Italian State Railway class 740

The Grupo 740 of the Italian State Railway was a freight locomotive with a 2-8-0 wheel arrangement, which achieved the highest number of all steam locomotives on this railway. It was based on the Grupo 730, but unlike it had no compound engine and was superheated. From 1911 the locomotives were supplied by Breda and Ansaldo and after the First World War Henschel supplied a larger number as reparation, which had three-axle tenders instead of four. A total 470 were made by 1923.

Like the 730, they could be used freely due to their low axle load and could also pull passenger trains if necessary. Officially they were approved for a speed of 65 km/h, but could also reach up to 80 km/h. Seven were rebuilt to Caprotti valve gear, which was successful, but due to more difficult maintenance led to these locomotives being retired in the 1960s.

The rebuilds to Franco Crosti boilers, which was carried out on 175 locomotives, was more successful. These were divided into Grupo 743, which had a preheater on both sides of the boiler, and Grupo 741 with only one preheater under the boiler, which delivered the same power. Both the rebuilt and non-rebuilt ones survived until the end of the steam age on the FS in the seventies. Some were even kept as reserves until the early nineties. A total of 49 were preserved, three of which are still operational.