Robert Stephenson & Co. delivered a total of 50 2-2-2 express locomotives to the “Lombardisch-venetianische und central-italenische Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft” (LVCI) in 1857 and 1858. These were largely identical in design to numbers 155 to 164, which had been supplied by Beyer-Peacock. Shortly afterwards, the newly founded Südbahn took over 15 of them and placed them in class 1.

RA No. 1108, ex No. 39 “Cometa”, after being rebuilt as 2-4-0

Locomotive Magazine, September 1909

After Austria-Hungary lost control of Veneto and Lombardy in 1866, the LVCI locomotives went to the Strade Ferrate Alta Italia (SFAI). In 1885 they were divided into eight in the Rete Mediterranea and 22 in the Rete Adriatica. Eleven that came to the RA had recently been rebuilt to the 2-4-0 wheel arrangement. When the Italian State Railways (FS) was founded in 1905, there were still four of them, which were classified in the class 102, some of which survived until 1908.

In addition to 50 2-2-2 locomotives from Stephenson, the LVCI received ten more from Beyer, Peacock & Co., which were delivered in 1857. They also had the same cylinder dimensions and roughly the same wheel diameter. 

They came to the SFAI ten years after their delivery and were given the numbers 16 to 25 and later 81 to 90. When the SFAI was split up, they came to the Rete Mediterranea. When the FS was founded in 1905, there were still four locomotives that were classified in the class 102 together with the former LVCI Nos. 1 to 50.