0-6-0 Steam Locomotives in Italy

Class 270/Gruppo 851 (Locobase 3685)

Data from Ugo Poddine as contributor to Bryan Attewell ([] Steam locomotive simulator (April 2000). Additional data from US Military Railway Service Equipment Data Book for Italian Locomotives [inter alia] supplied by Allen Stanley in May 2005 from his extensive Rail Data Exchange; and "Locomotiva FS 851" in Wikipedia at [], last accessed 12 April 2026. Production

Accepting the need to provide more power to boost growing traffic over the lines moving over Italy's Appenine spine, the RA created an all-adhesion tank engine that added pulling power on the head-end engine or addtional push behind the last car.

According to Wikipedia, the Gruppo 851 drew on the RA 270s as they adopted the "Florentine School" philosophy that gave priority to simplicity of design in both the constant-lead valve gear and in the engine as a whole. "This design choice," Wikipedia reports', "resulted in significant operational economy, a consequence of which was a marked appreciation for the locomotives among both engine crews and workshop personnel.

The FS found it increasingly necessary to double- and triple-head heavier trains. When Mikado tank 940 class (Locobase 3690) was built, the system put the 851s on switching duties. The engines continued to shine, according to Wikipedia, demonstrating "their excellent power and top-speed characteristics." And three driven axles yielded available power "superior to that of the Class 835 [Locobase 3685] locomotives-even under the specific operating conditions typical of shunting operations"

The US MRS guide credited 851s with 10,340 lb (4,690 kg) of steam per hour and rated them at 400 hp at 18 mph.f

Class Gruppo 290 (Locobase 3668)

Data from Ugo Poddine as contributor to Bryan Attewell ([] Steam locomotive simulator (April 2000). Additional data from the US Military Railway Service's Equipment Data Book for Italian Locomotives supplied in May 2005 by Allen Stanley from his extensive Rail Data Exchange.

Poddine says that builders in Italy, Germany, and Hungary supplied this design from 1889 to 1913. They lasted until the 1960s.

The boiler generated 13,558 lb (6,150 kg) of steam an hour and the design was rated at 500 hp at 18 mph (29 km/h).

Class Gruppo 829 (Locobase 6620)

Data from US Military Railway Service Equipment Data Book for Italian Locomotives [inter alia] supplied by Allen Stanley in May 2005 from his extensive Rail Data Exchange.

This was the precursor to the Gruppo 835, Locobase believes. The grate is smaller, but the boiler is the same size. Thus, boiler production was given by the MRS as 9,240 lb (4,191 kg) per hour and horse power was rated at 370 hp at 18 mph.

According to [] (visited 28 June 2005), this sextet arrived in 1900.

Class Gruppo 830 (Locobase 6621)

Data from US Military Railway Service Equipment Data Book for Italian Locomotives [inter alia] supplied by Allen Stanley in May 2005 from his extensive Rail Data Exchange.

Interesting locomotive in its tube diameter (65 mm on the fire side) and relatively small number of tubes; otherwise it is of a kind with the 829 (Locobase . Steam generation came at 9,900 lb (4,491 kg) per hour and horspe power was rated at 360 hp at 18 mph.

Class Gruppo 835 (Locobase 3684)

Data from Ugo Poddine as contributor to Bryan Attewell ([] Steam locomotive simulator (April 2000). Additional data from US Military Railway Service Equipment Data Book for Italian Locomotives [inter alia] supplied by Allen Stanley in May 2005 from his extensive Rail Data Exchange.

These were built for secondary lines, but were soon adopted for switching duties.

According to the Italian-language website xoomer.virgilio.it/ihydig/museo/sch_835244.htm (June 2004), OMMN delivered 166, Breda produced 150 locomotives, OMRE added 30, and Ansaldo produced 24. Some of these operated until 1980.

Boiler production was given as 9,240 lb (4,191 kg) per hour and horsepower was rated at 370 hp at 18 mph.

Class Gruppo 885 (Locobase 15550)

Data fromDr. R. Sanzin, "Die Lokomotiven auf der Intertionalen Austellung in Mailand 1906, 32. 3/3 gekuppelte Verschiebelokomotive der Italienischen Staatsbahnen ...", Zeitschrift des Oesterreichischen Ingenieur- und Architeckten-Vereines, Vol LIX, Nr. 13 (29 March 1907), p. 225-226.

This cross-compound six-coupled tank had large-diameter, internally finned Serve tubes. They were developed from the Gruppo 870 simple-expansion locomotives. They didn't prove suitable for the stop-start commuter traffic for which they were procured. So they were relegated to local freight and passenger work and ended their days switching (shunting) in the Cuneo railway yards.

Class unknown (Locobase 15546)

Data from Dr. R. Sanzin, "Die Lokomotiven auf der Intertionalen Austellung in Mailand 1906, 32. 3/3 gekuppelte Verschiebelokomotive der Italienischen Staatsbahnen ...", Zeitschrift des Oesterreichischen Ingenieur- und Architeckten-Vereines, Vol LIX, Nr. 10 (22 March 1907), p. 211.