High pistoiese railway – Wikipedia

The High pistoiese railway (FAP), from the name of the dealership and operator company, also known as Pratcchia -San Marcello Pistoiese -Mammiano Railway , it was an Italian reduced gauge railway line (950 mm), electrified at 1200 volts in continuous current and active between 1926 and 1965.

The opening to the service in 1864 of the Pistoia line – Bologna via Pracchia and Porretta, which until 1934 remained the supporting axis of the railway connections between the north and south of the peninsula and which had in the Prachia FS station (culmination of the line) one of the line More important plants of the new railway, he had favored national knowledge of the Pistoia mountains and his approach to the major flows of tourist traffic at the time.

Already in old images of the Pracchia FS station of 1860-70 you can see the large wooden ceiling of wood adjacent to the traveler building on the side of the external square where the carriages were stopped pending the arrival of the trains. Since 1875, a service of horse -to -mail cars had been existing which, coinciding with the first morning trains arriving at the Pracchia station, led after about an hour and a half of travel to San Marcello Pistoiese. During the climatically more favorable season, the closed car was replaced by an open carriage on the sides (omnibus) in order to make the journey more pleasant. The racing hours over time became two (with departures at 10.00 and 18.00 from Pracchia) with 10 -seater cars towed by only two horses ^[first] .

The first idea of ​​a railway connection between the Pracchia railway station and the Valley of the Lima river dates back to about 1880, when Vilfredo Pareto, at that time general manager of the Italian Ferriere Society, commissioned Cipriano Turri to verify and promote a line project Sorviary or railway that connects Pracchia, Livise, Mammiano and Lima.

The idea, well defined, was also used for electoral purposes: in 1882, the year in which the Pareto was nominated in the national elections for the Prato-Pisto-San Marcello Pistoiese college, some political opponents criticized the project, considering it of pure electoral propaganda .

Cipriano Turri, an industrial with a plant for the processing of the copper in LIMESTRE managed together with his brother Ferdinando and Felice Ponsard (in 1882 Pareto electoral agent in San Marcello Pistoiese), immediately dealt with the problem, commissioned the engineers Narcissus Frosali and Charles Scheibner, whose projects, however, proved to be unsuitable and too expensive. The Frosali project even included a very expensive gallery of over one kilometer under Monte Oppio. The initial project provided steam traction, but with the evolution of the technique, the electric one is also examined.

The Turri was interested in the late nineties in the project, also building some models of electric locomotives and an experimental trait of track in La Lima, but later he definitively abandoned the idea of ​​the railway connection. In all likelihood, the section of track built for test and some wagons will be used by the Cini de la Lima paper mill for a small internal line of a few hundred meters ^[2] . The definitive path of the Alto Pistoiese railway will then follow, in part, the one established by Sheibner.

At 1915, however, a project of a railway up to Abetone and Modena dates back to Modena, but the realization of the Railway of the Upper Pistoia area took place later. On that date, a low metric scratch line (not Italian of 950 mm) was active 4.641 meters totally in promiscuous headquarters on the side of the road and which had been created by the Italian Metallurgical Company (SMI) to connect its field of Campo Tizzoro with Pracchia. This railway-accommodation was managed with steam traction and compared to the route subsequently built for the Prachia-Mammiano line always ran on the left bank of the Rhine up to the road bridge placed in front of the Pracchia FS station which was crossed with a very small radius curve ( only 17 m) which, describing a hairpin bend, arrived on the spot where the Pracchia Fap station would then be carried out ^[first] .

Also in 1915 signed by the engineers Luigi Orlando and Alberto Lodolo, the presentation of the first maximum project for the construction of the railway as we know it today dates back. In 1916 the project was approved and on 13 November of the same year the anonymous company of the upper Pistoiese was established in Livorno. The engineer Orlando, the engineer Lodolo (who represented the industrialist Giovan Cosimo Cini) and the engineer Pirro Liguori, also industrial, also part of this. The line was mainly designed at the service of the war production of the SMI whose plants were connected to the tracks also in the LIMESTRE plant, but the railway was also the large aspiration of the inhabitants of the mountain areas. The decision to make it at a reduced gauge, however, if it entailed a lower expense, created the conditions for other problems, both for the SMI, and for the FS: in fact, reduced gauge involved high transfords expenses that partially frustrated its economy.

