The Prototypes
In 1988 the first prototype motorcar, called "ETR 500-X" and nicknamed "Remo",as the brother of the first Roman king, rolled out of the factory in Vado Ligure. It was tested on the Direttissima line in the combination of a measuring car and an E 444 locomotive, reaching a record speed of 319 km/h (198 mph).
In 1990 the 2 first complete trainsets, called "ETR 500-Y" and nicknamed "Romolo", as the first Roman king, were delivered. They were used as test units between their delivery and 1995, when the first production sets entered into service.Between 1995 and 1997 they were also used in normal commercial service when there was a shortage of normal ETR.500 trainsets.
The 3 motorcars of the prototype sets are now based at different locations in Italy and unfortunately have been vandalised and graffitized. The middle cars of the 2 "ETR 500-Y" sets are now part of the two RFI ETR.500 test trains Y1 and Y2.
Read more about this topic: ETR 500
Famous quotes containing the word prototypes:
“As our domestic fowls are said to have their original in the wild pheasant of India, so our domestic thoughts have their prototypes in the thoughts of her philosophers.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)