Flatlands' autorails
For almost 30 years the OM logo has been symbol of railway, here in these sunny and silent flatlands. Since 60's ALn.773 and 873 took in charge local services on Mantova's depot depending lines. Milano-Codogno-Mantova, Mantova-Legnago-Monselice, Mantova-Legnago-Rovigo and Verona-Mantova-Modena have been the routes where these autorails sostituted first old ALn.556 and then ALn.880 and 990. Since i was a boy, during trips i did with my parents to go to my grandparents' house in Goro, these trains attracted all my interest of neo-railfan, with their motor sound and the smell of gasoline everywhere in the coach. During the long journey from Milano C. to Ferrara, drowsy and torrid landscapes run through the windows and scarse passengers waiting in small stations repair themselves in the shadow of trees. Hot air was coming in from windows while brown curtains flap catching up attention from bored passengers. During the travel two change of direction were due: in Mantova and in Suzzara; the train ran the private FSF meeting old littorine Fiat and the long composition of the Freccia Orobica. And in the same time i was standing at the small window near the cab of the little trailer Ln.664, watching rails going away... Until 1994 these autorails gave an important contribute - still they were running the diesel section of the Freccia della Versilia - but after then all began changing: ALn.668 of various serieswere taking advantage on the 773 and 873. Then came electrification and CTC, which changed the atmosphere of so many stations now vandalized and desert. It' natural: even if the flatlands still conserve the same flavor, railway speaking an era was closing. You can't hear no more that sound of that diesel - something like a boat - that let you know from distance that a typical couple ALn + Ln is coming. How many trips did to look for "setteesettantatre", to stop in memory those records of that trip done while i was a boy... You went at sure shot: all trains named 55xx were interesting, in 2 or 4 coaches composition. The last search was look for autorails with original front doors and original front glasses, since shops started to do this work to avoid bad work conditions for railmen. Surely for passengers the withdrawn of these trains - fastly caused by asbestos - has mean badder comfort: big velvet seats on 773 vs. small and sticky those on 668. But since 1956 - construction year of the first unit of this serie - till today, technical evolution made big steps, paying the price of a lost Italy of the past.