DB.280 in Italy
co-written by Francesco Bloisi
In 1952 in Germany started the diesel traction era when Krauss-Maffei and MaK built a 10 locomotives group with hydraulic trasmission, testing in this way components for all future constructions. Infact many mechanic pieces used in this V.80 group will be installed on other kind of locos (for example the boogies then used on V.200s). Projected for every kind of services, they were equipped with 3 diverse types of engines with 810 kW of power. They were equpped even with push-pull train controls plus a gasoline boiler to produce steam to heat coaches. More of this, they had MU and a self-controlling SIFA equipment for a safe single man drive. Even if they get an accurate projecting for a multi-purpose use, these units - with max. velocity 100 kM/h - gave some problems while heading freights of a certain weight. Due to the external design with a single high cab in the center and two big hoods even the shunting service was not so simple to do, because they lacked of visibility. At the start of their career they were assigned in Bamberg and Frankfurt Griesheim depots, working local passenger trains around these two cities. In the 60's they get concentrated only in the Bamberg depot, where they made their services until 1978 heading only locals, after having been re-classified in new 280 group. After the withdrawn from service they were bought rapidly from contractors of second-hand builders and sellers and then imported in Italy for work train or industrial uses. The success these 10 units obtained here made possible that just the 002 loco is now still in its original country used as heritage loco and trailing special and charter trains. Following we try to summarize the italian history of this locos, analized in order of loco number. The first unit of the class - 280.001 - was stored in October 1977 and immediatly sold to Bulfone in Udine which overhauled it and re-sold it to contractor Cosfer in Tagliacozzo (RM), with the number T.5001, and so used on track work trains. Under Cosfer its color was yellow, after some years passed in its original colors. Then it was sold another time to SALCEF in Roma, where it has taken again its original red color and still it's in service. The 280.002 instead has been stored in december of the same year and even here immediately bought by Bulfone. Once overhauled, it has been sold to Pastori in Civitavecchia which resold it in 1987 to CEMES in Pisa. In 1995 it losts its working unit number T.5503 due to another transation - after another overhauling made by IPE - closed to ISP Steel works in Cava Tigozzi, which use it actually to shunt wagons on internal rails. Again in 1977 Bulfone buys from DB the 280.004, which was stored in Bamberg depot since 1976. ICE of Bologna bought it from Bulfone and, after some livery changes, it's still in service on track service trains with road number T.3568. The 5th unit - 280.005 - arrived in Italy in 1978 and after some repairs went to Edile Ferroviaria Nicola Cioce in Bari, which numbered it as T.6509. After some variations in color scheme and heading service trains, it's now stored on a dead track in Ortona's yard. The 280.006 instead was overhauled directly in Germany by Layritz in Penzberg and then sold to Impresa Rossi in Roma. Bought in the 80's by Monacelli in Gualdo Tadino, it's still in service on track-gang trains with T.5051 number. Only a unit went instead under a private railway operator: the 280.007. This loco was bought by Ft (Ferrotranviaria - Bari-Barletta line) and used until many years ago with a consist made of second-hand german coaches. It's now stored for scrapping in Bari depot in very bad conditions, still in two tone grey colors of the owner society. The last unit bought by Bulfone has been the 280.008, repaired and then sold to ICE in Bologna - which in this way has now two of these locos - and there numbered T.3569. Until 1999 it's in service with track-gang trains when, after another overhauling made by Bulfone, it finally went to NewCo (now a railway licence owner operator) which works some industrial links in Veneto. This unit was assigned to trail wagons from Vicenza's yard to Beltrame steel mills, where actually is working dressing another livery. The 280.009 instead is actually sided in Nuovo Salario (Roma) still painted in original DB scheme, after having been used by A.Ba.Fer on service trains from 1978 to 1989/90. The last loco of the class - 280.010 - arrived in Italy after a first sold in Germany from DB to a private operator called HKB (Hersfelder Kreisbahn) and then from this one to Layritz, which overhauled it to send it to italian Armafer in Lecce (former Morelli). Under this owner it's still working heading service trains with the road number T.6215. If we make a summary of these 51 years of existence, with services surely far from being light, we are able to see how was welldone the project of these units, still appreciated by italian contractors which find in them reliability and easy to maintain charachteristics. A project that contributed to the beginning of diesel era and the down of german steam traction.