Regional Guide to Italian Heritage Steam Part 1

This information comes from Stefan Paolini and was current as of August 2008. See also Part 2, 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: http://www.photorail.com/phr1-leFS/vapore.htm

This is Stefano's gallery for steam on private lines: http://www.photorail.com/phr2-le%20concesse/vapore_sulle_concesse.htm 

This is some Stefano's b/w pictures: http://www.photorail.com/phr0/bianconero/bianconero.htm 

Piemonte

FS/Trenitalia

In Bussoleno, the sole depot dedicated to historic trains of the region the following are stored double Franco Crosti 2-8-0 743.283 and unserviceable 2-8-2 940.041. Only 2-6-0 640.143 loco is available after some repairs and will be ready to operate some trains in the autumn. 640.008 is currently under overhaul at Moretta (Cuneo) private works, and is expected to run again in winter. 640.003 formerly of this region is now unserviceable in Pistoia (Toscana).

My page on Bussoleno depot: http://www.photorail.com/phr0/esteroemusei/feralp.htm 

Museo Ferroviario Piemontese

In this collection many steam items are awaiting funds. 0-8-0 FS 422.009 formerly G.8 KPEV has been unserviceable since 2002. After some years in Bussoleno depot, it was returned to Savigliano (Cuneo) but it's now gone to Pioia shops (Toscana) for repair. Former inhabitants 2-6-0 FS.880.045 and 2-6-0 FS.640.122 have been 'under overhaul' in Torino shop since 1990. Other steam locos of the collection, absolutely static, are: FS 2-8-2 940.030, 0-8-0 422.022, 2-6-0 640.071 (now parked inside Magliola private works in Santhià), 2-8-0 735.155 and 2-8-0 736.083 (both ex USATC), 2-8-0 FS.740.282, 0-6-0 835.240, 2-6-0 880.008, 0-8-0 895.159. Non FS steam power there are: industrial 0-4-0, now plinthed in Santhià Magliola works), Ferrovia Torino Nord 0-6-0 23, Ferrovia Torino Nord 0-6-0 Lanzo (a 1883 locomotive, in poor condition, right now stored in a shed in Altavilla Monferrato (Asti) on the ground of the Tramway museum), Ferrovia Valle Sessera 0-6-0 n°1, a T.3 type. The only locomotive of the museum really working - and hard working - is another T.3 type loco, number 3, still former Ferrovia Valle Sessera. With this little critter they run all over northern Italy, despite a ridiculous maximum velocity. In the museum is also stored an ancient 2-4-0 loco called Mincio, formerly Ferrovia Suzzara Ferrara. This relic from 1880 is undergoing a slow overhaul, thanks to the support of the region, of this museum and of the railfan club of its original Ferrara-Suzzara line.

My page on Museo Ferroviario Piemontese: http://www.photorail.com/phr0/esteroemusei/museo_ferroviario_piemontese.htm 

And some more pictures of their trains: http://www.photorail.com/phr3-gli%20updates/articoli2007/dicembre2007.htm 

Other steam

Many locos are plinthed all over the region, as in any other Italian region, so I cite only the most important items. In a square of Pianezza (Torino) is a monument former FS.829.001. This 0-6-0 was built by pre FS Rete Mediterranea and after used as prototype base for the hundreds and hundreds of shunters like FS 830 and 835. In Castelletto Ticino (near Lago Maggiore) and in Asti are plinthed two of the last 3 existing 2-6-0 875, from which was derived the FS 880 class. In the Lucato Termica workshop - a private shop repairing boilers - is conserved a former 0-6-0 FS.830 (1900), while another is plinthed in Acqui Terme (Alessandria).

