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| FS E.652 | |
|---|---|
| Name | E.652 |
| Powertype | Electric |
| Builder | Ansaldo-Breda / SECN / Fiat / Savigliano |
| Builddate | 1967–1976 |
| Totalproduction | 40 |
| UICclass | Co'Co' |
| Length | 19.74 m |
| Locoweight | 120 t |
| Electricsystem | 3 kV DC |
| Tractionmotors | 6 × DC motors |
| Maxspeed | 180 km/h |
| Poweroutput | 4,200 kW |
| Operator | Ferrovie dello Stato |
| Disposition | Some preserved, others withdrawn |
FS E.652
The E.652 is an Italian six-axle electric locomotive class introduced by Ferrovie dello Stato in the late 1960s for high-speed passenger and heavy freight service. Designed and built by a consortium including Ansaldo, Fiat Ferroviaria, and Officine Meccaniche Savigliano, the type combined C-C wheel arrangement, powerful DC traction equipment, and innovative rheostatic control to meet demands on principal Italian lines such as the Direttissima (Florence–Rome railway), Bologna–Ancona railway, and routes radiating from Milano Centrale. It entered service amid concurrent developments in European traction exemplified by classes from SNCF, Deutsche Bundesbahn, and British Rail.
Development began in the context of postwar Italian electrification programs led by Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane and influenced by international projects like the Trans Europ Express network and rolling stock programs at Ganz and Siemens. The design targeted versatility between express passenger trains such as the Freccia del Sole and heavy freights on gradients on the Apennines. Mechanical design drew on experience from classes E.636 and E.444, integrating six axle Co'Co' bogies similar to those of SBB-CFF-FFS prototypes. Electrical systems used 3 kV DC supply compatible with existing infrastructure at Roma Termini, Venezia Santa Lucia, and Napoli Centrale. The project saw collaboration among industrial entities including Ansaldo Trasporti, Fiat, TIBB (Tecnomasio Italiano Brown Boveri), and state workshops at Savigliano.
The locomotive employed a Co'Co' wheel arrangement with three powered axles per bogie, a rigid frame length of 19.74 m, and a service mass around 120 tonnes to ensure adhesion for 4,200 kW continuous output. Traction equipment comprised six DC traction motors with rheostatic starting resistors and series-parallel control influenced by controls used on FS E.424 and FS E.636 classes; some circuits used components from TIBB and Magneti Marelli. Braking combined pneumatic systems used widely on Italian rolling stock and rheostatic braking for downhill runs on lines such as the Direttissima. Maximum speed was 180 km/h for passenger service and lower regulated speeds for freight, with electrical compatibility limited to 3 kV DC networks including lines to Torino Porta Nuova and Genova Piazza Principe.
Introduced in the late 1960s, the locomotives entered revenue service on principal corridors between Milano Centrale, Bologna Centrale, Firenze Santa Maria Novella, and Roma Termini, routinely hauling express consists including named trains linked to Trenitalia predecessors. They also operated heavy freight and through services on routes crossing the Appennini and frequently replaced older types on steep grades. Over decades the class saw deployments shifted by infrastructure upgrades such as the Direttissima (Florence–Rome railway) improvements and the emergence of high-speed electric multiple units like ETR 500. Withdrawals began as newer multisystem and high-power locomotives from Bombardier, Siemens and Alstom entered the fleet and as regional restructuring under Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane and later Trenitalia reorganized motive power.
During their operational life several units received modifications: upgrades to traction control, retrofitted heating and auxiliary systems for push–pull operation with coaching stock like Gran Conforto coaches, and adaptations for enhanced rheostatic braking. Some locomotives were fitted with improved cab ergonomics and safety equipment compliant with evolving standards from UIC and national safety directives connected to incidents that influenced regulations at ANSF (Agenzia Nazionale per la Sicurezza Ferroviaria). Proposals for multisystem conversion to operate on 25 kV AC lines were evaluated in parallel with studies involving manufacturers such as AnsaldoBreda and Fiat Ferroviaria, though full conversions were limited.
Initially liveried in the traditional FS green and gray designed for postwar services, later repaints reflected corporate and promotional schemes including the white-and-red of the Pendolino era transitions and experimental liveries used during marketing for Trenitalia predecessor services. Units appeared on published timetables and posters for named expresses along routes associated with stations such as Bologna Centrale, Venezia Mestre, and Napoli Centrale. Operational deployments covered both daytime express passenger duties and nighttime freight services to ports like Genova Sampierdarena and Trieste Centrale.
A number of locomotives have been withdrawn and preserved by railway museums and heritage groups including collections connected to Fondazione FS Italiane and regional museums at Savigliano and Trieste. Preserved examples participate in special trains and railfan events alongside historic stock such as E.444 and vintage coaching stock, contributing to studies in traction evolution and Italian postwar rail history. The class is remembered for bridging mid-20th-century designs and the later high-speed era represented by ETR 500 and subsequent Frecciarossa developments, influencing procurement choices by Ferrovie dello Stato and private operators.
Category:Electric locomotives of Italy