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The Ferrovie dello Stato (FS; Italian State Railways) Class 745 was a class of 2-8-0 'Consolidation' steam locomotives.
| FS Class 745 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Ferrovie dello Stato (FS; Italian State Railways) Class 745 was a class of 2-8-0 'Consolidation' steam locomotives.
The Class 745 was designed to meet the need for a low axle-load locomotive capable of providing adequate motive power on the Salerno–Reggio di Calabria railway, a curvy line with some severe inclines, whose importance had increased with the Italo-Turkish War of 1911-2, but whose antiquated infrastructures tolerated only a 14.4 t axle load. Locomotives such as the 2-6-0 Class 600 and Class 625 then used were struggling with the increasing loads even when double heading; the 2-8-0 Class 730 and Class 740 would have had the required tractive effort and moderate axle load, but had a limited top speed, while faster locomotives such as the 2-6-2 Class 680 and Class 685 had an excessive axle load, and not enough tractive effort. Therefore, the design effort focused on a 2-8-0 locomotive with larger driving wheels and a relatively large boiler. [1] [2]
The Class 745 sported 1,630 mm (64.17 in) driving wheels, the same as the Class 625, as well as the Italian bogie; from those, it also borrowed the peculiar engine layout, with two inside cylinders with outside steam chests and valve gear, to keep the weight down. However, this arrangement ended up being the Achilles' heel of the locomotive, as the cramped arrangement (with the driving rod linked to the second coupled axle, being therefore rather short) causing the bearings to often run hot. The tender provided was the standard FS bogie tender, but to avoid problems with the lightweight bridges on the line they would serve the water capacity was reduced to 18,000 litres (4,000 imp gal; 4,800 US gal); in the following years, as the line's infrastructure was improved, the capacity would be raised to the standard 22,000 litres (4,800 imp gal; 5,800 US gal). [3] [2]
The first batch of twelve locomotives was outshopped by Gio. Ansaldo & C. and Ernesto Breda between 1913 and 1914; another 36 locomotives would be built by Ansaldo in 1919, while a final 25 locomotives were built between 1922 and 1923 by the two firms, with the latter batch having left-handed drive as opposed to the previous right-hand drive. [4]
The Class 745 helped obviate the need for motive power on the Tyrrhenian railway, especially on the 1-in-43.5 incline between Agropoli and Vallo della Lucania, as well as on the Reggio Calabria-Taranto line, although with time the increased loads on the former eventually forced to resort to double-heading for the heaviest trains; for this reason, the FS electrified the line in 1935. The Class 745 was transferred in sheds such as Ancona, Naples and Udine; the last ones were assigned to Padua till the mid-1960s, when they were scrapped. None survived into preservation. [5] [6]
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 steam 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 steam 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 552, formerly Rete Adriatica Class 180 bis, is a 4-4-0 steam locomotive; it was the final development in Italy of the 'American' express locomotive type.
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 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.
FS Class 910 were 2-6-2 tank locomotives designed by Guglielmo Cappa for Rete Sicula where they were registered as RS Class 400. They were absorbed by Italian State Railways (FS) in 1905 and became FS Class 910.
The Ferrovie dello Stato Class 744 is a class of 2-8-0 steam locomotives; they were the last orthodox steam locomotives built for the FS.
The R.301 locomotive was a narrow gauge 2-6-0T steam locomotive for passenger and freight service that served on the Sicilian narrow gauge railway network and of the former colonies, Eritrea and Libya.