Pikku-Rusko Tampere

Piece of industrial history

Johanna from Tampere

About me I am an outdoor person, who loves sports and nature. I have lived in the Tampere region since 2010. As I live in the sauna capital of Finland by the lake, I am passionate about swimming and sauna all year round. I also have many different hobby sports: bouldering, bicycling and skiing are those I am most active at. Forest hikes and mushroom picking are like...
""Pikku-Rusko" in Tampere is the first locomotive ever to have been made in Finland. It was recently renovated - I like to see it in the dark..."

In the middle of some old red brick buildings and some new block of flats, in the Tampella residential area, there is a huge, brand new window display. It accommodates an important and heavy (44.3 thousand kilos) piece of the industrial history of Tampere. 

The locomotive Pikku-Rusko, Tampella 315,is the first of its kind to be fully manufactured in Finland, in the Tampella factory which was previously situated on the spot. This beauty, Pikku-Rusko, saw the light of day on 25.7.1900. The curiosity is that although the serial number of Pikku-Rusko is 2, it was the first one to be ready for the railways. 

Pikku-Rusko retired in the 1960s and was taken back to its place of birth as a museum piece. The locomotive was fully renovated during 2015-2020. After the very careful and time consuming renovation process, Pikku-Rusko has regained its beauty and reminds us of the era of steam locomotives, the beautiful giants, and the rich industrial history of Tampere.

I like to admire this piece of history during the dark, when the this old locomotive wakes up with all its headlights on. Then I can imagine it's on duty on the national railways in Finland in the beginning of the 20th century.

 

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Tampere Spotter Johanna

About me I am an outdoor person, who loves sports and nature. I have lived in the Tampere region since 2010. As I live in the sauna capital of Finland by the lake, I am passionate about swimming and sauna all year round. I also have many different hobby sports: bouldering, bicycling and skiing are those I am most active at. Forest hikes and mushroom picking are like meditation for me. My more urban hobbies include regular eating in restaurants, exploring the city by walking and visiting all kinds of culture events. I am the person who always knows w...

About this spot

Vapriikki

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Nov 8, 2025

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