Hunting for rail: From Stagno[Livorno] to Collesalvetti
These
are two lines: Livorno-Collesalvetti-Vada
(the north south line) and the Pisa-Collesalvetti link.
The first one was opened in 1864 to connect Livorno
to Roma via Cecina-Venturina(Campiglia)-Grosseto-Civitavecchia,
the second one some years later to give a direct connection from the north,
without the need for a reverse in of Livorno s. Marco
Station.
At the time the direct line
from Livorno to Vada had not yet build (it will be opened in 1912) since
it was a greater effort, having to be for long ways in tunnel or viaducts.
The
map on right helps to illustrate the history:
The line from Pisa to Livorno
S. Marco was the first one to be built, in 1844, it is almost straight
on the plain. The line to Firenze was built immediately after, and in the
seventh decade of 19th century also the lines from Pisa to Genova and Pisa
to Roma had been built.
The latter was choosen to pass from Collesalvetti,
to avoit the hills south of Livorno, hence trains from Livorno to south
had to go NE then S back.
The line left the one to pisa at Livorno
Calambrone and to Collesalvetti, a 11 km single track line. In 1905
the line between pisa and Collesalvetti was double tracked.
In 1912 was opened the new line from Livorno to
Vada. The new line split from the old at Vada, Going to the new trought
station of Livorno Centrale,
and to Livorno Calambrone (that since then name as Quadrivio Calambrone,
since there are the four lines to Livorno centrale, the old terminal at
Livorno S. Marco now used only for freight to the port, Pisa and Collesalvetti).
In the same time was build the so called "collo d'oca" (goose neck) from
Bivio Mortellini to enter the station of
Pisa centrale from East, allowing trains from Roma to go to Genova without
changing engine. This of course reduced the traffic on the old line. The
net results was the downgrade from double to single track of the line from
Pisa to Collesalvetti and a large reduction of the traffic on all the line.
Then the end of the Line from Livorno to Collesalvetti in 1962 and the
close for passenger traffic of the Pisa-Collesalvetti-Vada
in september 1994.
The actual situation of the Livorno - Collesalvetti
line is different on the two sections: The section from Calambrone to Guasticce,
about 3/4 of the line is still in good shape, due an industrial spur used
until 1996
(PS: I have seen a locomotive and two
cars in february 1998), and hopefully to be reused in next times
once the new "Interporto Guasticce" will be completed, while the other
section is unused since a long time ... The above picture of a grade crossing
is eloquent: The bills on both sides are on a road that cross the rail
... are you able to see either the road or the rail ? The picture had been
taken in autumn 1994 as most of the others in this article.
On that time I decided to walk along the line,
from an end to another: I began to walk from Stagno, (In
May 1998 I decided to add a few pictures to show the line how is currently:
Below you see the Former Station of Stagno, now an home, and the pedestrian
overpass that was build in the öld good times" while the road had
a grade crossing. Since then a new canal have been dug nearby, and the
road have been moved two times, and currently is about 100 m West, overpassing
both the rail and the canal, and the pedestrian cross at grade, without
signals)
since The line was in so light use I walked plain along the rail ...
The walk was uninpressive for about two km, until
the factory, where the track began to rust, and the grass to grow .
just a few meters after the industrial junction the grass began to be
higher ... some time i had to walk on the border of a adjacent canal. The
picture at beginning of article is instructive ...
But after a few meter a surprise:
It
is an old Ale 790 facing me ... So I had to walk on sides ... and another
surprise: 
It was of course a old car deposit .... What better
of an old line to store that stuff ?
It looks howewer that not all people agree. So
a judge stated that a deposit of car in and abandoned line was an abusive
waste disposal so (see bill below) the FS had to move the cars, scattered
all along the way, in the station of Collesalvetti (Not used , but officially
active), then giving this line a complete run at end of 1994. (the cars
in the station of Collesalvetti "renews" themselves periodically, on november
2000 there is also a deposit of salvaged ties)
This Line had been three "stations" or better stops,
since had no passing tracks: Stagno, Guasticce and Mortaiolo.
The picture of the Stagno one,
that is very characteristic, is above, here is the one of Mortaiolo.
Note the small building on the left, near the
well: There was the bread oven for the people living in the station.
Until a few months before I took the pictures
there were on the line a small hand powered rail vehicle used by someone
to collect burning wood along the old line and taking to a grade crossing
to load in his car ... This could be considered an use of the railway after
the official closing?? (the one have been removed together with old cars)
East of this place in august 1997 the tracks have
been removed, and in 1999 also the bridges on the Tora river.
Eventually
the cart reappeared so i can link to a picture of it..
Note that the vehicles or right are not the same
of those of the first and the next pictures ....
Of course even these cars had graffiti ... it was
a pity that only these on the wood had ...
On
1995 these cars were moved, and in 1997 the line between the two bridges
on the Tora was dismantled since it was in a very bad shape (or to avaide
the tempation of using again for storage?).
On left the picture of the cabin where the grade
crossing attendent stayed. On the Stagno-Collesalvetti there are three
of such building still standing,
and many other on the section to Vada, inclusive
one on a section of line abandoned in 1872.
Below there are some pictures of the structores
of the bridge removed, The secon one show some marking on the bridge,
that is not an original one, but one put there in the fifties, using on
older bridge, that was carried by allied troops to repair somo other line,
and then taken here.
The
picture on left show the abutments on the second bridge, whith on the background
the viaduct of the A12 that from Livorno (Castagnolo) to Vada follows closely
the path of the railway, the lst picture in the series show instead
the piers of the first bridge coming from Collesalvetti.
Collesalvetti
If you will come here I will be happy to arrange
a trip together
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