European Railroad Discussion > Balkan/Italian vacation, part 2

Prospects improved after the cruise ended. We had awhile to wait for our train to Rome at the Civitavecchia station. Being a Sunday, no freight seemed to be moving but three various diesel units (first two photos) were parked across from the station. Meanwhile, two 464-class electrics waited to push their trains to Rome. 

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In Rome, I was able to take a closer look at the narrow-gauge (950-mm) suburban line I had briefly seen on my last visit three years ago. It runs from Roma-Laziali (an open-air three track facility next to Roma Termini, but several blocks down from Termini's headhouse) nine kilometers to Giardinetti, although the portion beyond Centecelle is apparently out of service. They run three-car trains of what appear to be pretty old cars with upgraded windows. The interiors are quite spartan, with a row of single plastic seats down each wall and little else.I rode out about seven stops and back--hot (no A/C), noisy, and dusty--so it was great fun.    

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How did I never know about the Rome–Giardinetti line?  I've been to Rome a couple of times and usually stay somewhere around Termini.  Guess I never stumbled across it, being way down from the headhouse.  Going to have to check that out next time I get back.

How was the suspension on the cars?  Riding the Circumvesuviana Railway from Naples to Sorento a few years back, I found their older cars basically had no suspension, and I swear my butt and lower back felt every switch point, frog, dip and rail joint the whole way.  That was with the old cars, though my understanding is they've since upgraded to newer stock.
 

NDHolmes Wrote:
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> How did I never know about the Rome–Giardinetti
> line?  I've been to Rome a couple of times and
> usually stay somewhere around Termini.  Guess I
> never stumbled across it, being way down from the
> headhouse.  Going to have to check that out next
> time I get back.
>
> How was the suspension on the cars?  Riding the
> Circumvesuviana Railway from Naples to Sorento a
> few years back, I found their older cars basically
> had no suspension, and I swear my butt and lower
> back felt every switch point, frog, dip and rail
> joint the whole way.  That was with the old cars,
> though my understanding is they've since upgraded
> to newer stock.
>  When I was in Rome in 2016, I went to Porta Maggiore to photograph the standard-gauge trams and just tripped across the narrow-gauge operation. Porta Maggiore (about a mile down from the Termini headhouse) is a great place to hang out; trams lines radiate from there in several directions, and the narrow gauge runs right through the middle of it all, passing through arches of a segment of the ancient Roman wall (see photo). In addition, FS's elevated approach to Termini is nextdoor.
    The cars basically ride like bricks and the seats are hard plastic (assuming you can get a seat). There are some newer cars as well (two-unit articulated) that have more seats but don't seem to ride much better. I only saw one of those, so I don't know how many they have. From about two hours' observation, it looked like about 5-6 sets were in use. I understand there have been discussions since the early 1990s about standard-gauging the line, but fortunately in Italy these things progress very slowly.

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I had a really fun time riding this line in 2016  - see TO report link below for a bunch of pix in Rome. -

https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?17,3997312,3999711#msg-3999711



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/12/19 22:03 by dwatry.

wpamtk Wrote:
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> Prospects improved after the cruise ended. We had
> awhile to wait for our train to Rome at the
> Civitavecchia station. Being a Sunday, no freight
> seemed to be moving but three various diesel units
> (first two photos) were parked across from the
> station.

The second picture is of a former CD (Czech Railways) class 753 'Goggles' with CKD prime mover. A number were acquired by Italian operators when EU liberalisation opened up the freight market.

Around 2004, I rode the Roma-Pantano line as far as the Tobagi stop, if memory serves. At that time, they were still using some equipment that I was told may have dated from the Mussolini era. There were also newer cars in use, which of course are probably looking a bit tired.

Part of this line is being used for Metro Line C, which now runs from San Giovanni to Monte Compatri-Pantano. Plans are to extend the line west to Clodio/Mazzini. Much of the line is underground, of course, but there is some surface running on the east end.

I believe that there were plans to have a station at Piazza Venezia (you know, in front of the "wedding cake") but were abandoned because of archaeological issues. That's too bad, because lots of buses stop at Venezia.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/13/19 10:03 by colehour.

86235 Wrote:
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> wpamtk Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Prospects improved after the cruise ended. We
> had
> > awhile to wait for our train to Rome at the
> > Civitavecchia station. Being a Sunday, no
> freight
> > seemed to be moving but three various diesel
> units
> > (first two photos) were parked across from the
> > station.
>
> The second picture is of a former CD (Czech
> Railways) class 753 'Goggles' with CKD prime
> mover. A number were acquired by Italian operators
> when EU liberalisation opened up the freight
> market.
Thanks, I was wondering about it. Any info about the orange unit in the first photo? I don't think I've seen one before. 
 

wpamtk Wrote:
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> Thanks, I was wondering about it. Any info about
> the orange unit in the first photo? I don't think
> I've seen one before. 
>  

FS (Trenitalia) Class D145.1000 switcher, built in the 1980's Two Fiat diesel engines total of 1100 hp, 72 tonnes. Built by Savigliano. 29 built, there is a second similar version with one more powerful engine D145.2000, but having about the same total horsepower.