PM cionfo in 2000
This is the S. Marco junction seen toward south, a train stop with
platform have been built here (The picture have been taken from the platform
in december 1997). This stop was not present in the original line, as the
ones at Pian del Mugnone and Cercina, and the new stop of Cure.
On the map, is at the bottom of
orange line.
On left you see the line to Campo Marte, the concrete pillars on right
were the place where the removed trestle was laid during the bridge rebuilding
(you can see the bridge on left )
Below images WITH the tracks, taken on 29/4/1998. On the image on the
right you can observe a svitch on the track: This one was put there since
the line has a slight but constant down gradient, to derail some escaping
cars.
On regular service have been removed.
And now [January 1999] the line in full (same point of view of above pictures):
This is same place looking north, on back the hill of Fiesole
seen from north: on the left the line to Campo Marte, the one under restoration,
on the right the line to SMN.
Going north the line for about 800 m is graded for double track, althought
presently only one have been posed.( the map
is here, every square is 1 km )
In this brief section there are 3 grade crossings, with extremely low
traffic roads, on the picture at left you see a thing that resemple a stream,
but it is a pedestrian underpass to to connect the two side of a
park that has split in two by the railway.
In the picture below at right you can see the supports for noise insulation
panels that are put routinely on new lines, when the track is near to houses
IF YOU CLICK HERE YOU CAN WATCH ONE OF THE
FIRST TRAIN ON THAT SECTION
IF YOU INSTEAD CLICK HERE YOU CAN TRAVEL
ON THIS SECTION ON THE FIRST PUBLIC TRIP
After it the line return again single track, cross under a stone arch
of a private road nd there you can find the new stop with the denomination
"Salviati". (picture on right, from the train)
and approach the former grade crossing of via Salviati, that you can
see
in the rightmost picture below.
This is a steep road that link the Bolognese with the Faentina. The
original crossing at level was (and still is, the rail are still on the
pavement) half the way, and would have let to serious problems, since it
is a narrow road with fairly high traffic. Then the new line have been
build passing below the road.
The odd thing is that this time, since raising the road, althought
from a transport point of view fine, would have had been unbearable from
an environmental point of view : imagine a viaduct croissing the valley
from left of the yellow buiding to the left , with an elicoidal exit in
half.
So the choose have been to move the railway in a tunnel even at the
cost to let it do a double S curve.
You see new trace behind the cypresses (where the tunnel begin) and
at bottom left where it exits.
This new section is green on the map.
And this is the final effect ...
Here
on left we can see the old ROW and the arch the we see in the previous
picture. The tunnel actually is more an underpass of the road since it
has a small gradient on both sides toward center.
On small picture on right you see the line on the hill, bevore entering
the tunnel of Calderaio
.
I feel obligated to waste some bandwidth and storage spages for two
images of the "gone" :-) grade crossing.
The first one on the left is the old gate, with a "private road" sign
posted by someone when still were no hope to have the line reopened, the
second on the right is very recent and show the rails still remaining on
the road paving.
I have no information if these are the only remaining rails of the
original line or they have been laid during a road repaving in prevision
of the line reopening. In 1998 anyway were still there ....
To end this sub-page an "historical" image It is a sign of preparatory works, when still the current FS spa had the name AAFS ...
Push here to get next sections:
For information on the section North of Pratolino (valle del Carza) click here.
If you will come here I will be happy to arrange a trip together
