| Soviet locomotive class L | |
| Powertype: | Steam |
| Designer: | L.S. Lebedyanskiy |
| Builder: | Kolomna Locomotive Works |
| Builddate: | 1945—1955 |
| Totalproduction: | 4,199 |
| Whytetype: | 2-10-0 |
| Driverdiameter: | 15002NaN2 |
| Height: | 48732NaN2 |
| Axleload: | 18t |
| Fueltype: | Coal |
| Boilerpressure: | 14sigfig=3NaNsigfig=3 |
| Firearea: | 6m2 |
| Superheaterarea: | 113m2 |
| Cylindercount: | Two, outside |
| Cylindersize: | 650x bore x stroke |
| Valvegear: | Walschaerts |
| Maxspeed: | 850NaN0 |
| Tractiveeffort: | 271.5-1NaN-1 |
| Nicknames: | Swan |
| Locale: | Soviet Union |
| Firstrundate: | 1945 |
| Retiredate: | 1975-1995 |
| Scrapdate: | 1975-1991 (600),1992-1995 |
| Disposition: | Most Scrapped |
The Soviet locomotive class L (Russian: Л) was a Soviet main freight steam locomotive type. They were nicknamed Lebed, "Swan."[1]
The L class 2-10-0 was the first Soviet locomotive to use Boxpok-type wheels, which were commonplace in steam locomotive design post-World War II. A casing between the dome and chimney covered a steam drier pipe.
It was designed and built by the Kolomna Locomotive Works shortly after World War II under supervision by L.C. Lebedyanski. It was originally designated Class P (for Pobeda, "victory"), but was redesignated Class L in honor of its designer.
In conjunction with the FD class 2-10-2, it was primarily used to haul mainline goods across the terrain of the Soviet Union. Over 4,000 L class locomotives were constructed from 1945-1955, and they operated with the Soviet Railways until 1975.
Today there are over 300 example of L class locomotives surviving in various states of repair in the former Soviet Union, constituting the single largest surviving class of locomotives in the world. Many are still in operating condition.