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The International Steam Pages |
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Regional Guide to Italian Heritage Steam Part 2 |
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This information comes from Stefano Paolini and was current as of August 2008. See also Part 1, Part 3 and his introduction on Italian Railway Heritage and Preservation The domain photorail.com was 'not found' by November 2020, as such all the links to it below will be broken. This is Stefano's gallery for FS Steam: This is Stefano's gallery for steam on private lines: This is some Stefano's b/w pictures: Emilia Romagna FS/Trenitalia The historic depot here is in Rimini, under cares of Adriavapore: http://www.adriavapore.it/. They have these steam locos assigned: 2-6-0 625.100, actually under repair in Pistoia heritage shops; 2-8-0s 740.143 and 409; 2-6-0 640.121 and one of the two working 2-6-2 685.196, actually waiting some minor repairs. In non working order they own also 2-8-2 940.003, 0-6-0 851.074 stored in poor condition in Bologna depot. Still in Rimini are plinthed another 740 (002) and one is a monument inside the Diesel FS shops (019). Here is my page: SAFRE Reggio Emilia This club (http://www.safre.it/) is part of a private society actually
running 3 lines around Reggio Emilia. The only steam loco they have was also among the first steam locos returning to life after the black period of the
1980s. This is a 0-6-0, n°7, of 1907, heavily used along their lines and - thanks to the cooperation with Museo Ferroviario Piemontese - along FS, Ferrovia Suzzara Ferrara and other private lines all over northern Italy. Some
pictures: CSFT Comitato Storia Ferrovie e Tranvie Bologna This association was organised by a single railfan plus some other friends. They bought old
items from all over the region mainly from private lines or closed tramways. All this material never found a
secure place to be stored and things collapsed when the boss of CSFT died some years ago. Now the few
remaining members are trying to sell off what cannot be restored and conserved, to other clubs or museums because
they have no funds left. This club own or owned these steam locos: two 0-6-0 ex-FS
830 formerly used industrial railways in Savona (the same colliery cited in Liguria chapter), actually parked in a demolition site near Bologna and in Lucato Termica Piemonte works;
0-6-0 851.043 stored in poor conditions in Bologna depot (another one, near the above mentioned 074 once of
CSFT, now passed to Adriavapore; an ancient industrial Krauss
0-4-0, in Bologna depot; the old 2-4-0 Mincio already mnetioned under Piemonte, acquired to restoration by Museo Ferroviario
Piemontese. Once owned by CSFT there was also a tramway loco of a line near Pisa and a T.3 type former Società Veneta then in service on an industrial spur in
Piemonte; now these two locos are in the Museum of
Transportation in Bologna. This is my page: ATC Bologna museum The collection of Bologna transportation society is conserved in the shed once used by the steam tramway line to Imola, closed in the 1950s. The collection can be seen only by appointment because there are problems accessing this ancient shed. The collection contains T.3 Società Veneta number 321, built 1906; a relic of steam 0-4-0 tramway loco of 1892, partly stripped; steam tramway 0-6-0 loco built in 1906, number TBPM.9, once used on the line departing from this same shed and then (until 1971) on an industrial spur; Ansaldo 0-6-0 loco built in 1923 for industrial purposes, then passed on the tramway line TBPM, then to the private Bologna-Vignola line: this same kind of loco was also present in FS fleet with number class 813. Monuments Once in Rimini depot, now plinthed near Fermignano (Urbino) station is 0-6-0 named FP.42, built in the 1930s to be used right on this line, closed by FS in 1985. Near Adria is preserved a 0-6-0 similar to the Bologna one, an Ansaldo of the 1920s once used in a sugar mill. Trentino Alto Adige FS/Trenitalia nothing, completely zero SAD Merano-Malles private railway In Malles terminal station there is still the star to turn locomotives avoiding the use of a turntable. It was completely restored when the line reopened in 2001 after a closure lasted 12 years. They made an inaugural trip with a steamer temporarily borrowed from Friuli Venezia Giulia and many hoped it would stay here, but since then nothing has happened. Monuments Two 600mm gauge 0-4-0 formerly used in some quarries are plinthed in Brunico. In Chiusa station is FS R.370 950mm 0-6-0 rack locomotive. The last existing R.410 760mm 0-8-0, once used on the never to be forgotten Val Gardena railway, is plinthed near Ortisei. Friuli Venezia Giulia In Trieste there is the wonderful Campo Marzio museum, created in 1980 inside the
ancient monumental station which was once the terminal of the Habsburg line from
Vienna which is still connected to FS lines. This is their website: http://www.ferstoria.it/.
