FIAT « Littorine » RAILCAR - THE FRANCO ETHIOPIAN RAILWAY FROM 1900 TO 1980.
Gallery N°37 : FIAT « Littorine » RAILCAR (C.F.E. period)
In 1938 the company ordered, and took delivery of, three "Littorine" railcars from the Italian manufacturing company FIAT.
Equipped with 2 diesel engines of 115 hp and designed to carry 27 passengers, they were used exclusively by day on a regular service between Dire Dawa, Awash and Addis-Ababa.
They were originally delivered without cowcatchers and the technical department of the CFE had to improvise. The first cowcatcher fabricated in-house was made in one piece and was very heavy. It created an air circulation problem that affected engine cooling. Eventually, in 1948, a cooling grille was incorporated in the design.
These railcars remained in service until 1965.