VL8

The VL8 (ВЛ8) is an electric two-unit mainline DC freight locomotive used in the Soviet Union, still operated today by the state-owned Russian rail company RZhD and Ukrainian Railways. The initials VL are those of Vladimir Lenin (Владимир Ленин), after whom the class is named.

History
The VL8 series was built as a replacement for the aging VL22м which, by 1953, no longer met Soviet rail requirements. The VL8s were manufactured at the Tbilisi Electric Locomotive Works (ТЭВЗ) between 1957–1967, as well as the Novocherkassk Electric Locomotive Plant.