Pistoia Yard - Italy

[CarltonA]

About eleven years ago I passed through Pistoia on the train to Firenze SMN. I noticed a lot of rusty old stock in the sidings including steam locos and railcars. I stopped on the way back through to try and get a closer look but there was a railway police station so decided not to try it. Anyway, does anyone know what they were keeping the stock for?

 

[MetroDriver]

I wonder if this group is responsible for what you saw?
http://www.italvapore.it/eng/blog/

Having googled the site, I can see what you mean about how it looks!!!
http://www.stella459.com/?p=105

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rimessa_ferroviaria_pistoia_39.jpg

https://www.flickr.com/photos/martpeers/7578022928/sizes/l

 

[Trenitalia]

Pistoia is one of the sites where Fondazione FS Italiane

http://www.fondazionefs.it/

stores materials for historical trains. A lot of old coaches, locomotives and other material for historical trains or waiting for restoration are stored.

 

[CarltonA]

Thanks for the replies. I was interested to know which types of loco were there. Possibly ALCO or Franco Crosti types (watched Von Ryan's Express recently ).

 

[Trenitalia]

Actually I do not know which types of locomotives are there. Fondazione FS Italiane was born last year and now in Italy there are a quite confused situation about historical materials.

Probably in Pistoia there is the 741.120 Franco Crosti steam locomotive.

It is the only working Franco-Crosti steam locomotive and it was made from a 740 locomotive modified with Franco-Crosti pre-heating system.

The 740 group has been one of the most popular. These locomotives hauled every type of train, even though they were designed specifically for freight and local trains.

I know that in Italy 400 locomotives built by Alco arrived in the span of time between the 1917 and 1922. They were registered in italy like group 735. Nowadays two pieces are saved, one is in Museo Nazionale di Pietrarsa (near Naples) and the other is in bad conditions in Museo Ferroviario Piemontese (near Turin). Both two locomotives are not working.

 

[CarltonA]

Interesting, thanks. The two main locos in Von Ryan's Express for those interested were Alco class 735 and Franco Crosti 743. The film was released in 1965.

 

[Trenitalia]

I am glad to say something of interesting Unfortunately my knowledge in steam locomotives is quite poor

Anyway, also 743 Franco-Crosti locomotives are made up from 740. 741 locomotives have the pre-heating device under the boiler, instead 743 has the pre-heating device alongside of the boiler.

Two 743 locomotives are saved, but I do not know if they are working. Maybe one of them is working and is in La Spezia available for historical trains.

The 743 locomotive with the Franco-Crosti device alongside the boiler