# FS Class 744

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FS Class 744 FS Class 744.003 as preserved at Cagliari railway station Type and origin Power type Steam Builder Gio. Ansaldo & C. (15), Ernesto Breda (25), Officine Meccaniche (10) Build date 1927-1928 Total produced 50 Specifications Configuration: ​ • Whyte 2-8-0 • UIC 1'D h2 Gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge Leading dia. 960 mm (3 ft 1+3⁄4 in) Driver dia. 1,630 mm (5 ft 4+1⁄8 in) Length 11,615 mm (38 ft 1+1⁄4 in) Axle load 14.6 tonnes (14.4 long tons; 16.1 short tons) Loco weight 70.2 tonnes (69.1 long tons; 77.4 short tons) Tender weight 50 tonnes (49 long tons; 55 short tons) Fuel type Coal Fuel capacity 6,000 kg (13,000 lb) Water cap. 22,000 litres (4,800 imp gal; 5,800 US gal) Firebox: ​ • Grate area 3.5 m2 (38 sq ft) Boiler pressure 12 kg/cm2 (11.8 bar; 171 psi) Heating surface 191.7 m2 (2,063 sq ft) Superheater: ​ • Heating area 50.5 m2 (544 sq ft) Cylinders Two, simple Cylinder size 600 mm × 720 mm (23+5⁄8 in × 28+3⁄8 in) Valve gear Walschaerts, Caprotti Performance figures Maximum speed 80 km/h (50 mph) Power output 1,400 CV (1,030 kW; 1,380 hp) Tractive effort 14,800 kgf (145 kN; 32,600 lbf)

The [Ferrovie dello Stato](/source/Ferrovie_dello_Stato_Italiane) (FS; Italian State Railways) **Class 744** (Italian: *Gruppo 744)* is a class of [2-8-0](/source/2-8-0) [steam locomotives](/source/Steam_locomotive); they were the last orthodox steam locomotives built for the FS.[1][2][3]

## Design and construction

The Class 744 derived from the earlier [Class 745](/source/FS_Class_745) locomotives, with which they shared the boiler and the wheelbase; they were only partially successful, as their inside cylinders (chosen to keep the axle load as low as possible) forced the use of inadequately dimensioned big ends, which tended to run hot. The weight limits had been subsequently relaxed, and a 14.6 tons (later elevated to 14.85 for the Caprotti locomotives) axle load was permitted; this allowed the designers to place the two cylinders outside, avoiding the issue altogether.[4][3]

The first batch of 25 locomotives was outshopped by [Breda](/source/Societ%C3%A0_Italiana_Ernesto_Breda) in 1927, and had [Walschaerts valve gear](/source/Walschaerts_valve_gear). The subsequent 25 locomotives were built by [Ansaldo](/source/Gio._Ansaldo_%26_C.) (15) and [Officine Meccaniche](/source/Officine_Meccaniche) (10) in 1928, and were all fitted with [Caprotti valve gear](/source/Caprotti_valve_gear); these were originally classified **Class 743**, but in 1930 they were reclassified **Class 744.1XX**.[5][3]

## Operations and modifications

Designed for mixed traffic working, the Class 744 was mainly allocated to southern Italy, with eighteen of them stationed at [Salerno](/source/Salerno) for service on the [Salerno–Reggio di Calabria railway](/source/Salerno%E2%80%93Reggio_di_Calabria_railway), and a further twenty at [Palermo](/source/Palermo) and [Catania](/source/Catania). After the [Tyrrhenian](/source/Tyrrhenian_Sea) line was electrified, some locomotives were transferred to northern Italy, while others were assigned to [Sardinia](/source/Sardinia). In 1956 the 744.024 was experimentally fitted with a [Giesl ejector](/source/Giesl_ejector). The Class 744 was completely withdrawn from service in the 1970s.[6][3]

## Preservation

Two Class 744 locomotives have survived into preservation:

- The 744.003, with Walschaerts valve gear, is preserved as a static exhibit at [Cagliari railway station](/source/Cagliari_railway_station);

- The 744.118, with Caprotti valve gear, was initially kept at the [National Railway Museum of Pietrarsa](/source/National_Railway_Museum_of_Pietrarsa), before being transferred to [Pistoia](/source/Pistoia), pending a possible restoration to active service for heritage trains.

