Ciao Michael,
first electrical railway line was built in between 1899 and 1901 from Varese to Milano and it was based on a 650 Volt with a three rail system.
This was the first example of a three phases power supply system used in our country.
Third rail was placed at the side of the two main rails while a brush to take current was crawling on the third rail in order to pick-up one phase of the supply line. You can imagine how dangerous it must have been !
The main feature of the three-phase line was to have a double overhead line called "two-wire line"
The first example of commercial application was applied on the line between Colico and Sondrio-Tirano, known as the Valtellina line.
The first three-phase electric locomotives were the E 430 designed by Eng. Kalman von Kando of the Ganz company in Budapest. The most important and numerous group of three-phase locomotives was that of the E550s.
These were mainly used on the Giovi line between Milan and Genoa.
Three-phase locomotives are fascinating for both their electrical and mechanical complexity with the transmission complex based on the Bianchi connecting rod, named after the designer.
On May 25, 1976, the history of three-phase traction in Italy ended definitively after more than 75 years.
Several machines are kept at the National Railway Museum of Pietrarsa (Naples) the E333, the E432, the E551 and the E440.
The E330, E430 and E550 are exhibited at the Museum of Science and Technology in Milan, while the E431, E432 and E554 are kept at the Piedmontese Museum in Savigliano.
Hope this whetted your appetite for this type of locomotive !
Beppe