Italian Steam –Italian Steam –a modellers’ perspectivea modellers’ perspective

Jim FordJim FordSouthport and District Model Railway Southport and District Model Railway

ClubClub1818thth October 2011 October 2011

Today’s talkToday’s talk

• Why model steam era Italian railways?• A bit about Italy and Italian railways• An overview of Italian locomotive

development• Locomotive policy of the Ferrovia del Stato• Translating Italian Steam into model

railways

Why model steam era Italian Why model steam era Italian railways?railways?

• 1970s• Visit to Italy with Auntie Marie• Dissatisfaction with primitive UK items• Clochmerle• Don Camillo• Nick Woods• San Nazario• Tavola

A bit about Italy and Italian railwaysA bit about Italy and Italian railways

• What do these countries have in common?– Italy, Greece, Germany, Estonia and Norway

• When was the last new Italian steam loco built - 1927, 1937, 1947 or 1957?

• What 4 letters sum up Italian steam design?• What happened in 1905?• What was the immediate consequence?

Northern ItalyNorthern Italy

Central ItalyCentral Italy

Southern ItalySouthern Italy

Italian locomotive developmentItalian locomotive development

• Early imported products - UK, US builders• 1850s – Medoc (2-4-0) and Borbonese (0-6-0)

• 1870s – early domestic designs, Turin etc• 1905 – 12 standard classes

– Common components– Compounding– Superheating– Caprotti, Crosti and Franco-Crosti

Early importsEarly imports

Early Domestic designs - FNM 200Early Domestic designs - FNM 200

FNM 200 by Hornby RivarossiFNM 200 by Hornby Rivarossi• Chinese• 3.8 mm/foot• Spectacular

coaches like WHR

FNM 270FNM 270• FNM• Milan• Late 19th C• Personal

favourite

Modelling Italian Steam in the 60sModelling Italian Steam in the 60s

• Good range of locos produced until the early 1980s by Rivarossi and others

• Good stock too, but preserved in aspic as:-• But 3.8mm scale therefore not compatible

with modern Chinese Hornby-Rivarossi• Excellent runners, but bulky motors• Representative of standard classes

835 prototype835 prototype• 1905 standard• Florentine• widespread• Counter

pressure brake

• 1960s convertedto diesel

835835

835 R/R model835 R/R model

• Fairly basic• Lacks detail• But compare

it with Triang Jinty!

851851• 1898• Adriatic• Mountain

lines, but• Later used

for shunting• 6 plinthed

851851

851 R/R model851 R/R model• Later

model• Super-

detailed• Excellent

runner

685 Walschaerts685 Walschaerts• 1912-27• Simple 4• 390 built• 685.410trialled withturbine ’34• w/d 1980

685 Walschaerts685 Walschaerts

685 Walschaerts685 Walschaerts

685 Walschaerts685 WalschaertsAcquired from Alan NeedhamFleishmann model - Chunky/clunkyBut still 3.8mm scale……

685 Caprotti685 Caprotti• Originally

class 686• 1924-34

685 Caprotti685 Caprotti

• More recent Rivarossi product but still 30 years old

• Acquired Southport show

740740

• 1918-23• 470 built• 2-cyl simple• 80 still in

use in 1980

740740

740 Rivarossi740 Rivarossi• Merseyside show 2 years ago • Trenhobby kit – wired the wrong way round!

940940

• 1921-25• Superheated• Tank version

of 740• 25 left in 1980

940940

940940

625625

• 1910-22• Simple• Outside

Walschaert’s and inside cylinders

625625

625625• Nice model but still quite basic

623 Franco-Crosti623 Franco-Crosti• 1952-54

rebuilds of 625

• 25% savings

• 10 wereCaprotti

• 1970scrapped

623623

Latest and best of the old Rivarossi - 1980s

691691• 1911-18• 1928-34

Rebuilt

• 1958 w/d due to

electrification

• 691.022 preservedstatic

691class691class

Rivarossi 691Rivarossi 691

• Top of the range• Obtained at Southport Show

Not available in 3.8 mmNot available in 3.8 mm• 640• 741• 743• 623

ImportsImports• 8Fs• Dean

Goods• American• Austrian

Thanks for listening!Thanks for listening!

A fond farewell from sunny and snowy Italy!