Along the lines: Luino-Gallarate
The Luino-Gallarate is an electrified single track railroad that connects the axis of the Sempione to one of the nearest border points with the Swiss railway net. The official timetable fill it to table 160. Its effective length is of 47 km: from the junction place north of the gallaratese yard to the Italian terminus of the Trenitalia service. The service on this line is in coincidence with the Suburbano service from Pioltello-Milan directed to Varese and Porto Ceresio, so as to employ emu's - nearly the only trains present here - in a fast and easy turn, without touching the big city. The emu's employed by now from many years are exclusively ALe.582 and trailers, arrived on the line after a parenthesis of ALe.724, to that time arrived in substitution of ALe.803 and old E.623. The trains formed from loco and coaches are from years a rare exception, like happened in 1998 when - because of many ALe.582 not available for maintenance or installation of the conditioned air - all the trains were daily worked by E.636 and E.424 with UIC X or 50's coaches. One disagreeable complication for the management of the traffic, caused above all to the shuntings to be execute in the Luino yard, under the catenary separated in sections at 3000Vcc, neutral section and at alternating current of the Swiss part. From Gallarate to the station of Laveno the trains run in a hilly and much wooded landscape, crossing interesting localities for tourists and many big towns. Shortly before Laveno, in Sangiano locality, the single rail of our line is placed side by side to that electrified one coming from Sesto Calende and Oleggio/Novara. From Sangiano to Laveno, under the long tunnel of Monbello, the two rails run side by side but however managed like separated lines. In the wide station of Laveno the two drafts gather and still with single track the trains continue on, along the lake with Luino as destination. Here the Italian trains arrive with lower pantographs for gravity, until their electric dedicated section. The convoys are receipts on the first 3 tracks: the emu's in maximum 3 pieces consist are stopped remaining in the italian zone, only the two trains with push-pull consist are pushed instead little beyond, needing of the help of a 245 at the moment of the placing for departure. The freight trains instead arrive, with the system foretold, in the tracks of the yard forehead to the station, already in customs zone, or are receipts on the little yard that go around the old warehouses and the old platforms for the boarding of cattle, now made unusable. Here the locos are discarded with the aid of 245 and brought back in traction in the part of Italian yard, while the Swiss ones takes in charge the convoys directly. Obviously the same shuntings but invert happens when a freight train arrives from the Confederation. The line beyond Luino is still in Italian territory until Pino-Tronzano, but all system and the signalling is already of Swiss type. The stations of Colmegna, Maccagno and Pino are attended from Italian railway men. Until the recent developments of privatization and deregulation in railway field, all the freight services were done by FS, with locos of every type: from the E.428 to the E.402B, passing for E.626, E.636, E.645, E.633. The frequency of freight trains always has been equal to a main line, managed with ability when every station was attended and equipped with Manual Block. Crossings and precedences were rendered simple from the amplitude of the yards of many stations: Ternate, Mornago and Laveno. The only freight local service was attested - and still is today - to Ternate, where factory of household-electric has a connection, served from one couple of trains three days a week. Then in the course of last 90's the modernization of the management system has taken part, than now is in DCO control, the "rationalization" of the yards with politics of the "slim net" and talking... The catenary still remains that one of 50's and in short time they will begin the jobs for substitution. In the meantime all the stations except Laveno have been unmanned and the freight traffic has grown to record levels. On a line with these limitations of structure run not less than 90 freights to the day, without no pause of timetable. The traffic in arrival from Switzerland is in majority street container or autotrailers, mainly assigned to the yard of Gallarate for trains FS or to that intermodal one of Busto Hupac for the trains managed from other operating societies. This is in fact the more important innovation of last 2 years: the dictated opening to the privates from the UE in many fields has allowed - after many bureaucratic obstacles - than the Swiss railroads through their society Swiss Rail Cargo/SBB Italy Cargo and that those Germans through Railion (for the Italy already SFM) have now free approached the two intermodal locations cited previously. Competition in the services between several operators is strongly therefore played, also because of a strong political that has already mined the FS Cargo ability on this railway line. The SBB Cargo locomotives - before with the timid apparitions of the yellow/blue Dispoloks E.189 then with the Re.484 of SBB in red/blue - and those of Railion (exclusively G.2000 Vossloh) are now in the railway panorama of the area, finally made alive in colors after extending of the