What remains to us...

In this article we don't have the intent of tracing detailly the history of those trains that did an era on italian railways from the 30's 'till 80's, nor analyzing that tecnique which turned out the wole concept of doing railways. After some notices on Littorine FIAT and Breda taken from three works of the past ("Dalla littorina al pendolino/Ed. Gribaudo","Le automotrici della prima generazione/Ed.ElleDi" e "La Littorina/special number of Mondo Ferroviario"), our intention is make a focus point on the actual situation of "what remains to us". And it's so sad learn how few is done in the past to rescue from the destiny some pieces of this kind of units, so important to our railway history.Infact, while outside Italy was embraced the philosophy of diesel traction for heavy hauling, here we thought its application on branch light traffic lines. Since first experiments of the 20's with "fake" units, it was clear the concept of keeping together in a unique light body railway and bus characteristics, the last at that time rapidly progressing. In 1932 FIAT concept the first "automotrice leggera a benzina (gasoline light dmu)" (ALb.48) built following technical and aestethical manner than kept equal on all next series. A steel structure covered with steel plates made up the body, with rounded front-ends, where are installed radiators for the exchange of motor-heat. Inside, the engines - fixed directly on boogies - occupied an important part of the driver's cab, positioned under a central iron box. The next serie built was again of the ALb.48 type, in 12 pieces. Of these, 5 units were transformed in 1948 in ALUb.24, with mail accomodation, howevere all scrapped before 1960. From the original 4 ALb.48 - and from other 3 similar units of the private line SFB, then came in 1954/55 7 trailers labeled Ln.55. Of these, one is still existing inside Museo di Pietrarsa. In 1933 came out the ALb.64 type, with 48 units. Three of these were converted in 1949 in ALHb.64 to transport fishes in freezer boxes. All these units are scrapped. Again in 1933 entered service 10 units of the ALb.80 group, longer and with more seats. These ten dmus - plus another one coming again from SFB - were scrapped all before 60's. In this period the milanese factory BREDA entered competion against FIAT, having understood the redditivity of this new sector. First 3 prototypes exited in 1933 and were labeled ALb.72.2001-2003. They were mechanically very similar to FIAT sisters, but body had a very different design, with aerodynamic front-ends which - evoluted in line designs - will characterize all Littorine BREDA production until they end. These dmus will had converted to diesel fuel (ALn.72) and scrapped in 1940. Meanwhile FIAT built 3 units of ALDb.101-103 type, conceptually mail dmu vans, for which no exactly services were found since that in 1936 and 1940 they were all dismantled. In 1934/36 exited FIAT factory the more numerous serie of Littorine, ALn.56.1001-1110, the first with original diesel fuel. Of these, in 1939, 8 units went modified in a new ALDUn.28 group with mail accomodation. Three units were sold to SNFT in 1951 and again other two in 1955; on that private line they will be scrapped in 1960. Other two units - together with an original ALn.56 - went then to form in 1940 the small consist of ALDUn.32 group. FS units of these special series and of all the ALn.56 serie were scrapped before the 70's. At the same time of these constructions, in 1935 other 50 pieces ALb.56 gasoline dmus were built. Of these, one unit became ALDUb.28, other 15 from 1959 to 1963 were de-engined and then used as trailers of LDn.32 and Ln.64 types until the begin of the 80's and then scrapped. Other 2 units - n°119 and 136 - went to private line FSF. In 1980 the 136 was partially overhauled and with his own means (!) did a trip from Sermide's depot FSF to Torino, going to be a part of the Museo Ferroviario Piemontese collection. But there they didn't consider the historic value of this masterpiece and ricovered our dmu open under a roof in Ozegna SATTI's station, on the line to Castellamonte then closed after few years. The last absolut surviver of this so famous class waited so for 13 years under sky's destiny, until a day when steel plates corrupted by rust let the roof collapsed in the inside ambient...Now this unit is kept covered (...) in the new museum' site in Savigliano, but our hopes of seeing it travelling again are so razed...Back to history, in 1935 BREDA started his production of 10 units with evoluted body styling, with more railway appealing than the FIAT bus-a-like sisters, classified as ALb.56.201-210. Four units were sold to SFS, then FBN, where they were used until the 70's and then scrapped. The other 6 went to FTV were they lasted until 1978, when the Noventa's line was closed. From 1935 to 1938 BREDA built up 90 dmus class ALn.56.2001-2090 diesel fueled, of which just the n°2037 resisted until 1986, colored white and used as travelling school for safety instructions. It will be withdrawn in Fabriano and then scrapped in mid 90's. Some of these units went to private lines all over Italy right after WW2: 4 went to SNFT and there used until 1983, when they got demolition after no heritage thinking in 1999, other 3 went again to FTV. It rebuilt one of these with shortened body and second hand USA tank engines, to use it as a DE.041 loco on shunting or freight duty until 1971. The other 2 normal dmus lasted until 