Since 12 July 1919, the birth of the Lazzi di Cutigliano car company had favored the replacement of horses cars with the first self -conscious thanks to the use of two old residual Fiat 18 BL of the First World War. The automotive service allowed to extend the races to Abetone and Pievepelago. ^{[first] [3]} .

The construction works of the line, directed by the Giusto Puccini engineer, always began in 1919. The Pracchia-Mammiano railway was inaugurated on Monday 21 June 1926 in the presence of the President of the Chamber of Deputies Antonio Casertano and the Minister of Communications Costanzo Ciano.

The inaugural train, decorated with festoons of flowers, started from Pracchia around 9.00 am and arrived in San Marcello at 10.00. It was a memorable event for the Pistoia mountain given that the railway united it with the Porrettana line, which until 1934 was part of the most important via ferrata communication routes between the north and southern Italy contributing to the tourist enhancement of the entire Pistoia mountain area.

Upon inauguration in 1926 the line was 16.702 m long among the axes of the traveler buildings of Pratchia and Mammiano, of which about 3/4 in its own seat, with a maximum slope of 40 ‰, the minimum radius of the curves was be only 35 m (being able to classify the line as an iron -tray in this sense), while the power supply was 1200 V electrical in continuous current ^[4] . 25 bridges and bridges were built; Near the Maresca station there was the most important work of art of the line: a 4 -light viaduct of 6 meters each who climbed the stream. The buildings of the line, built in stone with the use of bricks to frame doors, windows and boxes, had a severe and monumental appearance.

The first timetable included four pairs of daily trains, which went up to six couples in certain periods.

The FAP railway had a passenger movement of 16,786,319 travelers between 1925 and 1965, touching the maximum tips in the periods of the world war; The freight movement was equal to 938,864 tons, of about 763,786 tons transported between 1926 and 1944, demonstrating how after the war the quantity of transported goods had been drastically reduced ^[4] . In 1936 the line reached the highest mileage product among the railways granted to Italian reduced gauge behind the only one and much more extensive Circumvesuviana network ^[first] . In the war, most of the production of the SMI was sent by rail and the FAP was strongly used. From the post -war period, freight traffic was reduced and the FAP continued at the service of workers and employees to go to work and summer tourists for the various centers and for the Pracchia station.

In 1951, however, the SMI, the main shareholder, ceded the Saca share package (a cooperative of transporters) and in 1956 the new owner was forced to close the San Marcello-Mammiano section (on which the burden of the withdrawal from San Marcello Pistoiese was burdened ), replacing it with buses. The line was suppressed eleven years later and on September 30, 1965, the train took its last race between Pratchia and San Marcello Pistoiese.

On 1 October 1965 the railway was suppressed and the demolished rolling stock. According to some authors, this took place with an illegitimate act as the already existing law nr. 1221 of 2 August 1952 imposed the promulgation of a specific law for these types of suppression, while the closing order took place with a simple ministerial decree ^[first] .

At the time of closing, Rai also dedicated a service to the FAP in its “Italian chronicles” ^[first] . Railway line and plants were then completely dismantled during 1968. All the rolling stock should have been destroyed, even if there are still a wagon used as a restaurant of a room located near the exit of the Chiesina Uzzanese motorway exit, on the Florence-Mare. In particular, the restaurant website reports that there are the serial number C201 and C202 serial carriages and the G301 freight wagon, only pieces of all the rolling stock that have been saved from demolition ^[5] .

The path of the Alto Pistoiese railway winded around 16.538 km, from Pracchia to Mammiano, exceeding a difference in height of 228 meters with an average slope of 40 ‰. The profile was always ascending to Monte Oppio, the climax of the line, and always descendant in the remaining half. As established by the agreement with the Ministry of Public Works, the promiscuous sections did not exceed a third of the overall development of the line ^[6] .

The railway was made of reduced gauge of 950 mm and armed with Rotaie Vignoles of weight 25,400 kg per meter 12 meters long on oak crossings of oak of size 1.75×0,22×0.12 ^{[6] [7]} . The minimum radius of the curves was 40 meters and the minimum reptifile interposed between the opposite flexed curves of 35 meters ^[7] . The traction was continuous electricity with 1200 volt voltage provided by a line of contact in copper wire supported by iron poles with shelves arranged at 35 m from each other ^[6] .

