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Railways - Italy: Illustrated History Books & Guides

Explore the best illustrated books on the history, locomotives and other rolling stock of the FS (Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane) and other railway companies in Italy.

Le Ferrovie Italiane dello Stato 1905-1955

A numbered facsimile reprint of the special edition railway culture booklet issued by the Italian State Railways for its 50th anniversary (1905-1955). It provides a unique and detailed account of the first fifty years of the Italian railways, a significant achievement on the global stage.
The book covers railway lines, stations, facilities, tracks, bridges, viaducts, tunnels, and ferries. It traces the evolution of locomotives from steam to electric traction, as well as the development of passenger cars, their loads, and various uses. It also highlights initiatives for employees' work conditions, health, and leisure.
This essential piece of railway history is intended for a wide audience, with side-by-side translations in English and French.

Product details

Author:Ferrovie Italiane dello Stato
Details:92 pages, 8.1 x 11.6 in (20.5 x 29.5 cm), paperback
Illustrations:170 b&w and 16 color photos, 22 drawings
Language:trilingual (English + French + Italian)
Publisher:Edizioni Artestampa (I, 2022)
ISBN:9788864629285
Book cover: Le Ferrovie Italiane dello Stato 1905-1955 | Artestampa

Le Ferrovie Italiane dello Stato 1905-1955

Language: English + French + Italian

Le più belle ferrovie secondarie d'Italia - Il centro-Nord

Diego Vaschetto leads readers to explore some of the most important secondary railways in Northern and Central Italy. These are lesser-known routes, distant from major railway hubs, some still active, others only served by highly captivating tourist trains, and some transformed into extraordinary cycling routes of historical and environmental significance.

From the Turin-Aosta to the Terni-Rieti-L'Aquila-Sulmona lines, and from the Brescia-Edolo to the renowned Porrettana, and the railway of the Val d'Orcia to the Novara-Varallo Sesia line, each railway is detailed with its history, route description, engineering works, rolling stock chronology, detailed maps, visiting itineraries, technical insights, and a specially crafted iconographic collection.

Secondary railways covered include:
- Ivrea-Aosta and Aosta-Pré-Saint-Didier lines
- Turin-Ceres railway
- Cuneo-Nice (Ventimiglia) railway
- Turin-Savona railway
- Asti-Genoa railway and Acqui Terme junction
- Novara-Pino railway
- Brescia-Edolo railway
- Porrettana railway (Bologna-Pistoia)
- Garfagnana railway (Aulla-Lucca)
- Terni-Rieti-L'Aquila-Sulmona railway
- Additionally, tourist railways and cycle paths include:
- Ceva-Ormea railway
- Novara-Varallo Sesia railway
- Val d'Orcia railway (Asciano-Monte Antico)
- Sulmona-Roccaraso-Isernia railway
- 19th-century railway between Sestri Levante and Levanto
- Spoleto-Norcia railway.

Text in Italian.

Product details

Author:Diego Vaschetto
Details:205 pages, 11 x 8.7 x 0.94 in (28 x 22 x 2.4 cm), hardback
Illustrations:extensively illustrated
Language:Italian
Publisher:Edizioni del Capricorno (I, 2016)
ISBN:9788877073044
Book cover: Le più belle ferrovie secondarie d'Italia - Il centro-Nord | Capricorno

Le più belle ferrovie secondarie d'Italia - Il centro-Nord

Language: Italian

Treni di montagna - Le più belle ferrovie delle Alpi

Since the inception of European railway transportation, the towering mountains have posed a challenge - technological, conceptual, even aesthetic - for nations bordering the Alpine range. Overcoming environmental obstacles like steep slopes, inaccessible terrain, and extreme weather, railways in the Alps stand as remarkable testaments to European railway ingenuity.

Bold viaducts, helical tunnels, cogwheel systems, narrow-gauge railways, and locomotives designed for steep gradients showcase a unique array of technical solutions, still enabling travelers to reach some of the most breathtaking mountain vistas by train.

This volume explores the Alpine railways, delving into the historical events and technical features of each railway, from engineering marvels to rolling stock. From the Mont Blanc glaciers to the Jungfraujoch, from the Roya Valley to Lake Geneva, and spanning Liguria, Piedmont, Lombardy, France, and Switzerland.

For each route, detailed maps, a rich and unique photographic collection, historical and technical insights, a discovery itinerary, and practical information are provided to assist in organizing journeys on Europe's most significant mountain trains.

Text in Italian.

Product details

Author:Diego Vaschetto
Details:208 pages, 11.2 x 8.5 x 0.87 in (28.5 x 21.5 x 2.2 cm), hardback
Illustrations:extensively illustrated
Language:Italian
Publisher:Edizioni del Capricorno (I, 2014)
ISBN:9788877072306
Book cover: Treni di montagna - Le più belle ferrovie delle Alpi | Capricorno

Treni di montagna - Le più belle ferrovie delle Alpi

Language: Italian

Treni e ferrovie del Piemonte

In this volume, the result of years of research and extensive editorial experience on the subject, Diego Vaschetto describes the history and technical features of Piedmontese railways from their origins to the present day. From the Turin-Genoa, the first railway of the newborn Kingdom of Italy, to the Turin-Modane, benefiting from the futuristic (for its time) Fréjus tunnel.

The network of small secondary railways around Turin, and the hubs of Chivasso, Acqui Terme, Cuneo, Casale Monferrato, and Novara, emerged to facilitate connections with the capital, often supporting industrial development, now only surviving as railway traces, sometimes preserved as tourist railways. Additionally, it explores the present, with the new high-speed Torino-Milano line, where trains travel at nearly 400 kilometers per hour.

Each chapter details the railway line's history and engineering works, rolling stock description, and the events that shaped its birth and development. Bridging the past and present, this book narrates the railways and trains of Piedmont, with a remarkable collection of vintage and contemporary images, in-depth insights, and specially crafted maps.

Text in Italian.

Product details

Author:Diego Vaschetto
Details:160 pages, 9.1 x 6.3 x 0.43 in (23 x 16 x 1.1 cm), paperback
Illustrations:many color photos
Language:Italian
Publisher:Edizioni del Capricorno (I, 2018)
ISBN:9788877074126
Book cover: Treni e ferrovie del Piemonte | Capricorno

Treni e ferrovie del Piemonte

Language: Italian

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