Locomotives - Italy: Illustrated Books - Overviews

Italian Traction

Italy's railways are largely dominated by the national operator Trenitalia. With much of the country bordered by the Mediterranean, cross-border traffic is limited, though notable routes exist at Brenner in the north-west and Chiasso in the north. The northern regions see the busiest passenger and freight operations.

The most common locomotives are the Class 464 electric units, with over 700 in service with Trenitalia and Trenord. Other electric classes include the 402 and 444, while diesel classes 345 and 445 serve some passenger routes. Freight operations are mostly run by Trenitalia, with smaller operators such as DB also active. Trenitalia's freight fleet includes locomotives from Class 632 to the distinctive 655/656 units.

This book showcases the range of Italian traction, from high-speed trains to regional and freight services, with detailed information and illustrations for enthusiasts and professionals alike.

Product details

Author:	Andrew Cole
Details:	96 pages, 9.25 x 6.5 x 0.59 in (23.5 x 16.5 x 1.5 cm), paperback
Illustrations:	180 b&w and color photos
Language:	English
Publisher:	Amberley Publishing (GB, 2017)
ISBN:	9781445666464

Italian Railways - Locomotives and Multiple Units (4th Edition)

This is the complete guide to all locomotives and multiple units operating on the railways of Italy. This 2019 edition has been completely revised and is fully updated. It includes:
- A brief history of the railways of Italy.
- Detailed fleet lists of all locomotives & multiple units in service, including Trenitalia, all private passenger and freight operators and independent railways.
- A general overview of the organisation and structure of the Italian railway network today.
- Detailed maps of the Italian railway network.
- An explanation of the numbering schemes in use, including domestic systems and the European Vehicle Numbering scheme.
- Livery information.
- Depot allocations and activity codes.
- Technical data for every class of locomotive and multiple unit.
- Descriptions and operating information for every private operating company.
- Details of museums and museum lines, plus a full list of preserved locomotives and multiple units.
- Locomotives in industrial service.
- Over 80 colour illustrations.
- An extensive list of locomotive and multiple unit builders
- A glossary of useful railway-themed terms in Italian and English.

This book has been complied and updated by David Haydock, the former editor of Today's Railways Europe. It is the result of much original research arising from many visits to Italy, combined with information provided by a network of contact built up over many years. It is the most comprehensive guide to the rolling stock operating on Italy's railways.

Product details

Author:	David Haydock
Details:	208 pages, 8.25 x 5.9 x 0.43 in (21 x 15 x 1.1 cm), paperback
Illustrations:	80+ color photos
Language:	English
Publisher:	Platform 5 Publishing Ltd (GB, 2019)
ISBN:	9781909431607

Loks der italienischen Staatsbahnen FS - Seit 1946 (Typenkompass)

More and more railway enthusiasts are visiting the state railways of other European countries. The country's own locomotives and railcars are the main focus of interest. The Italian state railway, the Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane (FR), is also seeing more visitors who want to experience the special flair between modernity and tradition.

Pages of the book "Loks der italienischen Staatsbahnen FS - Seit 1946"

Each type is presented with a photo, a historical description and technical data.

Product details

Author:	Thomas Estler
Details:	128 pages, 8.1 x 5.5 in (20.5 x 14 cm), paperback
Illustrations:	100 b&w and color photos
Language:	German
Publisher:	Transpress (D, 2019)
Series:	Typenkompass
ISBN:	9783613715981

Materiale di trazione elettrico

This book provides a detailed guide to electric locomotives used by Italian railways from 1927 to 2010. It is suitable for both experienced readers and beginners with a background in mechanics, electrical engineering, or electronics who wish to explore railway applications in depth.

It covers all direct-current locomotives for line and shunting operations, with analysis, operation details, and electrical diagrams from the E.626 to the E.403.

