RAILWAYS - PENDOLINOID92910062
As the current year of 2021 is the European Year of Rail and also marks the 80th anniversary of Renfe, we wish to dedicate the collection to the history of the railway so as to draw our customers closer to the evolution of one of mankind’s most important modes of transport.
The collection consists of 20 coins: 15 issued in 2021 and the other five, in 2022.
On the obverse, an image in colour of the Pendolino train, Model ETR 401, the world’s first tilting train to be put into commercial service. On top of the central image, the legend PENDOLINO ETR 401. Outside the image, devices reminiscent of different rails.
On the reverse of all the coins, inside a central circle, the legend HISTORIA DEL FERROCARRIL (HISTORY OF THE RAILWAY). Underneath, the value of the coin: €1.5 EURO. Outside the central circle, an image of a railway track.
| Series | History of Railways |
| Year | 2021 |
| Colour | Yes |
| Diameter (mm) | 33 |
| Face Value (Euro) | 1.5 |
| Metal | Cupronickel |
| Weight (g) | 15 |
| Maximum Mintage (units) | 7,000 |
HISTORY OF THE RAILWAY - PENDOLINO
Pendolino
Year of production: 1976
Maker: Fiat Ferroviaria
Country: Italy
Traction: Electricity
Transport: Passengers
Total weight: 161 T
Total length: 103.700 m.
Maximum load per axle: 10.5 T
Top speed: 250 km/h
Engine power: 2,680 hp (250 kW)
Italian railways also became involved in the research undertaken in Europe on the back of the Japanese Bullet Train so as to achieve faster convoys without the need to build new infrastructure. Hence, Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane (Italian State Railways) commissioned Fiat to design the Pendolino, whose main characteristic would be its tilting capacity. This function was regulated by the continuous action of accelerometers and gyroscopes while the pantograph maintained its natural position thanks to its special linkage.
The train was made up of four cars, each equipped with two 335 hp engines, providing a huge amount of power in respect of its low weight of 161 T. With this system, a top speed of 250 km/h could be attained. Another feature of this singular, ground-breaking vehicle lay in the fact that it had three different brake systems: the dynamic one, where the engines were used like dynamos for ordinary use; the electro-pneumatic one, used when travelling at low speeds; and the electromagnetic one, for high speeds.
The Pendolino was put into operation in 1976, covering the Rome-Ancona route on a track 298 km in length, a large part of which runs along mountainous terrain. Despite its special features, it failed to reach top speed in these sections. On the upside, with the tilting system, passengers’ comfort was greatly improved and travel time was far shorter. The Pendolino covered the Rome-Rimini route from 1976 to 1983, when the railway company withdrew it from service because it was found to be no longer profitable.
One of the outcomes of this story is that the Spanish railway company, Renfe, and Fiat entered into an agreement of cooperation to develop a tilting train which, based on the Pendolino, was registered by the Spanish operating company as Series 443-001. Known as the Platanito (Plantain), it made its maiden journey in the summer of 1976.