I thought all steam engines were done for. Tonight I was just goofing around and looking at train stations in italy with Google maps satellite. I'm cruising around and Just west of the main train station there is a Passenger car yard and engine facility. So I zoom in on that. I'm looking at it to see what kind of locos are there and I notice this extra long black loco. Sure enough it's a steamer sitting on the tracks in the yard. I look around some more and just a little east of that are two other engines that are rust colored. I couldn't figure out how to link to the exact part of the map but if you look at the tracks in Verona Italy you'll see real live mainline steam still in the yard. Maybe no one else cares, but I thought all steam was gone except for one or two tourist type locos.
Not quite gone yet, in fact here is a small but growing line that runs steam and diesel in revenue service and excursions both: http://www.ocsteam.com/
Google Maps is that the one you're looking at? if you look southwest of that, you see a shorter/smaller something that looks like steam as well.
I think you are right in general. The presence of a steamer in a yard doesn't mean it is in active, main-line service. It could be retired but not yet disposed of. Or it could be a preserved unit stored there, in transit between tourist railways, or waiting between main-line excursions. Also bear in mind that some of those Google Maps pictures are a good few years old - Google Earth is often 'fresher'. While researching a road route last year I stumbled on a UK location where GM showed a housing estate under construction, and GE showed complete. And when I drove through, it was clear from the vegetation and weathering that it had been complete for at least a couple of years. (Hah! Just been to GE Verona and it is the same picture as GM. Both old or both new ... ?)
Verona is no stranger to "old technology." That arena in the city is left over from Roman times and is still used for shows and concerts all the time.
YES!!! now look three tracks down and right and you'll see a pair of rusty locos on the tracks. Oh oh... You're right! That's another steamer in the yard. Four Locos in the same yard and it's not an excursion company.
Could be a scrap line of old engines waiting to be cut up, I think steam lasted into the 70's or maybe the 80's in Italy, so there might be the odd loco still around that the scrappers haven't caught up with yet. I think a more likely explanation though, looking at the other vintage equipment around the steamers, is that a railfan group is using part of the old engine terminal as a base. The equipment on the upper fan of tracks looks like their operational equipment, while that on the lower track with the rusty steamers could be equipment awaiting restoration. These are a couple of shots I took of what could be a similar operation at Tirano, on the Swiss border on 22nd June last year. When I arrived they were moving the steamer with a small diesel switcher, but by the time I made my way round to the Italian side of the yard there was no one in sight. It was a Sunday and I assumed they were in the process of putting the engine away after a run the previous day. I didn't get close enough to get photos, but there were also a few derelict looking engines stored nearby like at Verona.
Don't forget, the Tornado made her maiden voyage to London Station, they spent what almost 2 years building her from the ground up from plans?
Tornado took 18 years from start of planning to first run. But I don't think the Italians are building any new steamers at present. London Station ...
London Station, reminds me of the episode of As Time Goes By where the Americans are making a movie of Lionels book. (The US listeners probably won't get it):tb-biggrin: I think the railfan world would certainly know of any new steam being built in Italy. Here's a candidate though, for the last new standard gauge steam loco built for regular service as opposed to excursion use like Tornado, SY class 2-8-2 No.1772, photographed waiting to take her turn in the afternoon commuter rush at Tiefa, China on 5th April 2007, as you can see from the builders plate she was built in October 1999. The railway, that serves the district's coal mines apparently lost two engines in a wreck, when they went after replacements the factory had ceased regular production of steam but had enough parts left lying around to put two new engines together, 1772 and her sister 1771. when I was there in 2007 the railway was only using steam on passenger trains, but I've heard since that they have returned to some coal trains, don't know how the current world economy is affecting things though.
See I didn't know this because my friend in the UK decided to be ignorant and told me 2 years. Something in the back of my head said that couldn't be right, but oh well, last time I listen to him.
That may have been when knowledge of the project began to become more widespread, as all the parts started to come together and look more like a locomotive.
Oh yes. Geoffrey Palmer is one of the best. He's also great in Blackadder Goes Forth as Field Marshall Haig, setting up all the little wooden soldiers on the battle plan map and then knocking them down. Back to trains, I looked around a bit in Italy for Steam and didn't see any, but I loved being to ride the intercity and local trains just about anywhere in the country.
I thought 1770 was also built in 1999, and I never heard that Tangshan had stopped building steam before that.
Hi, The following link will show the loco in question (I hope its the same one). http://www.flashearth.com/?lat=45.425037&lon=10.964255&z=20&r=0&src=msl Using both Flash Earth and Google maps I located a loco in the yard. Interestingly it is not in the same position or facing the same direction. Gary
You may be correct, I was just repeating the story given to us by the railway's representative who was our guide while we were there, there may have been something lost in the translation. Whatever the circumstances 1772 would still be the last 'real' steam.
I've had a look through my photos to see if I had any of 1770 and her builders plate, as she was in operation while we were there, but it looks as if I only got video. However, about 3/4 down this site, Steam in China May 2008 - Huanan, Jixi, Tiefa, Nanpiao, is a list where the railway states 1770 was built in July 1995.
Okay, I concede. Interesting... in the period before the building of 1770, Tangshan appears to have built only one SY a month. Steam in Northern China, May/June 2001 agrees on 1995. It also mentions a (non-standard) number SY 3024 built 1998 or 1999.