Lombardia

FS/Trenitalia

There are 'historic depots' in Tirano and Sondrio (in Valtellina northern valley), in Milano Martesana depot (only for some electric emus and coaches), in Cremona depot (only for some emus). All these are in the care of volunteers of ALe.883 club with the help of some FS railwaymen allocated by CERS. (The ALe.883 club also own a rare FS 0-6-0 851.057, not working, formerly a monument in Real Monza Park.) Although traditionally Lombardia been some kind of steam paradise - because the chief manager of CERS works in Milano - it's a region with a very restricted steam fleet. There are 2 working locos: 2-6-0 625.177 and 2-6-0 880.051 (the only one of its class serviceable). Plus in Milano Smistamento depot under overhaul by the volunteers group "Associazione Rotabili Storici Milano Smistamento - ARSMS" of which I'm a member is the 0-6-0 835.226 that will be the only one functioning of the hundreds of this class. It was moved from a plinthed site where it had been for 30 years. In Cremona there is 2-8-0 740.311 and in Tirano 740.074 both semi-dismantled, which have been awaiting funds and labour for many years. 

Click here for James Waite's report and pictures of a trip with 625.177 in May 2008.

Museums

In Milano there is the oldest railway museum in Italy. This is my page about it: http://www.photorail.com/phr0/esteroemusei/museo_scienza_milano.htm. The prize exhibits are: 4-4-0 FS 552.036, the only 4-wheeler which survives out of hundreds built between 1870 and 1900, 0-10-0 FS 470.092 with its strange tender + baggage and the closed cab; Pacific 691.022 which is the biggest steam loco in Italy, 2-8-2 746.031 and last but not least the little 0-8-2 built for the former Italian 760mm gauge line from Trieste to Parenzo, now in Slovenian territory.

Other locos

In high Valcamonica (northern Brescia and ISeo lake) there are two industrial locos plinthed in a private ground. One (0-4-0) was used in Savona harbor, the other (0-6-0) was formerly FS 817.004. Right now in Cremona is under cosmetic overhaul a strange 0-4-2 of the rare FS814 class. These locos were formerly Austrian and remained in Italian territory after ww1. Originally they had a baggage compartment right back to the cab. This item will go to Milano museum. A rare 0-6-0 FS 830 former Rete Mediterranea is plinthed in a museum area on the former Breda train builder site, in Sesto San Givoanni (Milano).

Liguria

FS/Trenitalia

In this small region there is an historic site, with volunteers of ATSL working on some FS items and on many industrial and/or private shunters/critters. Of FS steam here we have only working FS 2-8-0 740.278. Other FS locos stored are: 2-8-2 940.050 (which hauled the last passenger steam train in 1976), 2-6-0 640.004, 0-6-0 835.053. Due to the mountainous landscape it's quite impossible to use steam locos on the lines of this region, in fact the 740 usually works along some line in near Toscana. Some pics of this site: http://www.photorail.com/phr0/esteroemusei/museolaspezial.htm.

Other locos:

In three different locations are preserved as monument 3 former FS 0-6-0 830 class all used latterly on a private network in Savona harbor or in the coke colliery in San Giuseppe di Cairo (still near Savona). In this colliery steam activity lasted until 1986.

Veneto

FS/Trenitalia

In this region we have two historic sites: the active one is in Verona, where volunteers of Associazione Veneto treni Storici AVTS (http://www.avts.it/) maintain some steamers: FS 2-8-0s 740.038 and 740.293 and FS 2-8-2 940.022. All other locos once assigned to Verona depot (such as the 2-6-2 685.196) are long gone to other places, since much of the enthusiasm here has faded. Another younger club (880.001, website: http://www.societavenetaferrovie.it/) plans to overhaul a 2-6-0 880.001, now transferred to Padova depot.

AVTS on my pages: http://www.photorail.com/phr0/esteroemusei/avts.htm.

Other locomotives:

Interesting plinthed units are in this region. As monument outside Verona FS shops is large 2-8-2 746.031. Nearby there was a site to teach something about railways to public, with models, objects and some locos. It's been closed for quite a while and the only remaining steam loco, a 2-6-0 625 class, awaits its fate.

Basilicata

Ground zero.

Click here for Part 2.

Click here for Part 3.