomotive Works between 1961–1977, as well as the Novocherkassk Electric [Locomotive Plant] during 1969 and 1976. It was also there that all the mechanical components for the series were produced. The first prototype of the VL10 series was built in the Tbilisi works under the designation Т8-001. It was built in 1961 to coincide with the 40th anniversary of Soviet rule in Georgia.

In popular culture

The VL10-792 was in the train simulator Trainz in 2012. In 2024, Polish developer PlayWay released Trans-Siberian Railway Simulator in early access. The protagonist of the story mode operates a VL10 along a section of the Trans-Siberian Railway from Novosibirsk to Krasnoyarsk.