Path [ change | Modifica Wikitesto ]

The track, just under 16.8 km long, connected the places of Pracchia (and the homonymous station on the Bologna -Pistoia railway) with Mammiano passing through Pontepetri, Campo Tizzoro, Maresca, Gavinana, Limestre and San Marcello Pistoiese. All the aforementioned locations are hamlets of the municipalities of Pistoia and San Marcello Pistoiese.

The line began from the external square of the Pracchia FS station at 616 meters above sea level, where the FAP, taking advantage of the small embankment obtained by expanding the square overlooking the travelers of the state station (on the Porrettana railway), had built its system equipped with Traveler building (at km 0,000) with an adjoining goods warehouse on the south-east side of the building, of a locomotive remittance (at 0.314 km), in addition to the exchanges of connection with the state square (ordinary gauge) for the exchange of goods.

From here the line therefore ran for about 600 meters on the right bank of the Reno River which crossed the km 0.583 with a bridge in curves, setting up on the current headquarters of the former state road 632. Along the route, the Pozzo tollbooth was therefore encountered at km 2,358 Green then reaching the Pontepetri stop (3,062 km) and the subsequent Station of Campo Tizzoro (km 4,224) equipped with the intersection track and the connection tracks with the establishments of the Italian metallurgical company located close to the north and south of the north same.

From this point, the railway left the promiscuous headquarters and, slightly bending to the right in the Cima della Miglio locality, continued during its own headquarters along the Valle del Torrente Maresca crossing the Cassero locality to reach the inhabited area of ​​Maresca and, at km 6,626, the Station of the same name (779 meters above sea level), one of the largest in the line and totally in its own seat. This system was equipped with a traveler building, a freight warehouse and a charger top covered with a chestnut wood roof. It was also served by a crossing track as well as that of running and two truncated tracks on the Pracchia side.

Leaving the town, the railway crossed the Maresca stream thanks to a viaduct in the curve with four lights and began the rise towards Mount Oppio through two large hairpin bends that guaranteed a constant slope of 40 ‰. Crossing the Alpe Piana locality, equipped with a toll booth at km 8,117, the opium pass, a display between the Adriatic and the Tyrrhenian side, was reached, at an altitude of 843 meters above sea level, the highest point of the whole line. Once a level crossing passed, it was reached at km 8,740 at the Oppio station and from this system the descent began during which the railway returned to the promiscuous headquarters to the Gavinana station at km 10,639. This station was also equipped with a traveler building with joined goods warehouse and covered and uncovered loading plan.

At the exit of this system, the railway faced a curve to the left, folded up on itself and then faced a new hairpin bend to the right and folding again in the direction of San Marcello. After the Cantoniera del Cigliaro house at km 12,451, the home of another factory in the Italian metallurgical company directly connected to the FAP, reaching the FAP, arrived at the 1,759 of the homonymous station. After this system, the railway returned to the roadway at the crossroads with the former state road 66 thus reaching the head system called Station of San Marcello Pistoiese (621 meters above sea level) at km 15.253, the most important airport of the FAP , seat of the locomotive deposit of the means of the line (located at km 15,044).

Departed from San Marcello, thanks to a regression, we returned to the main line and using an exchange, continued in the direction of Mammiano after crossing the center of the road in a promiscuous and promiscuous headquarters on the north side of the town. The railway then starts on its headquarters and starts on the road, after a kilometer and a half, ended in the Mammiano station, 612 meters above sea level.

The journey of about 17 kilometers required 45 minutes at the average speed of 20 kilometers per hour.