Topics include:

- Classification of electric locomotives
- Wheel arrangements and drive systems
- 78-pole analog shuttle control
- Notes on compound excitation and electric braking
- Chronology of electric locomotives
- Detailed coverage of models from E.625/E.626 to E.492
- Locomotives used for shunting operations

Product details

Author:	Luca Vanni
Details:	320 pages, 9 x 6.7 in (24 x 17 cm), paperback
Illustrations:	many b&w photos
Language:	Italian
Publisher:	Sandit Libri (I, 2011)
ISBN:	9788895990774

Materiale di trazione termico (Volume 1)

This illustrated book covers all light shunting railcars built in Italy from their origins up to the 1980s, when the last units of Group 213 (nos. 4001-4003) were produced.
The second part examines all medium and light shunting locomotives from the immediate post-war period until the early 1990s, when the final units of Group 255 were delivered. Group 255 was an evolution of the widespread unified Group 245 and, in the author's view, the highest development of the C wheel arrangement in Italy.

Product details

Author:	Luca Vanni
Details:	352 pages, 9 x 6.7 in (24 x 17 cm), paperback
Illustrations:	many b&w photos
Language:	Italian
Publisher:	Sandit Libri (I, 2015)
ISBN:	9788869281068

Materiale di trazione termico (Volume 2)

This second volume on diesel traction focuses on shunting and mainline locomotives. It covers heavy shunting engines from the American-origin Ne 120, later D.143, to modern hydraulic transmission units such as the D.146 and its unique variant D.147, as well as electric transmission InLoc units D.145.

Mainline diesel locomotives are also included, from the D.341 to the D.445 shuttle units, the newest in the FS fleet, and the two "war locomotives" 356 and 372, which saw little actual wartime service.

The book provides analysis, operational explanations, and diagrams for locomotives from 204 to D.147, divided into:
- Heavy shunting diesel locomotives: Ne 120 to D.147
- Mainline diesel locomotives: 356 to D.445.

Product details

Author:	Luca Vanni
Details:	348 pages, 9 x 6.7 in (24 x 17 cm), paperback
Illustrations:	many b&w photos
Language:	Italian
Publisher:	Sandit Libri (I)
ISBN:	9788869283390

I depositi locomotive di Bologna 1973-2023

Located strategically in the Padan quadrilateral, the Locomotive Depots of Bologna Centrale and San Donato have always played a crucial role in scheduled maintenance and traction for all categories of trains. Through the lens of photographers Franco Dell'Amico, Roberto Cocchi, Alberto Perego, Carlo Pozzi, and Maurizio Tolini, we trace the extensive historical journey between two eras of railcars, locomotives, and railcars that concluded their careers at the "Deposito del Lazzaretto."

Following the closure of the San Donato facility due to the rapid decline in freight traffic favoring the automotive sector, the yard was abandoned and used for the storage of rolling stock awaiting demolition.
In 2017, RFI's foresight identified the San Donato facility as an opportunity to create a test circuit, following the model of European "track-tests" in Velim and Wildenrath, with the aim of competing internationally at 3kV and 25kV. The circuit spans 5759 meters, including 2000 meters of double track.
Detached from the national network, it allows the circulation of all types of rolling stock, even those without a safety certificate.

Text in Italian.

Product details

Author:	Maurizio Tolini
Details:	288 pages, 8.25 x 11.6 in (21 x 29.5 cm), paperback
Illustrations:	extensively illustrated
Language:	Italian
Publisher:	Edizioni Artestampa (I, 2023)
ISBN:	9791255760061

La trazione elettrica nelle ferrovie italiane - Dagli accumulatori al trifase (1)

The late 19th and early 20th centuries marked a significant event in the history of Italian rail transport with the introduction of electric traction. Initially experimented with by the two main networks of the time, Adriatica and Mediterranea, three different systems were applied: accumulators, third rail, and three-phase current with overhead lines. The latter, developed on the Valtellina lines, quickly became the dominant system, extending across thousands of kilometers and recognized as the "Italian system."

This is the first of two volumes, dedicated to the history of electric locomotives, intentionally exclude the arrival of 3.000-volt DC traction. They follow the style and format of the successful Pegaso series on steam locomotives, offering a detailed historical account, supplemented with numerous facts and insights on various locomotive groups and individual machines, filling gaps and correcting previous inaccuracies.

Product details

Author:	Aldo Riccardi, Marcello Grillo
Details:	260 pages, 13.4 x 9.7 x 0.94 in (34 x 24.5 x 2.4 cm), hardback
Illustrations:	extensively illustrated
Language:	Italian
Publisher:	Edizioni Pegaso Firenze (I, 2024)
ISBN:	9791280191267