The FS Class D.443 is a class of diesel-electric locomotive used in Italy, introduced in the late 1960s and still in service.

History

D.443 was ordered by the Italian state railways, Ferrovie dello Stato (FS), at the same time than the D.343, but requiring generally higher performances and multi-role capabilities. The two types shared the same hull and the single-motored bogies, which had been designed by FS. 30 units were to be built by

FIAT Fiat Automobiles S.p.A. (, , ; originally FIAT, it, Fabbrica Italiana Automobili di Torino, lit=Italian Automobiles Factory of Turin) is an Italian automobile manufacturer, formerly part of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, and since 2021 a subsidiary ...

, the remaining 20 by

Breda Breda () is a city and municipality in the southern part of the Netherlands, located in the province of North Brabant. The name derived from ''brede Aa'' ('wide Aa' or 'broad Aa') and refers to the confluence of the rivers Mark and Aa. Breda has ...

. The D.443 were mainly to replace the old

steam locomotive A steam locomotive is a locomotive that provides the force to move itself and other vehicles by means of the expansion of steam. It is fuelled by burning combustible material (usually coal, oil or, rarely, wood) to heat water in the locomot ...

s which were used for heavy freight trains on light, not-electrified lines.

Description

D.443 has one cab at each end, separated by two compartments including the engine-transmission pack and, in the other, the cooling devices. The two engines were both V-12, of power, coupled to a DC 640/1080 V generator provided by

Ansaldo Ansaldo Energia S.p.A. is an Italian power engineering company. It is based in Genoa, Italy. The absorbed parent company, Gio. Ansaldo & C., started in 1853. It was taken over by Leonardo S.p.A. In 2011, Leonardo S.p.A. sold 45% stake in An ...

. The two electric motors, designed by Breda, had a continuous power output of .

Successors

From 1974, the D.445 class was introduced, with an AC alternator. They also supplied electric train heating.

References

Sources

* {{FS locos Bo′Bo′ locomotives D.443 Railway locomotives introduced in 1967 Gio. Ansaldo & C. locomotives Breda locomotives Standard gauge locomotives of Italy