Oy Tampella Ab was a Finnish heavy industry manufacturer, a maker of paper machines, locomotives, military weaponry, as well as wood-based products such as packaging. The company was based mainly in the Naistenlahti district of the city of Tampere.

Until 1963 the company was called Tampereen Pellava- ja Rauta-Teollisuus Osake-Yhtiö (The Flax and Iron Industry of Tampere Stock Company). In Swedish it was called Tammerfors Linne- & Jern-Manufaktur A.-B.. In 1993 the company’s forest and packaging business was bought by Enso-Gutzeit Oy.

Tampereen Pellava- ja Rautateollisuus Oy was a company based on the merger in 1861 of two factories - a linen mill and foundry - situated by the Tammerkoski rapids. After a modest start, it grew to become an institution employing thousands of people in the centre of Tampere alone, and more at its other units. In the 1950s the company's name was shortened to Tampella. The company went into decline during the 1980s and eventually went bankrupt in 1990. This was at a time just before the economic recession of the early 1990s. After bankruptcy the company's operations were split and sold to various, mostly international, owners.

Among the company's products was the manufacture of linen: in later times this was not an important product, but the company continued it for apparently historic reasons. However, its main concern was iron and steel products. These included grave crosses (in the very early days), guns, mining drills, paper machines, locomotives (both steam and diesel), steam boilers and turbines. The company also produced cardboard and packaging at its Inkeroinen mill.

The industrial activity, under the new ownership, in the centre of Tampere gradually ceased and the machines finally stopped operating in 2000. Soon after this, many of the buildings in the industrial complex have been taken into new uses as museums, cultural centres, artist's workshops etc. though some had already been demolished. Other buildings were converted to new commercial uses, but many were demolished to make way for blocks of flats.

Together with an Israeli cooperative organisation Solel Boneh, Tampella also founded the Israeli defence contractor Soltam, in 1950.

Weaponry

Field cannons 122K/60, 122 mm field cannon, prototype 122K/57, 15 pieces of 122K/60 manufactured. The Israeli Soltam company became interested and the 152HX-K60 was developed 152HX-K60 155HX, 24 November 1971, 2 pieces, at least one of them was delivered to Soltam, Israel 155KAN68, manufactured for Soltam to Israel, 2 lots x 12 pieces each in 1970 - 1975, 12 pieces to Singapore, sub-type Pore M-68, a Soltam made 155KAN68 Philippines, Singapore, Chile, Thailand, South Africa, several hundreds. M-68 had been the main cannon for the Israeli Defence Forces one 155KAN68 delivered to the Soviet union, barrel 10 February 1977, suspenser 11 March 1977 and launcher 9 February 1978 155HZ 155K74 developed from 155KAN68 sub-type Pore-13 155 K 83, prototype 155K74-83 155GH45T 155GH45 PAKISTAN, testing 1996-1997 in Pakistan 155K93 155HG52APU 155 K 98

Anti-tank guns 57/76 Pst 75 K/44 100 PSTK

Coastal artillery 152/50 T, a modernized version of 152 mm 45 caliber Pattern 1892 130 53 TK

Mortar 47 Krh/35 60 Krh/34 81 Krh/34 81 Krh/38 81 Krh/58P 81 Krh/71Y 120 Krh/40 120 Krh/62A-H 120 Krh/85 160 Krh/58C 300 Krh/42 B-455 81 mm mortar. Originally designed in Tampella, but manufacturing rights sold to Soltam.

See also Finnish Railway Museum VR Group List of Finnish locomotives Jokioinen Museum Railway List of railway museums Worldwide Heritage railways List of heritage railways Restored trains Hanko–Hyvinkää railway History of rail transport in Finland VR Class Pr1 VR Class Hr1 VR Class Tk3 VR Class Hr11

References Notes