Diesel 424s : DE.424 of SV
On the network of the glorious Società Veneta in first yeras after the war it was becoming a necessity a major rebuilding in a new conception of public transportation. It all started in 1948 with the beginning of dieselization of some services and sadly with the closures of many lines in the 50's by then reputed anti-economic to exercise, but hardly called in these times of traffic jams. Infact in 1948 and then in 1954 two shunters were bought by SV to operate light freight services or shunting operations. The first was a Kof labeled LDn.601, the second was a Deutz/Greco 2 axles with side-gears named LDn.602. But a really and more drastical modernization plan took place since 1957, when with some government contributions, was started the steam elimination on Mestre-Adria, Bologna-Massalombarda, Budrio-Molinella and Parma-Suzzara lines. In those years came the first batch of new ADn.800 railcars built by OMS in Padova. For freight services were built some diesel locos, while in other parts of the network other lines were still going under closure, such as the wonderful Rocchette-Asiago rack line. The conctract was win by TIBB, which projected and built 9 locos, Bò Bò wheel arrangement, classified as new group DE.424.01-09. These new units will characterize since then - until our days - SV lines, as the old T.3 steamers did even in Don Camillo b/w movies. New locos has an elegant and rational exterior design, with the body divided in various sections: two are dedicated to the 2 motors these units are equipped with, other sections are baggage vans with wide sliding doors, studied for replace in a typical local consist the baggage as a single wagon, with less weight and lenght of old consists. Front ends have communication doors, so the chief conductor can easily pass from loco cab to coaches or in rare cases of M.U.. On each side of the body is even present another mail/baggage van closed by shutters, to admit bigger mail boxes and even with an air-cooler function to engine areas. Motor boogies are of the typical TIBB design for the same years, already used in many others productions (see the TIBB emus of the 50's issue). Here more then before, their structure with double suspension level made easy to use these locos on light and still bad-laying rails of SV lines in those years. In every boogie, every axle is connected and moved by its own electric motor, energized by the diesel main apparatus. These are made by 2 OM BXD-IL motors with 200HP maximum power. Each motor is switchable, so in cases of low weight trailed it's easy to work even with just an engine functioning, with economical benefits. General weight is under the total amount of 33 Tons, again here right to permit travelling on every kind of bad rails. With a max power of 400HP - 320HP effectively tractioning - these loco saw better uses right with general short freights consists rolling along these lines in those years. Max. velocity is fixed on 75Km/h. The 9 locos were placed equally on Bologna-Portomaggiore (being meanwhile closed the extension to Massalombarda), Mestre-Adria, Parma-Suzzara and Udine-Cividale, with the excedeeing last one assigned to the Mestre line. On first two railways the double heading was usually implemented, trailing heaviest freights. With full operational exercise was possible to store many steam locos still in service, even if some old unit was kept again as reserve for a few years. Talking about services made in the 60's we have to think about short internal freight trains or local made up with old balcony 2-axles coaches coming from original SV steam stock. Let's try to make an overview in the period from 70's to 90's of the work made by these locos on the diverse lines. On the Udine-Cividale a loco was kept in depot as reserve, while the other one worked with passengers composed by trailers or former railcars bought second hand from Germany. At the end of the 80's on the SV/FUC line a new industrial link in Moimacco was built, in prevision of many freights coming. Instead traffic was always floating, with extra peaks and periods of total lessing. In first years of the 90's came in Udine the 341 loco before assigned to Bologna, right to front these eventual peaks, which our little DE.424 were unable to handle. This happened: for some months the 341 had to trail out of ordinary freight consists, until even this flow disappeared. This unit was so sent to other exercises, leaving on FUC rails only a pair of DE.424: nn° 05 and 02, seldom used on service or maintenance trains. Today the 05 has been transferred to Ferrara Porta Reno depot. Different is the case on the Parma-Suzzara, where these locos were used from the beginning on passenger trains composed by trailers (class Cd.300, originally built for railcars) and on freights relatively heavy. But at the end of 80's the loco-hauled passengers disappeared due to a major use of railcars and even freight became rare, with an effective use of the 2 units shedded in Suzzara depot very scarce. At the begin of the 90's a rebirth - in form of coils traffic - took place, thanks to Marcegaglia firm in Guastalla. Our locos experimented first trains of Shimmns cars, but right their low power once preferred made them unable to pull so heavy consists. So, FPS preferred using the Ld.404 on these trains, leaving just some light extra to our units. Even here, the 07 see rare service and was so sent to Ferrara, while the 08 - assigned in the 90's - is now stored in Piove di Sacco depot, on the Mestre line. On the Bologna line two units were in charge, first times exchange between them rakes of old 2 axles coaches or of trailers coming from de-engined old MAN railcars class ADn.500. Plus was increasing in those periods scrap-metal traffic bound to Roveri and sugar to Molinella, ceased in 1998 after a last period of good tonnage. To front this last peak the then SV now Tra.Ro. bought second hand from FS a 341 diesel loco, after painted in red and classified as DE.341.501. But right in that moment this 341 and DE.424 - nn° 01 and 06 - were useless to any traffic. So, the first was sent to Udine, the other two remained here. Now the 06 is bad stored in Molinella, the 01 is still in Roveri depot. Last of the list comes the Mestre-Adria line - with its 3 units in charge - which has always been an example of various traffics and in consequence of DE.424 utilization. Every day a unit was booked on morning and evening locals made by trailers (formerly railcars from FMP line classified Cd.350). Often these trains became mixed: loco+trailer+wagons. Freights from Mestre yard were frequent and bound to many stations along the line. Cereals, sugar and wood were preferred on wagons, frequently excedeeing the low power of a single DE.424 and so trailed by a MU of these. This until 1996, when all finished, thanks to an heavy fare politic played by FAM. Actually, units 09, 04, 03 and 08 rest stored in Piove di Sacco depot with no service to assure. On this trackage infact the new traffic bound to Chioggia and its new harbor is now handled by FS D.345 locos driven by ST (former SV/FAM) personnel. Last news are on 2 units (05 and 07) now transferred to Ferrara (FER owner, now exercising many of the old SV lines) to being used on light freights to Valcesura (scrapping site for trains) or to Ostellato, replacing famous Tobruks, the last of which has been stored for demolition right at the end of 2002. As you can guess, it's now evident the future of these nice little boxcabs is quite uncertain, with more than the half of total units stored or not used, sometimes due right to their buiding concepts. Infact, from 1958 to today ( 45 years have passed by! ) so much is changed along railways of defunct Società Veneta: rails and weight admittances are improved, passenger services are all made by railcars and - where present - freight traffic is now based on the "full train" practice, with more powerful loco required. All meanings to take a trip near Suzzara or Ferrara following these locos, before they will be relegated to memories world, where the image of a low cost branch line with bad tracks and little sunny stations is vanishing to new realities more planned and modern.