Tortona–Monleale Tramway

The Tortona–Monleale tramway was an interurban tramway line that connected the towns of Tortona and Monleale from 1889 to 1934.

History

The first tramway projects around Tortona date back to 1878, when engineer Pietro Frascaroli published a report on the construction of a series of steam tramways between Tortona, Serravalle Scrivia, Volpedo, Sale and Castelnuovo Scrivia. That report was supported by the municipality of Tortona, the Bank of Small Loans and Savings Bank of Tortona, and the municipalities of the district. Only in 1885, after the completion of the consortium road between Monleale and Castellaro, did discussions begin on building a tramway in the Val Curone; that year Commendatore Francesco Grattoni (brother of the better-known engineer Severino Grattoni), concessionaire of the Tortona–Sale tramway, proposed to the valley municipalities the construction of a steam tramway that would quickly connect the valley with Tortona.

In 1886 the valley municipalities, gathered in a consortium, studied the proposal for a tramway to Volpedo, for which a movement of goods and passengers five times greater than that of the existing line to Sale was forecast. The following year, Volpedo withdrew from the consortium of the Val Curone municipalities, because the municipality demanded that the tramway terminus be located in the town's main square, a request that could not be met due to limited space and the need to widen the bridge over the Curone. In 1888, after resolving some financial problems, the agreement between the consortium and Commendatore Grattoni for the construction of the tramway was signed.

The line was inaugurated on 6 April 1889 and entered service on 19 April of the same year. In 1903 the tramway operated five pairs of daily runs (plus an additional pair on Saturdays and holidays), covering the route in 35 minutes.

In 1909 the court of Tortona declared the bankruptcy of the Grattoni enterprise (which had meanwhile passed to the founder's heirs) and of the consortium of the Val Curone municipalities. The lines headed by Grattoni remained under provisional administration until 1914, when they were sold at auction to the Società Anonima delle Tramvie a Vapore della Provincia di Alessandria, also known as the "Belga", which in the province of Alessandria operated the Alessandria–Sale, Marengo–Mandrogne and Alessandria–Casale lines.

Over time, the line, by then in very poor condition, was no longer able to meet the needs of the local population. Consideration was given to electrifying the line or using accumulator railcars, but this was not possible. The line closed to passenger traffic on 10 July 1934; it remained in operation for occasional freight traffic (crushed stone from the quarries of Zebedassi, Montemarzino) until 1937, the year in which the municipalities concerned decided to declare the concession forfeited effective 1 January 1938.

Characteristics

The tramway was a single-track line with standard gauge of 1,445 mm, entirely on reserved roadside tracks. It developed over 10.345 km. The curve radius was 200 metres, and the maximum gradient was 17 per thousand. The trams could reach a maximum speed of 18 km/h.

Route

The terminus was in Tortona near Porta Milano; inaugurated in 1889, it replaced the previous tram station, built for the Tortona–Sale line and located near the public gardens.

The tramway then continued along the ring road (later Corso Romita), Porta Ticinese and Via Arzani. Leaving the city, the line followed the provincial road of Val Curone, stopping at the Via Garbagna stop. After crossing the Grue stream, the tram stopped near the localities of Viguzzolo, Castellaro and Volpeglino, then, running alongside the left bank of the Curone stream, reached the Monleale terminus, located at the foot of the town and equipped with a passenger building and a shed.

In 1894 a connection was built between the Tortona tram station and the freight yard of the railway station.

Rolling stock

Five bidirectional steam locomotives of the tramway type on two axles, built between 1881 and 1882 by the Schweizerische Lokomotiv- und Maschinenfabrik and Krauss, served on the line. As was customary at the time, they were given names: respectively Tortona, Camilla, Roma, Mafalda and Jolanda.

The hauled stock consisted of 18 two-axle passenger carriages and 14 freight wagons; all rolling stock was also used interchangeably on the line to Sale and on the railway to Castelnuovo Scrivia.

With the absorption of the Tortona lines by the "Belga", the rolling stock was also used on the other company lines; between 1927 and 1930 the "Belga" fleet consisted of twelve steam locomotives, 31 two-axle trailers and 70 freight wagons.

Motor stock – summary table

See also

• List of tram and light rail transit systems
• History of rail transport in Italy
• Tortona–Sale tramway
• Alessandria–Sale Tramway
• Alessandria–Casale Monferrato Tramway

Bibliography

Piedmont Category:Province of Alessandria Category:Transport in Piedmont