Schneeberg Railway

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This article is about the Schneeberg Railway in the Vienna Basin, with standard gauge and narrow gauge sections. For the cog railway, see Schneeberg Railway (cog railway).
Schneeberg Railway - main section
Wiener Neustadt−Puchberg am Schneeberg
Puchberg am Schneeberg station
Left: the tracks of the cog railway. Right: the standard gauge railway
Line length:28.205
Track gauge:1435
Maximum incline: 5.2  %
Minimum radius:150
Legend
 Southern Railwayfrom Vienna Südbahnhof
-1,519 Wiener Neustadt Hbf
0,000 Wiener Neustadt Schneeberg station
Mattersburg Railwayto Sopron
Aspang Railwayto Aspang
Southern Railway to Spielfeld-Straß
1,047 Road bridgeB 26
Approaches to Wiener Neustadt
2,105 Wiener Neustadt Anemonensee
3,674 Road bridgeSüd autobahn
5,289 Bad Fischau-Brunn 280 m AA
 Branch to Wöllersdorf
~6,3 Branchto Bad Fischau
6,598 Brunn an der Schneebergbahn
8,611 Weikersdorf
8,793 Bridge1st Viennese Spring Water Pipeline
~10,3 SidingCurti Limestone Works
10,408 BridgeProssetbach
10,545 Winzendorf 332 m AA
 12,850 Urschendorf
~14,3 Strelzhof
to Neunkirchen
15,410 Willendorf 385 m AA
 16,120 Rothengrub
17,525 Unterhöflein
20,607 Grünbach am Schneeberg 557 m AA
 22,143 Grünbach School
~22,8 SidingGrünbacher Coal Works
22,988 Grünbach Coal Works
23,992 Grünbacher Sattel 678 m AA
 26,809 SidingRigips & Co.
26,820 BridgePfenningbach
26,850 Pfenningbach 590 m AA
 27,831 BridgePfenningbach
28,010 Puchberg am Schneeberg 577 m AA
Schneeberg Railway extension
Puchberg am Schneeberg–Hochschneeberg cog railway
Cog railway on the Hochschneeberg
Line length:9.851
Track gauge:1000
Maximum incline: 19.6  %
Minimum radius:80
Rack system:System Abt
Maximum speed:15
Legend
 0,000 Puchberg am Schneeberg 577 m AA
 Standard gauge railway junction
0,205 Sebastianbach
1,098 Hengsttal 613 m AA
 3,040 Hauslitzsattel 824 m AA
 4,523 Hengst Hut 1,012 m AA
 5,030 Water point at Hengst
5,940 Ternitzerhütte 1,231 m AA
 7,360 Baumgartner 1,398 m AA
 7,360 Water point at Baumgartner
8,532 Tunnel 1 (177 m)
8,886 Tunnel 2 (202 m)
9,672 Hochschneebergterminus 1,792 m AA
Schneeberg Railway - branch
Bad Fischau-Brunn−Wöllersdorf
Wöllersdorf station – junction with the Gutenstein Railway
Line length:5.519
Track gauge:1435
Maximum incline: 2.0  %
Minimum radius:170
Legend
 Main sectionfrom Wiener Neustadt
0,000 Bad Fischau-Brunn 280 m AA
 Main sectionto Puchberg am Schneeberg
Branchto Puchberg am Schneeberg
0,686 Bad Fischau
1,657 Road bridgeSüd Autobahn
Bridge1st Viennese Spring Water Pipeline
2,997 SidingFirm of MABA
3,054 Feuerwerksanstalt
3,311 SidingFirm of Stainer
Branch to Steinabrückl
3,644 Road bridgeB 21b
4,852 Road bridgeSüd autobahn
Gutenstein Railwayfrom Wittmannsdorf
5,519 Wöllersdorf 328 m AA
 Gutenstein Railwayto Gutenstein
Schneeberg Railway - link line
Sollenau (Aspang Railway)−Feuerwerksanstalt
Feuerwerksanstalt. Right near the road: the
trackbed of the Schneeberg line
Track gauge:1435
Legend
 Aspang Railwayfrom Vienna
from Wittmannsdorf
0,0 Sollenau Aspang Railway
Aspang Railwayto Felixdorf
to Ebenfurth
to Felixdorf
to Felixdorf
Southern Railway
BridgeSpring water pipeline
Gutenstein Railwayfrom Wittmanndorf
6,9 Steinabrückl
Gutenstein Railwayto Wöllersdorf
Branchfrom Wöllersdorf
8,8 Feuerwerksanstalt
Branchto Bad Fischau-Brunn

