The FS Class 835 steam locomotives represent one of the most characteristic examples of shunting engines within the Italian railway system of the twentieth century. Designed in the early years of the century on the basis of the earlier Class 830 units, the Class 835 was built by Breda, as well as other companies, between 1906 and 1922 in a total of 370 examples, becoming the standard locomotive for yard service operations across the Italian national network (FS - Ferrovie dello Stato). Specifically conceived for shunting duties, the Class 835 locomotives were extensively employed to move wagons and train consists between station tracks, industrial sidings and depots, becoming for decades a widespread and familiar presence in railway installations. From a constructional standpoint, the Class 835 engines are tank locomotives, i.e. locomotives equipped with onboard fuel storage and water tanks supplying the steam generator. The latter operated with saturated steam and powered an engine with two outside cylinders and Walschaerts valve gear. The simplicity of the propulsion system, combined with the robustness of the frame and the good adhesion ensured by the three-coupled-axle wheel arrangement, provided high performance at low speeds, an essential requirement for their intended service. Throughout their long operational life, the class underwent numerous upgrades, including modifications to the boiler, increased fuel capacity, and the introduction of devices aimed at improving braking performance and operation during the frequent reversals typical of shunting duties. From the mid-1950s onwards, following the introduction of more modern diesel shunting locomotives, the Class 835 units were progressively withdrawn. In the early 1960s, a number of frames and their associated driving wheelsets were reused in the construction of the Diesel Class D.234 and the electric locomotives Class E.321 and E.322. In particular, the driving wheels were rebalanced by drilling holes in the counterweights in order to adapt them to the new transmission crank mechanism, as can be observed in the wheelset on display, restored by the Trenodoc Association and donated by Trenitalia.

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