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Electric locomotive E492 004 of FS

In the 80's they planned to electrify the railway lines in Sardinia - in 25kV 50Hz AC system instead of the common Italian 3 kV DC voltage. FIAT and Ansaldo built between 1986 and 1990 25 locomotives for these lines: 19 class E491 and 6 class E492 engines (maximum speed of the E491 is 140 km/h, while that of the E492 is 160 km/h). The planned electrification was eventually cancelled, therefore FS had to store these locomotives for more than 10 years, because they are not suitable for operation under 3 kV DC. Apart from a few tests, these vehicles never run.
One engine, the 492 004 came to Hungary in spring 2001. The MÁV intended to buy all 25 vehicles - if the tests will be successful and the price of the locomotives won't exceed that of the reconstruction of the class V43 locomotives. The main purpose was to use these locomotives on the lines Budapest-Székesfehérvár-Szombathely and Budapest-Hegyeshalom, therefore they tested the sample loco there for 3 months. Eventually - because of the unsuccessfulness of the tests - the Hungarian Railways did not buy the locomotives.
After unsuccessful attempts to sell the locomotives, ultimately the demolition remained the only option. One of the 25-piece series, the 491 011 will be preserved for posterity by Fondazione FS.

These photos were taken before the presentation, in the maintenance hall for electric locos at Budapest-Ferencváros station