The Schneeberg Railway (German: Schneebergbahn) is a local railway line in Lower Austria running from Wiener Neustadt to the Hochschneeberg mountain. From Wiener Neustadt to Puchberg am Schneeberg it runs as a standard gauge, adhesion railway (main section) and from Puchberg am Schneeberg to the Hochschneeberg as a narrow-gauge, cog railway (extension).[1] The main section from Wiener Neustadt to Puchberg am Schneeberg had a branch to Wöllersdorf from the outset. The section built later from Sollenau to Feuerwerksanstalt (extension) is now closed and renaturalised.

The line's name - the Schneeberg Railway (Schneebergbahn) - was not only used in the title of the original operating company, the Schneeberg Railway Company Limited, (Actiengesellschaft der Schneebergbahn), but has also been adopted by its latest operator, the Lower Austrian Schneeberg Railway Company (Niederösterreichsche Schneebergbahn GmbH or NÖSBB) founded on 1 January 1997. However, the NÖSBB uses the name Schneebergbahn only for the cog railway section of the route.

Management

Whilst the operation of the standard gauge section of the Schneeberg Railway is handled by the ÖBB, the management of the narrow-gauge rack railway is carried out by the Lower Austrian Schneeberg Railway Company founded in 1997, in which the state of Lower Austria - in the guise of the "Lower Austrian Transport Organization Company" (NÖVOG) - and the ÖBB each have a 50 percent share.[2]

The journey time on the main section from Wiener Neustadt to Puchberg am Schneeberg takes regional trains approximately 45 minutes on the non-electrified single track. On average 15 to 20 Regionalzüge trains run in each direction daily.

The Schneeberg Railway on the extension line from Puchberg am Schneeberg to the Hochschneeberg is a narrow gauge rack railway that has become an important tourist attraction in southern Lower Austria, transporting 120000-130000 registered guests per year.[2]

The journey up the mountain takes 53 minutes using modern coaches. Heritage trips using steam traction and the original carriages still take 1 hour, 17 minutes. The trains to the Hochschneeberg run hourly depending on demand. Adverse weather conditions can cause restrictions or changes to the train service. Services are operated from late April to late October depending on the weather. In addition, in April, special trips to the Hengst Hut are laid on.[3]

Photos

  • The original locomotive No. 22 Klaus was operated by the ÖBB as 92.2220 until the 1960s

  • Boundary stone for the Schneeberg Railway

  • Willendorf station

  • An ÖBB 5047 at Puchberg station

  • Two-car set of Class 5147 at Brunn Halt

  • Steam engine monument

  • The Schneeberg Railway and its neighbouring lines around 1915 (special map of the state records

See also

  • Austrian Federal Railways

References

  1. ↑ ÖNB: Reichsgesetzblatt 156/1895
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Press release of 25 March 1998
  3. ↑ Schneebergbahn GmbH

Sources

  • Alfred Niel: Der Schneeberg und seine Bahn, Verlag Kurt Wedl, Melk 1967
  • Informationsbroschüre der Österreichischen Bundesbahnen: Die Schneebergbahn seit 1897, ÖBB 1992
  • Slezak: Vom Schiffskanal zur Eisenbahn – Wiener Neustädter Kanal und Aspang Railway (2. Auflage), Verlag Josef Otto Slezak, Wien 1989
  • Alfred Luft: 75 Jahre Schneebergbahn 1897–1972, Verlag Verein der Freunde der Murtalbahn, Murau 1972
  • Slezak: Schneebergbahn bei Wien (ESA Heft Nr. 18), Verlag Josef Otto Slezak, Wien 1985

External links

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