FS Class 737

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FS 737.014 after withdrawal in 1953 LocomotivaFS737.jpg
FS 737.014 after withdrawal in 1953

The Ferrovie dello Stato (Italian State Railways, FS) Class 737 (Italian: Gruppo 737) was a class of steam locomotive which consisted of 15 ex-British War Department (WD) 2-8-0 locomotives of the LMS Stanier Class 8F type which were purchased in 1946.

Contents

History

The first eight engines, (eventually FS Numbers 737.001737.008) were built to WD orders between 1940 and 1942. The remaining seven (eventually FS Numbers 737.009737.015) had been requisitioned by the War Department in 1941 from the London Midland & Scottish Railway (LMS) - these had been built in 1936 by the Vulcan Foundry. All were then shipped to the Middle East, with several more classmates, where they served in Persia and were numbered in the Persian series. In 1944, 50 of the Persian engines were transferred to Kingdom of Egypt/Mandate Palestine, where they were again renumbered into the Middle East Forces (MEF) 93xx series. Later WD numbers were original numbers plus +70000, and in 1946 FS bought fifteen of these.

As they were non-standard in comparison to Italian locomotive practices, their career were relatively short, with the Class 737s working on the line between Bologna and Ancona until 1947 where after they were kept at Bari. They were all withdrawn from service in 1953 [1] [2] with them being scrapped in 1956. [3] [1]

Numbering

Numbers were as follows:

FS No. LMS No. WD No.Persia No.MEF No.Later WD No.Date builtBuilderBuilder's No.Withdrawn
737.001-33441.1199380703341940 North British Locomotive Company 246341956
737.002-37541.1649372703751941 North British Locomotive Company 246751956
737.003-40841.1049381704081941 Beyer, Peacock & Company 69881956
737.004-43741.1779374704371941 Beyer, Peacock & Company 70171956
737.005-44141.1669362704411941 Beyer, Peacock & Company 70211956
737.006-51441.2109368705141941 North British Locomotive Company 247221956
737.007-52041.2389363705201941 North British Locomotive Company 247281956
737.008-54841.223-705481942 North British Locomotive Company 247411956
737.009803258541.1629378705851936 Vulcan Foundry 47091956
737.010809158941.1859351705891936 Vulcan Foundry 47681956
737.011803859441.1829370705941936 Vulcan Foundry 47151956
737.012804059541.1929355705951936 Vulcan Foundry 47171956
737.013804459841.1969371705981936 Vulcan Foundry 47211956
737.014807260941.1989373706091936 Vulcan Foundry 47491956
737.015805961341.1959352706131936 Vulcan Foundry 47361956

See also

References

  1. 1 2 profilbaru.com. "Locomotiva FS 737 - profilpelajar.com". profilbaru.com (in Italian). Retrieved 24 January 2023.
  2. Kalla-Bishop (1986), p. 69.
  3. Tourret, R. (1995). Allied military locomotives of the Second World War (Rev. and augmented ed.). Abingdon: Tourret Pub. ISBN   0-905878-06-X. OCLC   34597390.

Sources