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Cornolò, p. 404-5

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Kalla-Bishop, p. 73

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEKalla-Bishop198673_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEKalla-Bishop198673_3-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEKalla-Bishop198673_3-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEKalla-Bishop198673_3-3) [Kalla-Bishop (1986)](#CITEREFKalla-Bishop1986), p. 73.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Cornolò, p. 403

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Cornolò, p. 403-4

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Cornolò, p. 405

## Bibliography

- Cornolò, Giovanni (July 2014). "Locomotive a vapore". *TuttoTreno* (3).

- Kalla-Bishop, P. M. (1986). *Italian State Railways Steam Locomotives*. Abingdon: Tourret Publishing. p. 73. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-905878-03-5](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-905878-03-5).

v t e Classes of Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane locomotives Steam Tender locomotives 100 102 103 110I 110II 111 112 113 114 116 117 118 119I 119II 120 121 122 136 139 140 150 155 158 160 161 162 163 164 170 180 181I 181II 182I 182II 183 185 186 187 190 193 194 195 196 197 198 200 201 206 207 208 209 211 212 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 255 260 261 262 265 268 269 270 271 272 290 291 292 293 310 320 380 385 388 390 391 394 395 396 397 400 410 420 421 422 423 424 425 450 451 452 453 454 455 460 470 471 472 473 474 475 476 477 478 479 480 482 499I 499II 500 510 512 513 530 540I 540II 542 543 545 550 552 553 554 555 556 560 600 601 603 604 605 606 607 623 625 626 630 640I 640II 645 650 652 653 656 660 666 670 671 672 675 676 677 680 681 682 683I 683II 685 686 687 688 690I 690II 691 720 728 729 730 731 735 736 737 740 741I 741II 743I 743II 744 745 746 747I 747II 750 Tank locomotives 800I 800II 801 802I 802II 803I 803II 804 805 806 809 810I 810II 811 812 813 814 815I 815II 815III 816 817 818 819 820I 820II 821I 821II 822 823 824 825 826I 826II 827 828I 828II 828III 829 830I 830II 831 835 842 848 849 850I 850II 851 870 871 874I 874II 875 876 877 880I 880II 881 882 885 893 894 895 896I 896II 897 898 899I 899II 900 902 904 905 906 910 912 915 940 950 980 981 999 Narrow gauge locomotives R.201 R.202 R.300 R.301 R.302 R.305 R.306 R.310 R.370 R.401 R.402 R.410 R.440 R.441 R.442 R.443 R.600 P U Electric Rechargeable battery E.421 650 V DC Third rail E.220 E.320 E.321 E.420 E.620 3,6 kV AC Three-Phase E.330 E.331 E.332 E.333 E.360 E.380 E.390 E.430 E.431 E.432 E.550 E.551 E.552 E.554 10,6 kV AC Three-Phase E.470 E.471 E.472 E.570 3 kV DC E.321 E.322 E.323 E.324 E.326 E.400 E.402A E.402B E.403 E.404 E.405 E.412 E.414 E.424 E.428 E.434 E.444 E.444R E.447 E.453 E.454 E.464 E.621 E.625 E.626 E.632 E.633 E.636 E.640 E.645 E.646 E.652 E.655 E.656 25 kV AC E.491 E.492 Diesel Light shunters 206 207 208I 208II 209 210 211 R.212 213I 213II 214 215 216 218I Shunters 218II 225 234 235 236 245 250 255 Heavy shunters Ne 120 D.141 RD.142 D.143 D.145 D.146 D.147 356 372 Ne 700 Train locomotives D.341 D.342 D.343 D.345 D.442 D.443 D.445 D.449 D.461 see also Category:Rolling stock of Italy

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [FS Class 744](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FS_Class_744) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FS_Class_744?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.