FS Class E.330

Società Italiana Westinghouse

Industry	Electrical engineering, Locomotive manufacturing
Founded	1913
Founder	Kálmán Kandó (engineer)
Headquarters	Italy
Products	Electric locomotives (including Class E.330)

The Class E.330 was a limited series of three-phase electric locomotives operated by Ferrovie dello Stato (FS) in Italy, introduced during the 1910s.

History

At the turn of the 20th century, the effective implementation of Three-phase AC railway electrification on mountainous routes such as the Valtellina line, the Simplon Tunnel, and the Turin-Genoa railway#Giovi Pass line prompted FS, led by Riccardo Bianchi, to broaden electrification across additional railways where electric traction offered enhanced performance. To equip these new electrified lines, FS commissioned three groups of electric locomotives, including the E.330 and the FS Class E.550, while an E.551 class was planned but never realized.

Distinct from earlier electric locomotives designed for steep grades, these newer models needed to provide multiple speed settings—a challenging feature at the time because three-phase motors operate at a constant speed dictated by the supply frequency. The E.330 was engineered with four selectable speeds (surpassing the single-speed FS Class E.430 and dual-speed contemporary FS Class E.550) thanks to innovations patented by German engineer Manu Stern and Hungarian engineer Maurice Milch. Its wheel configuration was chosen as 1′C1′, mirroring that of the contemporaneous steam locomotive class FS Class 685.

The production agreement was finalized in 1913, with manufacturing commencing at Società Italiana Westinghouse, which developed the design under the leadership of engineer Kálmán Kandó. The mechanical components were produced jointly with Società Italiana Ernesto Breda.

Initially deployed on the Valtellina and Ligurian coastal routes, the E.330 locomotives entered service in spring 1914. They were subsequently utilized on various Lombardy three-phase networks until these lines were converted to the standardized 3,000 V direct current system starting in 1962.

The entire fleet of E.330 units was retired throughout the 1960s.