'British' sounding Italian DMUs

[ed1971]

I have found on Youtube a video of the Italian AL668 1800 DMUs that I believe were built in the early 1970s.

The striking thing about them, is that they have Wilson gearboxes and sound very much like first generation BR DMUs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ThOF7ZhlO4

[youtube]2ThOF7ZhlO4[/youtube]

 

[Trenitalia]

Some series of italian DMUs ALn 668 had the Wilson gearbox. These are the ALn 668 2400 (1959-1964) and Aln 668 1500 (1965-1967). All other ALn 668 have a 5 speed Fiat gearbox.

Aln 668 2400 and 1500 are the oldest series of these DMUs and had a Wilson 4-speed epicycloidal gear box.

Nowadays Aln 668 2400 and 1500 are not in regular service, but some units are used for historical trains.

 

[Groningen]

Really; is there something like a British sound. Than must the train been built in the UK (or at least the engine) and when was the last that happened?!

 

[Trenitalia]

All 668 DMUs were built in Italy by Fiat and Breda between 1956 and 1983.
These DMUs were built in many different series for a long period of time.

Only the units of 2400 and 1500 series had the 4-speed Wilson gearbox, built by Breda under license from Self-Changing Gears (SCG). All other series have a 5-speed gearbox by Fiat.

The engines are Fiat or Breda. Breda engines were fitted only on the oldest series.

Units of the third generation of ALn 668 are still in service. These are units of the series 1200, 3000, 3100 and 3300, built between 1980 and 1983. Nowadays, gradually from the oldest units, ALn 668 are replaced.