The material on duty on the high Pistoia railway owned by FAP consisted of ^[8] :

vehicle type	amount	mast	serial number	construction	entry into service	radiation	note
electromotor	3	A	1-3	1925	1926	1965	power 220 kW
electric locomotive	2	B	101-102	1925	1926	1965	power 220 kW
towed car	5	C	201-205	1925	1926	1965
towed car	2	C	206-207	1925	1941	1947	obtained from the transformation of the Laviosa Autotrene T3
closed wagon	4	Gg	301-304	1925	1926	1965
car a sponde alte	6	Lg	401-416	1925	1926	1965
car a sponde alte	ten	Lg	407-416	1908-9	1936	1946	obtained from the transformation of wagons of the Mamv tramvias of the province of Mantua
cistern car	2	Sg	501-502	1925	1926	1965	transformed into tanks to the 501-502 high in 1946
Low shore wagon	4	Pg	601-604	1925	1926	1965
EX SME wagons	twelfth			1915-16	1925	1927	built for the private railway SMI and converted in 1925
carrello Langbein	4			1949	1950	1950
self -car trolley	first			1925	1926	1965
scale trolley	2			1925	1926	1965
maintenance trolley	2			1925	1926	1965

To this were added the wagons owned by the Italian metallurgical company ^[8] :

vehicle type	amount	mast	serial number	construction	entry into service	radiation	note
electromotor	first	A	4	1942-43	1943	1947
car a sponde alte	5	Lg	701-705	1908-9	1927	1946	obtained from the transformation of wagons of the Mamv tramvias of the province of Mantua; From 1927 to 1936 they will have a serial number LG 407-411
Low shore wagon	4	Pg	605-608	1908-9	1936	1946	obtained from the transformation of wagons of the Mamv tramvias of the province of Mantua

This material was used until the closing of the line without substantial variations. The electromotors were originally equipped with 36 seats as well as two terraces at the ends with 11 places standing, while the carriages had 43 seats and 22 standing. With the unification of the classes, the seats will become 40 on electromotors and 48 on the towed. ^[8]

As a basis for the construction of the two towed C206 and C207, the lavious T3 truck was used, designed by Alberto Laviosa and initially entered service on the Borgo San Donnino-Salsomaggiore tram travvia, and then be transferred to the TBPM for the exercise on its own lines from Bologna for Pieve di Cento and Malalbergo ^[9] . This vehicle was equipped with 38 seats and 42 standing. ^[8]

The color of the FAP vehicles varied over the years: it was white and ivory with two friezes on the sides at the time of the inauguration, then it was brown without friezes and with the upper part ivory color; After the war, the liveries of the vehicles became lively in the colors white and bright red ^[4] .

The line has been completely dismantled. In some sections (especially in those in which the line ran on its own seat) the route was reused as a cycle and pedestrian track. The Tourism Agency of Abetone-Pistoia-San Marcello in particular advertises the Tizzoro field route to Limgestre through a flyer ^[ten] .

The two main architectural works of the line are still existing: the bridge over the Rhine river near Pracchia and the four -light bridge leaving Maresca, now road bridge.

All stations survive, often used for the most diverse purposes, most of which still retain the station name with the FAP symbol (which were made with ceramic-lapid material) are clearly evident today).

The traveler building of the San Marcello Pistoiese station is currently used as a ticket office and a Copit traveler room, while the remittances of the locomotives were transformed into a storage and bus workshop that replaced the railway service. The buildings of the stations of Gavinana, Maresca, Mammiano and Campo Tizzoro, for years left in complete abandonment, have been recovered in recent decades and have become the seat of commercial activities in the area. The opium station was reconverted to home while the Pontepetri station is home to the Ecomuseum of the Pistoia mountains dedicated to iron processing.

• Adriano Betti Carboncini, High pistoiese railway , Calosci, Cortona, 1989. ISBN 88-7785-027-2
• Adriano Betti Carboncini, Fap the train of San Marcello , Pegaso, Florence, 2010. ISBN 978-88-95248-29-5
• Nicola Cerafatti, From the Pistoia mountains to the streets of the world: history of the car business Lazzi , All, Corton, 1999
• Marco Cacozza, Pistoia railway , “All Train & History”, April 2003, 9, 28-43.
• Simone Fagioli (edited by), The Turri Fund. Industry and entrepreneurship on the Pistoia mountain in the second half of the nineteenth century , Etruria Editrice, Pistoia, 2007. [first]
• Maurizio Panconese, Porrettana … Memoirs in the mountains to the rediscovery of the ancient ferrata of the Apennines , All, Corton, 2006; ISBN 88-7785-213-5
• Andrea Ottanelli and Maria Teresa Tosi (edited by), Inventory of the historical archive of the Alto Pistoiese railway , Pacini Editore, Pisa, 1995