| FS Class 744 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 FS Class 744.003 as preserved at Cagliari railway station | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Ferrovie dello Stato (FS; Italian State Railways) Class 744 (Italian: Gruppo 744) is a class of 2-8-0 steam locomotives; they were the last orthodox steam locomotives built for the FS. [1] [2]
The Class 744 derived from the earlier Class 745 locomotives, with which they shared the boiler and the wheelbase; they were only partially successful, as their inside cylinders (chosen to keep the axle load as low as possible) forced the use of inadequately dimensioned big ends, which tended to run hot. The weight limits had been subsequently relaxed, and a 14.6 tons (later elevated to 14.85 for the Caprotti locomotives) axle load was permitted; this allowed the designers to place the two cylinders outside, avoiding the issue altogether. [3] [4]
The first batch of 25 locomotives was outshopped by Breda in 1927, and had Walschaerts valve gear. The subsequent 25 locomotives were built by Ansaldo (15) and Officine Meccaniche (10) in 1928, and were all fitted with Caprotti valve gear; these were originally classified Class 743, but in 1930 they were reclassified Class 744.1XX. [5] [6]
Designed for mixed traffic working, the Class 744 was mainly allocated to southern Italy, with eighteen of them stationed at Salerno for service on the Salerno–Reggio di Calabria railway, and a further twenty at Palermo and Catania. After the Tyrrhenian line was electrified, some locomotives were transferred to northern Italy, while others were assigned to Sardinia. In 1956 the 744.024 was experimentally fitted with a Giesl ejector. The Class 744 was completely withdrawn from service in the 1970s. [7] [6]
Two Class 744 locomotives have survived into preservation:
The Caprotti valve gear is a type of steam engine valve gear invented in the early 1920s by Italian architect and engineer Arturo Caprotti. It uses camshafts and poppet valves rather than the piston valves used in other valve gear. While basing his design on automotive valves, Caprotti made several significant departures from this design to adapt the valves for steam. Having agreed a joint-venture with Worcester-based engineering company Heenan & Froude from 1938, Heenan & Froude fully acquired Caprotti post-World War II in 1947.
The South African Railways Class 19B 4-8-2 of 1930 was a steam locomotive.
The Ferrovie dello Stato Class 740 is a class of 2-8-0 'Consolidation' steam locomotives.
The Ferrovie dello Stato Class 685 is a class of 2-6-2 'Prairie' express train steam locomotives. These are colloquially known as Regine, mirroring their fame as one of the most successful and appreciated Italian steam locomotives.
The Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane Class 691 is a class of 4-6-2 'Pacific' locomotives; they were the fastest and most powerful locomotives ever built for the Italian railways.
The Ferrovie dello Stato Class 640 is a class of 2-6-0 'Mogul' steam locomotives in Italy. Commonly nicknamed "Signorine", a nickname shared with the similar Class 625, these locomotives were the first superheated steam locomotives in Italy.
The Rete Adriatica Class 500, classified after 1905 in the Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane as Class 670 was an unorthodox and iconic cab forward 4-6-0 (2'C) steam locomotive.
The Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane Class 690 was a 4-6-2 'Pacific' steam locomotive for express trains.
The Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane Class 746 is a class of 2-8-2 'Mikado' steam locomotive. These were the biggest locomotives ever built by the Ferrovie dello Stato, even though not the fastest, which were the Class 691s.
The Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane Class 470 is a 0-10-0 steam locomotive.
The Ferrovie dello Stato Class 480 is a 2-10-0 steam locomotive.
The Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane Class 650, formerly SFAI1181-1200 and Rete Mediterranea 300 Class, also known as "Vittorio Emanuele II", was the first steam locomotive in continental Europe to have the 4-6-0 'Ten-Wheeler' arrangement.
The Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane Class 940 is a 2-8-2 steam tank locomotive, derived from the Class 740 tender locomotive.
The Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane Class 680 is a 2-6-2 express steam locomotive; it was the direct ancestor of the very successful and appreciated Class 685.
The Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane Class 600, formerly Rete Adriatica Class 380 and Società per le Strade Ferrate Meridionali Class 380, is a 2-6-0 'Mogul' steam locomotive; it is considered by some as the first Italian modern steam locomotive.
The Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane Class 835 is a 0-6-0T steam locomotive; it was the standard steam shunter of the FS.
The Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane Class 290, formerly the Rete Adriatica Class 350 bis, is a 0-6-0 steam locomotive.
The Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane Class 310, formerly Rete Mediterranea Class 380, was a 0-6-0 steam locomotive; they were the first Italian as-built compound locomotives.
The Ferrovie dello Stato Class 741 is a class of 2-8-0 'Consolidation' steam locomotives, rebuilds from the FS Class 740 with a Franco-Crosti boiler; it was the last class of steam locomotives introduced in Italy.
The Ferrovie dello Stato Class 745 was a class of 2-8-0 'Consolidation' steam locomotives.