1977. In FS, from this same serie 2 units were transformed in ALDn.32 with mail accomodation and then used on Fabriano's lines, where they finally were stored and scrapped in 1999. So none of these units is still alive today... Even BREDA in 1935 experiments the mail dmu van with a 3 units group called ALDb.201-203, all forgotten before 1945 but one, used as trailer until his demolition in 1971. In 1936/37 FIAT projected a serie of 25 Littorine with kitchen and luxury accomodations for long classy services, built as class ALn.40. In 1940 FS gave back to FIAT 12 of this dmus, to buy back just 4 of them in 1946. Of the units turned back to the factory, in 1943 5 are sold to SATTI for his services on his private lines. All the FS machines went scrapped before the 70's, on SATTI instead they remained in service until the beginning of the 80's. One unit - n°004 - is restored in 1985 by MFP and still now used on heritage services, another one (the 001) stands still stored in Pont yard. Even O.M. - another railway factory - in 1936 wanted to partecipate to the booming business and produced 3 units quite different from all dmus then existant. Units of ALn.72 group, with carbody derived from prototypes ALv.72 (steam railcars), made basis for all future technological innovations then introduced with new ALn.772, even having no luck on FS. Infact in 1940 they were sold to FP, which used them until the 80's in common services. All have been scrapped. But is in 1937, and until 1939, that exited the FIAT factory the best dmu ever built, ALn.556 class. These followed the same mechanical scheme, but they have MU possibility and more rounded front-ends, with a stylish radiator which form gave them the nickname of "Mickey Mouse". Adding to the 200 units built, came other 8 pieces classified ALDUn.220 with mail accomodation, then converted back to normal 556. Of these dmus still remain n°1202, exibited in Museo di Pietrarsa,and n°1236 kept covered together with n°1277 in Sermide's depot of FSF line. This society infact bought in 1971 5 units to turned them on his line until 1987. Only these two are surviving today. Other 10 ALn.556 of sub-group 1901-1910 were built in 1939 with rack-brake equipments, to be used on the last rack line still equipped at that manner: the Paola-Cosenza. They functioned until 1984, now just one is still stored in worst conditions in Cosenza depot, while the 1903 was completely nicely restored and then send to USA via cargo to be used on a private line owned by a millionaire railfan. Last serie of Littorine was from BREDA, ALn.556.2201-2340, in 1938/40. With a carbody fully equal to preceeding BREDA series, they had MU. Last units ran around Benevento's depot in 1983. In those years two units were restored to be shown in P.zza Duomo in MIlano for a "belle epoque" exibition. Of these, the 2331 has then gone to Museo di Trieste. There it remained exposed for about 10 years, then - with the false asbestos alarm - it has been stored on a dead track of a little station named Prosecco, where a sad sad future was involving with it. But fortunately in recent days it has been trailed away to be functionally restored by CRS in Pistoia. Another unit - n°2312 - is in Museo di Pietrarsa collection. Another one instead - n°2244 - is rested stored in Milano freight yard for many years, until his demolition. A mention apart is required by two other strange Littorine series: the FIAT ALn.776, with larger carbodies, were built for the private SFEN in Novara. Ceased the owning of that line, these 7 units went to FS and there used until 1971. Six units went to FG to be converted as trailer but soon this project was aborted and the units scrapped. The last one is still existing in very good shape used as office in a wood mill in Borgo S.Dalmazzo. The other strange serie was the Ansaldo's one: ALn.56.4001-4003 built in 1939. They knew scarce use in FS and went sold to FMP in the 50's. There they were rebuilt and used until 1967, year of closure of that line. Other 3 similar units, ALg.56 group, were cannibalyzed to rebuilt the units mentioned before, losting in this way the trademark they owned: the wood-coke gas fueling. After 1967 the FMP units were bought by SV, de-engined and used as trailers on the Mestre-Adria line. But, even after an heavy over hauling, these 3 pieces have been scrapped in 1996. On private lines another collateral universe is opening about Littorine production, mainly of FIAT models. Passing on those few units built new (those for ACIT in Livorno, FVO in Alessandria and those for TBM in Bologna), the dmus most famous are those built for FCE in Catania and his 950mm gauge line around Etna vulcano. Of these, fortunately two units are still able to work on heritage trains. At the end of the story - as you guess counting with your fingers - of a rolling stock once vast and famous on all italian lines, just 3 units are available to service (the ALn.40 SATTI and FCE two 56's). Precious restauration projects are long waited and maybe in next years we will see back on rails the BREDA 556 of Pistoia and the FIAT's one on FSF, but we absolutely need to proceed with caution. Too many historical hits we lost in this years, even recently. If we have had more consciousness of our railway engineering potentials disposable for restorations - and in this, railway societies are the first guilty - we had not lost so much part of our technic past, of which Littorine has represented a focus point of evolution.