Emily reached first Venice (and then Rome) aboard a luxury train, very famous in Italy. A train that has been in service since the early '60s until the end of the '80s called "Settebello" (a famous cards game).
Two months ago, the Italian State Railways foundation unveiled the restoration of the last surviving ETR 250 electric trainset, therefore starting a new era of high-speed luxury heritage trains. In fact this trainset has been equipped with in-cab signalling and automatic train protection systems which will allow for speeds of up to 200 km/h (125 mph) with maximum safety.
ETR 250 trainsets were the shortened and simplified four-carriage version of the most famous and luxurious ETR 300 Settebello. Each ETR 250 coach featured (and still does) a different upholstery color, hence the nickname Arlecchino (Harlequin). In it's original configuration three coaches were fitted with passenger seats, whereas the fourth hosted a pantry, a kitchen, a luggage compartment, and a phone booth. Meals were served at passengers' seats thanks to foldable tables which could be transformed into full-fledged restaurant tables. In later years the kitchen was replaced with a bar counter and the former luggage compartment was fitted with additional passenger seats, sporting a fourth different color. Here some pics of the restored train: https://www.ferrovie.it/portale/articoli/8612* *use the translation page function of google chrome to read the page in your language
The original seven-carriage ETR 300 trainsets nicknamed Settebello (Beautiful seven) were even more luxurious, and among others were mentioned on the New Yorker. The only surviving ETR 300 trainset is being restored too, and will return to service sometime in the next few (?) years. Thanks to a complete set of original blueprints, artisans such as carpenters, upholsterers, painters, etc. are carefully restoring and recreating any missing part. See here for a beautiful overview of this real jewel.
Looks like one of those fantasy ads for Amtrak or Penn. The details of the pic show more places than one actually encounters in the whole of one trip. Farms, beaches,the city...
Looks like one of those fantasy ads for Amtrak or Penn. The details of the pic show more places than
in the full era of Italian economic boom served innovations in technical and aesthetic level; and in the '60s the "Settebello" was the first Italian high-speed electric train. You can find more informations about it in the link I attached ;)
Nowadays there is only one existing model of this train, restored and used on special occasions. I have seen it only one time, in a little railway museum far from where I live, where they are finalizing a part of the restoration, and then they did leave it...a wonderful experience :)
Nowadays there is only one existing model of this train, restored and used on special occasions. I h
