Product Features and Details
Next18 FS E.444 005 electric locomotive Pre-production locomotive with experimental fans
The E.444 005, also known as the "electronic turtle," was an experimental prototype of the FS (Italian State Railways) and left the Vado Ligure works in September 1975 as the last "Tartaruga" (a nickname for the locomotive). As a "full chopper," it was equipped with a fully electronic drive system, a novelty for the FS, offering advantages in power control, adhesion utilization, and tractive effort.
With a continuous power output of 5,050 kW and higher tractive effort than the production locomotives, it was the most powerful E.444 and easily recognizable by its numerous ventilation grilles and roof-mounted components. After successful test runs, it was accepted into service in 1976 and based at Milan Centrale, primarily used on the Chiasso to Domodossola line. Withdrawn from service in 1981, it was rebuilt in 1989 to match the locomotives of the second series.
