Trenitalia in HO c2012: InterCity 731 Roma T. - Siracusa/Palermo- with Rivarossi E402a Pt1

This video is showcasing my recreation of this train:
   • E402 ALLA TESTA DELL' IC 731  
It is IC731 as shown on December 31 2012. This express as one of the Italian InterCitys that runs from the mainland, then splits at the Messina train ferry. The two halves then proceed to Siracusa and Palermo. In Pt2, I actually split the train and run the two halves with E656s.

The mainland portion of the train is as follows:
Riva E402a (adapted to the earlier blue/green Trenitalia logo)
2x Riva UIC-Z 2nd class
Acme UIC-Z BH 2nd class
Roco Gran Confort 1st series saloon, still with InterCity Plus logos
Lima Expert 2nd series Gran Confort corridor coach (adjusted to the green stripe XMPR variant)
ACME Giubileo UIC-X refit in standard XMPR colours
Lima UIC-Z 2nd class
ACME UIC-Z 2nd class (green stripe variant).

Around this time, some UIC-X Giubileos were repainted in standard XMPR express colours (rather than the mainlines version with blue around the windows). This makes it quite hard to spot the difference between these older coaches and the UIC-Zs (unless you look hard). I suspect that these coaches were brought in to cover for Eurofimas, which disappeared from the network at around the same time due to their Projetto IC901 refit.

To support this train, I brought out my Rivarossi ETR480 Pendolino. These were similar to the DC variant ETR460s. However, they were designed for upgrading to dual voltage. This was achieved from the mid to late 2000s, with the trains losing their classic white / red livery and becoming reclassified as ETR485. So strictly speaking, these trains are a few years apart, but the ETR480 hadn't run for a bit and I needed to give it a run. My one is only 6cars- it should be 9, but I haven't managed to source the additional coaches pack. It still has good presence as a 6 car.

Finally, I have my Lima E633 series 1 (Faiveley pantograph and original roof rheostat design) running a representative Regionale service from the mainline to Piacenza. Although the E633 was the freight geared version of the E632, it did run this kind of service (https://www.ilportaledeitreni.it/wp-c...)
The trains often ran with two or three UIC-X coaches in XMPR regional colours (blue doors)- mine is hauling a Roco UIC-X 64 and a Riva UIC-X 82.