ARMOURED TRAINS
Part 3.1
The Armoured Train in Panssarimuseo
What remained from Armoured Train 1 and other parts used in Finnish Armoured trains after Continuation War is now Parola Armour Museum (Panssarimuseo located in Parola, near city of Hämeenlinna. After World War 2 the train was storaged in Weapons Depot 5 (in Parola) and was transferred from there to the museum in year 1984. Museum received Tk3 steam locomotive and flatcar shown with the train later on. Using flatcars in both end of the train was standard practice with armoured trains already year 1918. The steam locomotive shown with the train is correct type in that sense, that Finnish military used Tk3 type locomotives with its armoured trains during World War 2, but unlike what would have been used the Tk3 number 1106 locomotive present in the exhibition is not armoured, nor was the individual locomotive number 1106 originally used with them. For a very long time the armoured train was left in the museum unarmed and apparently with relatively little maintenance done to it beyond occasitonal new coat of paint for some specific wagon. This changed when extensive restoration project that had taken two years was completed in summer of 2025. During the restoration project the train went through extensive repairs, had much of the missing parts that had been stored elsewhere put back into it, was completely repainted and equipped with 40mm Bofors anti-aircraft guns. While the train is still missing proper armour set from its locomotive and its train cars are only renovated from outside, this is one of the very few historical examples of armoured train, that have survived to this day. Below are some photographs showing the train and its train cars.
First set of photographs seen here are older photos taken before the extensive restoration.
PICTURE: View of the armoured train. The wagon in the front is 3-axle artillery wagon. This the only remaining wagon of Russian armoured heavy train captured in year 1918..CLICK THUMBNAIL TO SEE LARGER PIC (159 KB).
PICTURE: Side-view of 3-axle artillery wagon. CLICK THUMBNAIL TO SEE LARGER PIC (129 KB).
PICTURE: Captured Soviet PL-37 artillery wagon. This wagon was part of the Soviet armoured train captured near Äänislinna / Petroskoi / Petrozavodsk in year 1941. Unlike rest of the captured train it saw Finnish use. It was added to Armoured Train number 2 for rest of the Continuation War. CLICK THUMBNAIL TO SEE LARGER PIC (140 KB).
PICTURE: Tk3 series locomotive. Unfortunaly non-armoured and while similar as model as used with armoured trains this particular individual locomotive did not serve with them. CLICK THUMBNAIL TO SEE LARGER PIC (148 KB).
PICTURE: Kitchen wagon. Originally this was open-top artillery wagon armoured for Finnish Red Guards in Fredriksberg Works during Finnish Civil War at year 1918.CLICK THUMBNAIL TO SEE LARGER PIC (154 KB).
PICTURE: Side-view of kitchen wagon. CLICK THUMBNAIL TO SEE LARGER PIC (131 KB).
PICTURE: 4-axle artillery wagon after its many modifications. CLICK THUMBNAIL TO SEE LARGER PIC (136 KB).
PICTURE: View showing the whole train from another end. The first wagon behind the flatcar is 4-axle artillery wagon. CLICK THUMBNAIL TO SEE LARGER PIC (176 KB).
And below is another set of photographs taken in summer of 2025 once the resporation had been completed.
PICTURE: Side-view of 3-axle artillery wagon after the renovation. As now this wagon during Continuation War was equipped with 40mm Bofors anti-aircraft gun. The train is now painted with three colour camo pattern, which was the camo pattern used on it as summertime camouflage pattern during Continuation War. CLICK THUMBNAIL TO SEE LARGER PIC (152 KB).
PICTURE: Another view to 3-axle artillery wagon after the renovation. CLICK THUMBNAIL TO SEE LARGER PIC (168 KB).
PICTURE: Post-renovation Kitchen wagon. CLICK THUMBNAIL TO SEE LARGER PIC (155 KB).
PICTURE: Captured Soviet PL-37 artillery wagon. It saw some use with Armoured Train 2 during Continuation War, but probably not that much because its armaments were not designed to be used against aircraft, while at that point Finnish armoured trains were already serving mainly as mobile anti-aircraft artillery units on rails. CLICK THUMBNAIL TO SEE LARGER PIC (176 KB).
PICTURE: Tk3 series locomotive number 1106. Unfortunaly non-armoured and while Tk3 locomotives were as used with armoured trains this particular individual locomotive did not serve with them. This locomotive can be climbed to get view inside cab of the locomotive. CLICK THUMBNAIL TO SEE LARGER PIC (217 KB).
PICTURE: Side-view of 4-axle artillery wagon after the renovation. Also this wagon is now equipped with 40mm Bofors anti-aircraft gun. The part of wagon seen on the left is missing and can be climbed in to see short multimedia presentation. Insignia attached to stairs is that of The Parola Armour Museum. CLICK THUMBNAIL TO SEE LARGER PIC (159 KB).
PICTURE: Another view to 4-axle artillery wagon and its 40mm Bofors anti-aircraft gun. CLICK THUMBNAIL TO SEE LARGER PIC (173 KB).
Special thanks to Panssarimuseo (Finnish Armour Museum), Parola.