hospital outline xmpr made by FS. Before the advent of these new locomotives only the trains of the FNM made nice the images taken in a photographic travel played here. We remember in fact that to Laveno the line from Milano/Varese of the FNME has also term, than just in Laveno has a short rail in curve of connection with FS net. Let's analyze now the photographic possibilities offered from these 47 km of railroad. Leaving from Gallarate - whose wide yard allows already good pictures in the morning and until the 14,00 - the first station that we meet, after a dark continued tunnel of trees and bushes in which the line runs, is Besnate. The building is much beautiful, the rail is only one and is possible taking photos from the bottom or from the high of the road parallel to the line. Light advised from the 10.00 to the 15.00. Subsequently we arrive to the station of Mornago-Cimbro. This was equipped of 3 tracks until to year-end 90's. Now that one in the middle has been suppressed and covered from a wide invading and horrible sidewalk of self-locking plates, much similar to those in use on metropolitan lines... It's a sin, why the FV is still a lot fascinating, with old written and original fixtures. Light advised in the morning, from the 10.00 until the 12.00. From here until the next station of Ternate there are to mention a point along the line near a agricultural bridge and a viaduct right before the citizen of Varano Borghi. The station of Ternate is instead one of those one has to visit: beautiful manufactured, wide large yard, some possible tree and several nice sighting in all directions. The trains run on the third rail or cross on the first one: the second is used only from the maneuvers of the local freight to the industrial link. The better light is from the morning, soon until the 12.00. A level cross before the station and the good visibility on signals of departure makes of this station a sure photographic point. From here until Laveno decent points lack completely: the stops of Travedona and Besozzo are little more than towers hide between woods and trees, therefore like the line itself. Before Sangiano - another little stop - there is only a short field for a lateral photo, but without no pretension. Little after the stop the rail from Sesto Calende is beside ours, used exclusively freights northbound and no passenger trains. Until the south portal of the tunnel of Mombello there are some points where resting in wait along false double track, but also here all is reduced to a possible use of telephoto lens. The statal road then goes around the Monbello and leads right beyond to the station of Laveno, remaining some but to east. As soon as it arrives in proximity of the station, from it there is a rural road on the left that leads to a little used level crossing. If you place your camera here, right near the north portal of the tunnel, you are with a remarkable view on all the station and on the portal itself. Good light all the day, depending on the direction of the train. The yard of Laveno is wide and allows photographs in many perspectives, helped from the presence of this beautiful catenary from the 50's. The trains normally run on the second track. If there are requirements of pause or precedence they are stopped on the 4° or 5° rail. Immediately on the right of the station a curve and grading rail goes to station FNM, that is overpassed from FS line before another tunnel portal. From here infact FS line returns to single track and the space for the roadbed along the lake is gained between tunnels and embankments, but they do not offer nothing beautifull at all. Near Castelveccana a street bridge only gives a view from the high with sight of the lake, but limited to descendent trains and only between the 11.00 and the 13.00. Another short place with the lake as lateral background is tightened between the trees in Caldè zone. This locality has its stop and building, absolutely to forget. Beyond, nothing to record until the station of Portovaltravaglia. This one has little lengthenings in order to accomodate the longer freights. Since that we lost another photographic angle, once place right for the ascending trains. From here until Luino there is not history: only the bridge on the Tresa allows a lateral end, to the morning with lake sight and in the afternoon with background of the mountain. The large station of Luino instead is much beautiful, but all the more interesting activity is carried out in bad position regarding the sidewalks, on which is always well to remain. Better carrying yourself little more to north, to cross the level crossing in via Voldomino and threading yourself endured to right in via Carnovali. From here you have an optimal visual on all the north root of the yard, with the foreign shuntings of the locos just in front of the eyes. Very many E.185 DB, Dispolok TX Logistik, Re.484, G.2000 and other units, without forget the Re.4/4 and Re.6/6 of the SBB, are easily inside your cameras. A photographic day from morning to evening (better be on the place already from the 7.30) will allow you to carry away many good shots also in days normally to exclude: also on Saturday and on Sunday the trains are several and much. Getting used to a day of photo along this line and then take other opportunities along a near main line which it can be the Sempione can cause strong depressions! Good photo!