These pages have been mostly written from 1997
to 1998, during the works for the reopening of the line. The pages have
been eventually modified.
On 10 january 1999
the line have been reopened. These pages so have been partially modified,
often putting side to side images before the works, during the works, and
of running trains.
It is possible that this option led to pages
a lot longer to load, or pages just of a few lines. Follow the link on
bottom to go to next chapter.
Also it have changed the order of some pages.
See general index, also to see the current
status of the pages.
(read the page on northern part before
this)
The
southern section of the line have a more interesting history: On this section
the damages was more considerable, some tunnel entrances was demolished
and all stone bridges too.
This section is getting out of the city of Firenze, under the hills
of Fiesole.
For these reasons the rebuild assumed the aspect of the restoration, expecially on the bridge side.
The lines in origin had two origins, one at Firenze Campo Marte , bivio
Cure, for freight trains, the other from the Firenze SMN-Firenze CM line
, bivio Pellegrino. The two tracks joined at bivio S. Marco Vecchio, to
go to Caldine, Montorsoli and Vaglia. In fact the km progressive are measured
from Santa Maria Novella station, so the line leaving from Campo Marte
does not start at 0 but at an higher figure.
In Campo marte station only two particulars remain of the original
station of 1890: one is the water reservoir, now along via del Campo d'Arrigo,
the other is the steel road bridge at northern end and that you can see,
from a far view on image below.
In this first time only the section to Campo Marte have been restored, the other one have been delayed simply because its operation would have interfered with other works in progress around the locomotive depot of Romito.
This is a view [1997] of the entry from north of the station of Campo Marte, the space on left of the bridge is for the track to Borgo S. Lorenzo (is here the track of a next picture, althought not very clear) (full picture available)
The pictures have been taken in autumn 1996. At that time the track
from Firenze ended just off the station of Firenze C M ... at bivio Cure
...
In the picture below you sees the end of line: the concrete platform
is to allow rail/road machines to move on/off . .... Look carefully:
on the the train coming is loaded the steel a the new bridge ... I
tell you about that later.
This point of the line have been modified at different imes during
the works:
At a time from january to december 1998 had been a strange grade crossing,
with barriers on the railway side, that were opende only when works trains
had to move. Eventually a pedestrian underpass have been opened, and vehicle
access fron the other side.
After the station the line cross the river Mugnone on a bridge without
special care ..
The two diramations of the line passed above the road on two bridges,
that were the original 1888 iron bridges.
Below two wiew of the first one. (line to SMN)
These bridge had no maintenance since 1943 so they are a bit rusty ...
A view from below of the same bridge.
The reason for which this is the only remained, is that is in the section
not to be reopened shortly.
This
is what I wrote in 1997 ... on end of 1998 the bridge have been removed.
Here you can see (picture got from a running train ... sorry) the bridge
removed and put aside, on old railbed.
The other one have been changed to a concrete one. but ...
It have received a special cosmetic treatement:
Look carefully at image below and make your considerations:
You see ... the original iron trestle have been carefully cut and then
placed on side of the concrete bridge ... the iron is hooked at the steel/concrete
structure and have no longer any structural function, just an aestetical
one.
The other bridge, that is seen in this page on its original steel configuration
have received a similar treatment, and can be seen on the page about the
Bivio Pellegrino section reopened in 2001.
For the section from Firenze Campo Carte to Salviati I have also a real time movie of the inaugural trip. Click here to get it.
Push here to get next sections:
Bivio S. Marco Vecchio-Salviati
For information on the section North of Pratolino (valle del Carza) click here.
There is a detailed map, where in purple you see the laid tack and in orange the places where have to be laid. It is a LONG file so download only if you have fast connections. these MAP
If you will come here I will be happy to arrange a trip together
