FS Class E.550

Class E.550

Type and origin
Power type	Electric
Model	1906
Build date	1908-1921
Total produced	186

Specifications
Configuration:
• AAR	E
• UIC	E
Gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in) standard gauge
Length	9.5 m (31 ft 2 in)
Loco weight	63 t (62 long tons; 69 short tons)
Electric system(s)	Three-phase 3,400 V 15.8 Hz Catenary
Current source	Bow collector

Performance figures
Maximum speed	50 km/h (31 mph)
Power output	1,500 kW (2,000 hp)

Career
Operators	FS
Retired	1965

The FS Class E.550 was a class of three-phase electric locomotive used in Italy, introduced in the 20th century, which remained in service until 1965.

History

In the wake of the success met with three-phase electric locomotives on the Valtellina line, in the early 20th century the newly formed state-owned Ferrovie dello Stato, led by Riccardo Bianchi, decided to electrify also the important mountain line of the Giovi Pass, which connected the port of Genoa to the industrial cities of northern Italy. Despite the use of the powerful 470 class steam locomotive, the line was actually near full saturation. Electrification of the line at 3,4000V 15.8 Hz^[1] were completed in 1916.

Designer of the electric part was the Hungarian engineer Kálmán Kandó. The whole project, initially developed by the FS central design studio, was later completed by the Società Italian Westinghouse of Vado Ligure. The first E.550 prototype proved to be capable to haul, on the steep hill stretches of the Giovi railroad, trains of up to 400 t (390 long tons; 440 short tons) (against the 310 t or 310 long tons or 340 short tons of pair of Class 470 steam engines), and also at the double speed of 50 km/h (31 mph). The use of electric traction also solved the problem of smoke dissipation in the tunnels. A total of 186 E.550s was built between 1908 and 1921, in four series.

Description

E.550 had five axles connected to the two electric motors through an articulated coupling rod. The three center axles were rigidly mounted to the frame and the center axle's wheels were without flanges. The outer axles were mounted in a manner that allowed them to turn into curves. The wheels were small, and thus adapted to heavy freight or slow passenger services at low speed. The locomotive had two cabs, one at each end of the central compartment. The motors were asynchronous three-phase, which could be connected in series at low speed and in parallel at higher speeds. The connections were enabled through a tambour connector using a liquid-cooled rheostat. Feeding was provided by paired trolley poles at each end, each pair carrying two bow collectors for the two wires of the three phase system.

Braking was provided by an automatic continuous brake and a regulated, hand-operated brake.

The locomotives E.551, E.552 and E.554 were all developments of E.550. Some E.550s units were later transformed into snow-sweepers.

Transformations and reutilization

In 1953, locomotive E.550.023 was modified at Bolzano to add a large snow plow to one end. It served on the Brenner line from 1955 to 1965.

In 1955, locomotives E.550.086 and E.550.115 were demotorized and transformed into push-type snow plows; they received the classification Vnx 201 and 202. Between 1963 and 1966 additional units were transformed in the same fashion to become Vnx 210-222. Sometime thereafter, snow plow equipped E.550.023 was also demotorized.

At some point, the Vnx were renumbered into the series Vnx 806.210-222. Some have since been renumbered into the 12-digit UIC scheme in the series 40 83 970 6 0xx-x.

Preservation

E.550.025 is at the Museum of Transportation in St. Louis, Missouri in poor cosmetic condition due to being stored outside since 1968. It is awaiting transfer to Savigliano (CN), Italy, in the exhibition of the Piedmont Railway Museum. There is an ongoing fundraiser for its transfer by sea. http://www.museoferroviariopiemontese.com

E.550.030 is at the Museo Nazionale della Scienza e della Tecnologia Leonardo da Vinci in Milano, Italy.

Footnotes

↑ Hollingsworth & Cook (2000), p. 32-33.

References

Hollingsworth, Brian; Cook, Arthur (2000). "Class E550 E". Modern Locomotives. ISBN 0-86288-351-2.
Ferro, Gianfranco; Mingari, Michele (1978). Il mulo dei Giovi: E.550. Ed.Ferro.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to FS E.550.

Coordinates: 38°34′18″N 90°27′43″W / 38.571572°N 90.462048°W / 38.571572; -90.462048

Classes of Ferrovie dello Stato locomotives

Steam

Tender locomotives	100 102 103 110^I 110^II 111 112 113 114 116 117 118 119^I 119^II 120 121 122 136 139 140 150 155 158 160 161 162 163 164 170 180 181^I 181^II 182^I 182^II 183 185 186 187 190 193 194 195 196 197 198 200 201 206 207 208 209 211 212 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 255 260 261 262 265 268 269 270 271 272 290 291 292 293 310 320 380 385 388 390 391 394 395 396 397 400 410 420 421 422 423 424 425 450 451 452 453 454 455 460 470 471 472 473 474 475 476 477 478 479 480 482 499^I 499^II 500 510 512 513 530 540^I 540^II 542 543 545 550 552 553 554 555 556 560 600 601 603 604 605 606 607 623 625 626 630 640^I 640^II 645 650 652 653 656 660 666 670 671 672 675 676 677 680 681 682 683^I 683^II 685 686 687 688 690^I 690^II 691 720 728 729 730 731 735 736 737 740 741^I 741^II 743^I 743^II 744 745 746 747^I 747^II 750
Tank locomotives	800^I 800^II 801 802^I 802^II 803^I 803^II 804 805 806 809 810^I 810^II 811 812 813 814 815^I 815^II 815^III 816 817 818 819 820^I 820^II 821^I 821^II 822 823 824 825 826^I 826^II 827 828^I 828^II 828^III 829 830^I 830^II 831 835 842 848 849 850^I 850^II 851 870 871 874^I 874^II 875 876 877 880^I 880^II 881 882 885 893 894 895 896^I 896^II 897 898 899^I 899^II 900 902 904 905 906 910 912 915 940 950 980 981 999
Narrow gauge locomotives	R.201 R.202 R.300 R.301 R.302 R.305 R.306 R.310 R.370 R.401 R.402 R.410 R.440 R.441 R.442 R.443 R.600 P U

Electric

Rechargeable battery	E.421
650 V DC Third rail	E.220 E.320 E.321 E.420 E.620
3,6 kV AC Three-Phase	E.330 E.331 E.332 E.333 E.360 E.380 E.390 E.430 E.431 E.432 E.550 E.551 E.552 E.554
10,6 kV AC Three-Phase	E.470 E.471 E.472 E.570
3 kV DC	E.321 E.322 E.323 E.324 E.326 E.400 E.402A E.402B E.403 E.404 E.405 E.412 E.414 E.424 E.428 E.434 E.444 E.444R E.447 E.453 E.454 E.464 E.621 E.625 E.626 E.632 E.633 E.636 E.645 E.646 E.652 E.655 E.656
25 kV AC	E.491 E.492

Diesel

Light shunters	206 207 208^I 208^II 209 210 211 R.212 213^I 213^II 214 215 216 218^I
Shunters	218^II 225 234 235 236 245 250 255
Heavy shunters	Ne 120 D.141 RD.142 D.143 D.145 D.146 D.147 356 372 Ne 700
Train locomotives	D.341 D.342 D.343 D.345 D.442 D.443 D.445 D.449 D.461

see also Category:Rolling stock of Italy

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.