There are many locomotives here, mainly of ancient Austrian origin and design,
of classes which arrived in Italy after WW1 and by then used almost exclusively in
this region. We have: working 2-8-0 728.022, the only one in Italy, former KKstB, restored to service in 2006. This loco is operated with many
difficulties: RFI - owner of tracks in Italy - don't like it for some technical (and political) reasons, so
permission to run is hard to get. In fact, it's easier to organize steam trains departing from Trieste Campo Marzio to
the border and into Slovenia then to do the same in Italy... The other loco
theoretically in working order is FS 2-8-0 740.108, but it is actually awaiting some
heavy repairs. Other locos in the museum are: FS 2-6-0 640.064, FS 0-6-0 835.231 formerly plinthed along the seafront, FS
2-6-0 880.023, FS 0-10-0 476.073 ex KKstB, FS 2-6-2 683.015 formerly a JZ loco, formerly
MAV, JZ
2-6-2 loco similar to vanished FS class 912. In the museum is also parked in
poor condition a big class 2-10-0 52 formerly JZ and again before DR. Some photos on
my page: Marche FS/Trenitalia This region is the only one which has steam directly operated by FS/Trenitalia, without the help of volunteers or clubs. Based in depot of Fabriano are 3 locomotives: FS 2-8-2 940.006 (actually under repair) with FS 2-8-0 740.144 and 160 in working order. They were used extensively until 2007 when RTC made tours every year with these locos. After yet another bad experience with DTR Marche management, RTC discontinued tours here and since then the locos have only made some school trips. However, a local club has recently been formed to promote the assist the use of steam here which may bring about a change. Monuments In an industrial area near Falconara Marittima there is a private collection with some small locomotives including one steam 0-4-0. However, this is not open to the public. Toscana FS/Trenitalia This region is the core of CERS, with repair facilities for locomotives assigned to
various clubs of volunteers around the country, always subject to the usual
limitations of the system. The historic site is in Pistoia former depot, but
even this is not safe from the risk of being sold off by RFI. Since the area it
occupies is quite limited, some items are collected in Firenze Romito depot, near Firenze Santa Maria Novella
station. A diktat imposed by DTR and RFI managers however will cause a earthquake even here, because CERS will
have to transfer every single piece to Firenze Romito (already busy with ordinary locomotives) to make way for
an unspecified projects..... A club called Italvapore also operate in
Pistoia,
unusually it also owns some locomotives bought in the past from FS but they are
looking for funds restored them. These locos are listed below. In Pistoia we have: FS
2-6-0 625.054 (not working), 625.101 (under repair after being plinthed for 15 years in
Rome), 2-6-0 625.142 (waiting repairs), 2-6-0 640.148 (in good running order),
2-6-0 640.003 (waiting repairs, formerly in Piemonte and used by Museo Ferroviario
Piemontese), 2-6-2 685.089 (in good running order, restored at the end of 2007 after 25 years
display in Trieste Campo Marzio and then Pistoia), 2-8-0 740.254 and 286 (used
only for spare parts), 2-8-0 740.451 (in working order) 2-8-0 Franco Crosti 741.120
(working), 2-8-0 744.118 (awaiting funds to be restored in working order, after having been moved away from Pietrarsa museum were it was on display since
1989), 0-6-0 (835.088 for spare parts, after having been plinthd in Brisighella since
the 1980s), 2-8-2 940.036 (under in repair and for future use in Liguria). So
overall Toscana steam depends on just 4 active locos, plus some Italvapore This club operates in Pistoia helping railwaymen of CERS to maintain or repair locos.
They are slowly working on their stock bought from FS. This comprises: FS 2-6-0 625.308, the only steam
loco with Caprotti valve gear remaining in Italy, (currently being rebuilt), FS
2-6-0 625.055 (stored), FS 0-6-0 835.323 (stored), FS 0-6-0 981.006 rack locomotive
from the Paola-Cosenza line, (stored and not useable even if repaired), FS 2-6-2 685.222
(used as a source of spare parts for the rebuilt 685.089 above), FS 2-8-2 940.026
(under long term rebuilding). This is their page: Nettunia Sud This society (actually a private collector) which owns some former FS locos, parked along the private line operated by TFT in Arezzo area. Sometime these locos are used on this line or even on FS rails. Locos are: 2-6-0 640.091 and 095, the second in working order; 2-8-0 740.329 and 462 currently unserviceable. Monuments In Toscana there are almost all the remaining FS 895 class 0-8-0 locos, plinthed in Pietrasanta (Lucca, 2 locos) and in Carrara, inside the marble museum. In Piazza al Serchio and inside the ancient Firenze Porta al Prato station are two FS 2-8-2 940 locos. Another rack loco of 981 class is in a private estate, coupled to a coach and displayed on a short piece of track, where the owner initially used to move it up and down a few hundred metres, but now its boiler certificate has expired of boiler and sometime ago it appeared for sale on EBay! |
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Rob Dickinson
Email: webmaster@internationalsteam.co.uk