Saalasti Rails

Saalasti Rails (operating through the Finnish company Teräspyörä-Steelwheel Oy) is a Finnish supplier, manufacturer, renter and maintenance partner for railway rolling stock and specialised track machinery. The company describes itself as a flexible supplier and lessor of rolling stock and a reliable maintenance partner, combining multidisciplinary expertise into customer-oriented services for rail, metro and tram operations. Its core strengths are the manufacture, rental, servicing and maintenance of specialised equipment for rail transport professionals, with the aim of keeping operations smooth, uninterrupted and efficient. The business grew out of the Saalasti engineering heritage. Saalasti began delivering light narrow-gauge locomotives in the 1950s, initially as part of Finnish reparation deliveries to the Soviet Union that remained in Finland and had to be adapted to local track gauges. Saalasti then started building its own locomotives, with the first Otso locomotive produced in 1956. Track construction machinery followed and was first exported to Sweden from 1970. The first radio-controlled shunting locomotives and cabless robot locomotives were built in 1977. Since 2005, maintenance and servicing work has been carried out under the Teräspyörä-Steelwheel Oy name, and since 2010 production has also been conducted under that name. The administrative headquarters is in Espoo, while Saalasti vehicles are built in the Voikkaa district of Kouvola. The parent group, Saalasti Group, also manufactures machinery for biomass processing. Saalasti Rails offers new machines, maintenance and rental. It manufactures multi-purpose machines for track maintenance and shunting work, maintains and refurbishes rolling stock, and acts as a certified maintenance entity for rolling stock units. Its rental fleet includes track maintenance vehicles, locomotives and wagons. The product range includes diesel locomotives such as the three-axle Move 66 for marshalling yards and construction sites (Otso4 and Otso6), the two-axle Tve4 for marshalling yards, shunting robots in various configurations, multi-purpose crane vehicles for track renewal and maintenance, cable winches for moving freight wagons, automatic shunting couplers, and devices for measuring wheel profiles and wheel diameters. The company positions itself around competitiveness, sustainability and a greener future for rail transport.

The history of Saalasti Rails is rooted in the Finnish engineering company Saalasti, founded in 1945 by Tapio Saalasti. In the 1950s the company delivered its first vehicles: light narrow-gauge locomotives that were part of Finnish reparation deliveries to the Soviet Union but remained in Finland for various reasons and had to be adapted to the track gauges in use. After completing this work, Saalasti began manufacturing its own locomotives. The first Otso locomotive was produced in 1956; Otso is an old Finnish name for a bear, originally also used for other large animals or large people, and today a common male given name. In addition to shunting locomotives, Saalasti built track construction machinery, which was first exported to Sweden from 1970. The first radio-controlled shunting locomotives and cabless robot locomotives were manufactured in 1977. Maintenance and servicing work on vehicles and equipment has been carried out under the name Teräspyörä-Steelwheel Oy since 2005, and since 2010 production has also taken place under this name. Saalasti vehicles are built in the Voikkaa district of the city of Kouvola, while the administrative headquarters is in Espoo. Maintenance focuses on track machines, wagons and locomotives as well as other equipment. The parent group, Saalasti Group, also manufactures machinery for biomass processing. Today the company operates as Saalasti Rails, presenting itself as a flexible supplier and lessor of rolling stock and a reliable maintenance partner. It develops the competitiveness of rail transport by combining strong multidisciplinary expertise into customer-oriented services. It serves rail, metro and tram operations, offering new machines, maintenance and rental. Its rental fleet includes track maintenance vehicles, locomotives and wagons, and it acts as a certified maintenance entity for rolling stock units. The product range spans diesel locomotives such as the three-axle Move 66 (Otso4 and Otso6) for marshalling yards and construction sites, the two-axle Tve4 for marshalling yards, shunting robots in various configurations, multi-purpose crane vehicles for track renewal and maintenance, cable winches for moving freight wagons, automatic shunting couplers, and devices for measuring wheel profiles and wheel diameters.

• 2010

  Production also begins under the Teräspyörä-Steelwheel Oy name.

• 2005

  Maintenance and servicing work on vehicles and equipment begins under the name Teräspyörä-Steelwheel Oy.

• 1977

  First radio-controlled shunting locomotives and cabless robot locomotives manufactured.

• 1970

  Track construction machinery first exported to Sweden.

• 1956

  First Otso locomotive produced.

• 1950

  Saalasti delivers its first vehicles: light narrow-gauge locomotives, initially part of Finnish reparation deliveries to the Soviet Union that remained in Finland and had to be adapted to local track gauges.

• 1945

  Saalasti engineering company and engineering office founded by Tapio Saalasti.

Flexible supplier, lessor and reliable maintenance partner for rail, metro and tram rolling stock and specialised track machinery, emphasising competitiveness, sustainability and a greener future.

• Move 66

  Three-axle diesel locomotive for use in marshalling yards and construction sites (Otso4 and Otso6).

• Tve4

  Two-axle diesel locomotive for use in marshalling yards.

• Shunting robots

  Shunting robots in various configurations.

• Multi-purpose crane vehicle

  Multi-purpose vehicle with crane for track renewal and maintenance work.

• Cable winches

  Cable winches for moving freight wagons.

• Automatic shunting couplers

  Automatic shunting couplers.

• Wheel measuring devices

  Devices for measuring wheel profiles and measuring devices for wheel diameters.

1. 1Etusivu - Saalasti Railssaalastirails.com
2. 2Teräspyöräde.wikipedia.org
3. 3Wikidata Q119405307wikidata.org