1 0 8 ), ▁from ▁ 1 9 4 0 ▁to ▁ 1 9 4 2 ▁ 2 nd ▁series ▁( 1 0 9 - 2 4 3 ), ▁from ▁ 1 9 5 2 ▁to ▁ 1 9 5 6 ▁ 3 rd ▁series ▁( 2 4 4 - 4 6 9 ), ▁from ▁ 1 9 5 7 ▁to ▁ 1 9 6 2 ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁unit ▁entered ▁service ▁in ▁May ▁ 1 9 4 0 . ▁Six ▁locomot ives ▁were ▁destroyed ▁during ▁World ▁War ▁II . ▁After ▁the ▁war ▁the ▁total ▁number ▁of ▁locomot ives ▁was ▁brought ▁to ▁ 4 6 9 , ▁also ▁thanks ▁to ▁the ▁support ▁from ▁the ▁Marshall ▁Plan , ▁and ▁making ▁it ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁numerous ▁groups ▁of ▁Italian ▁locomot ives . ▁All ▁the ▁units ▁were ▁painted ▁with ▁an ▁a ub urn ▁li very ; ▁this ▁was ▁changed ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 0 s ▁to ▁a ▁white ▁one ▁with ▁green ▁stri pes ▁for ▁most ▁trains ▁( X MP R ▁li very ). ▁ ▁By ▁ 2 0 0 0 s ▁railway ▁standards , ▁E . 6 3 6 s ▁were ▁old ▁and ▁un com fort able . ▁The ▁original ▁design ▁of ▁the ▁co ck p its ▁proved ▁absolutely ▁un fit ▁to ▁modern ▁safety ▁standards : ▁this ▁was ▁shown ▁in ▁an ▁accident ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 6 ▁at ▁Sul m ona , ▁where ▁the ▁engine ▁driver ▁died ▁despite ▁the ▁low ▁speed , ▁without ▁being ▁able ▁to ▁leave ▁the ▁co ck pit ▁in