FS Class E.424

FS class E.424

A E.424N in Catania with the recent XMPR livery

Type and origin
Power type	Electric
Builder	Breda, Off. Savigliano, Off. Reggiane/Ercole Marelli, OM/CGE, Ansaldo, TIBB
Build date	1943-1951

Specifications
UIC class	Bo-Bo
Gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in) standard gauge
Wheel diameter	1.250 m (49.21 in)
Wheelbase	7.350 m (24 ft 1 ³⁄₈ in) between bogies 3.150 m (124.02 in) between axles of each bogie
Length	15.540 m (50 ft 11 ³⁄₄ in)
Loco weight	72 short tons (64 long tons; 65 t)
Electric system(s)	3,000 V DC Catenary
Current collection	Pantograph
Traction motors	DC series
Transmission	19/65 gear ratio
Safety systems	RSC4

Performance figures
Maximum speed	120 km/h (75 mph)
Power output	1,500 kW (2,000 hp)
Tractive effort	168 kN (38,000 lb_f)

Career
Operators	FS Trenitalia
First run	1943
Disposition	decommissioned in 2008

The FS E.424 is a class of Italian railways electric locomotives. They were built in 1943-1951 and have been decommissioned in 2008.

History

A design for a small multi-service Bo-Bo locomotive, with speed up to 90 km/h (56 mph), had been devised by Giuseppe Bianchi as early as in the 1930s, but the project had been halted by the introduction of the E.326 and E.428. After the realization of the 6-axle E.636, it was however decided to revamp the project by adapting to it some solutions already in use on the E.636 (engines, bogies, suspension etc.).

Breda SpA workshop provided the three prototypes of E.424 in 1943-1944. Mass production, however, could begin only after the end of World War II, part of the funds provided by the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration program.

Series

The locomotives have been built in four series starting from year 1943:

Unit 075 (non "N") in its original livery, property of FerAlp Team museum, in Bussoleno

001-003, prototype units with 32R-200 motors, 21/65 gear ratio, max speed 100 km/h (62 mph) and 2 field shunts; unit 003 had 20/65 gear ratio, for a maximum speed of 120 km/h (75 mph), and also had compound-type motors (model 92-250).
004-013, compound-type 92-250 motors (as unit 003), max speed 100 km/h (62 mph), 19/65 gear ratio.
014-038 and 057-078: units from 017 to 020 plus unit 022 and 024 were identical to units 001/2; units 014, 023, 025, 057 and 060 had 19/65 gear ratio that enabled the locomotives to reach 120 km/h (75 mph); all the others had 92-250 motors, 2 field shunts, 16/65 gear ratio for a max speed of 100 km/h (62 mph). Units from 039 to 056 and from 079 to 158 had the same motors and gear ratio as the latters, but 5 field shunts, except for unit 136 that had 19/65 gear ratio (max speed 120 km/h or 75 mph). Unit 068 was transformed, from November 1954 to May 1974, into unit E434-068: this unit had 4 double 82-333 motors, 2 shunts and 110 km/h (68 mph)-able 20/69 gear ratio; they have been used as experiments for the following FS Class E.646 locomotives.
Series 200 units: Starting from 1986, to 1993, 105 units have received an automatic fire extinguishing system, anti-slip device, red and green lights and the 78-wire cable to permit remote control for use with commuter trains, and maximum speed was raised to 120 km/h (75 mph). These units are also referred to as E.424N, where "N" stands for "Navetta" (push-pull); also, number 200 has been added to units' serial number (i.e. E.424.116 became E.424.316).

Technique

Original E.424 driver console.

Class E.424, having DC type motors, and like all the Italian locomotives of the time, is a rheostatic-type locomotive; on start, a rheostat is connected in series to the motors and is gradually excluded as speed builds up allowing more current to flow to the motors; but unlike other rheostatic locomotives of that time, this is not achieved via the characteristic lever (Maniglione), but through an automatic system, called Avviatore Automatico, derived from contemporary first-generation ALe 790/880/883 EMUs.

The driver simply selects the combination (series or parallel), and the relative rheostat contactors are automatically and gradually closed by this system; in case of failure, the driver can manually rotate an apposite wheel (that also usually rotates automatically as the system advances) to proceed with the exclusion.

When the rheostat is completely excluded for the series combination, field shunts can be inserted, or the driver can proceed to parallel combination, making a transition, which is handled by a device called "CEM" that automatically combines the motors (closing various contacts) accordingly.

The Avviatore Automatico wheel that rotates during rheostatic exclusion; can be maneuvered manually in case of failure.

Originally more than one unit could be coupled and be controlled remotely by the first locomotive using a system called Comando Multiplo; on the central part of the cab there also was a door that enabled the crew to pass from one locomotive to another in case of problems. However, because of safety issues and the imperfect reliability of this system (there were no instruments indicating the status of the slave locomotive, so it wasn't certain if it correctly made a transition or not, for example), it was abandoned and then disassembled.

Eleven units received compound-type motors, enabling a very fine speed control, in a range included between 25 and 50 km/h (16 and 31 mph) in series combination, and 50–100 km/h (31–62 mph) in parallel.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to FS E.424.

Detailed history of the group (Italian)

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

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FS Class E.424

History

Series

Technique

See also

External links