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Description
A picture of the FS S685.600 locomotive, originally built in 1908 by the Società Italiana Ernesto Breda (its 1000th locomotive, moreover) as FS 680.100, a four-cylinder Plancher compound express locomotive; it was rebuilt between 1931 and 1934, fitted with superheating, simple expansion, Caprotti valve gear and a Knorr pre-heater. It was used to haul express trains on the Milan-Venice and Milan-Turin main lines, until the late 50s and early 60s.

The 685 group is considered as the best Italian steam locomotive ever to see service on the FS network : born to haul express trains (and the S685 subgroup was the most apt for this kind of service, with only the big FS 691 Pacifics being better at it), they were nonetheless very versatile (some in the 1970s even worked as shunters!); they were also very reliable and economical, not a minor detail in resource-poor Italy.

This particular locomotive embodies the overall success of this lauded group, together with what can be arguably defined as Italy's most important and successful contribution to steam locomotive design : the Caprotti valve gear.

This locomotive is not operational; it is preserved in the Museo Nazionale della Scienza e della Tecnica in Milan.

Description
A picture of the FS S685.600 locomotive, originally built in 1908 by the Società Italiana Ernesto Breda (its 1000th locomotive, moreover) as FS 680.100, a four-cylinder Plancher compound express locomotive; it was rebuilt between 1931 and 1934, fitted with superheating, simple expansion, Caprotti valve gear and a Knorr pre-heater. It was used to haul express trains on the Milan-Venice and Milan-Turin main lines, until the late 50s and early 60s.

The 685 group is considered as the best Italian steam locomotive ever to see service on the FS network : born to haul express trains (and the S685 subgroup was the most apt for this kind of service, with only the big FS 691 Pacifics being better at it), they were nonetheless very versatile (some in the 1970s even worked as shunters!); they were also very reliable and economical, not a minor detail in resource-poor Italy.

This particular locomotive embodies the overall success of this lauded group, together with what can be arguably defined as Italy's most important and successful contribution to steam locomotive design : the Caprotti valve gear.

This locomotive is not operational; it is preserved in the Museo Nazionale della Scienza e della Tecnica in Milan.