Mur Valley Railway

The Mur Valley Railway (German: Murtalbahn) is a 760 mm (2 ft 5 ¹⁵⁄₁₆ in) narrow-gauge railway which runs along the valley of the River Mur from the market town of Unzmarkt through Murau to Tamsweg in the Austrian state of Styria although Tamsweg is just inside the federal state of Salzburg. The railway is operated by Steiermärkische Landesbahnen (a railway operator owned by the Bundesland Styria) and at 76.1 km (47.3 mi) is the forth longest narrow-gauge railway in Austria.

Murtalbahn railcar VT31 and steam engine U11 at Ramingstein-Thomatal station in 2005.

History

The railway line between Unzmarkt and Mauterndorf was opened in October 1894.

In March 1973 the public passenger traffic was stopped on the section between Tamsweg and Mauterndorf. This section is operated today by Club 760 under the name Taurachbahn as a museum railway.

Special steam trains and amateur locomotive trips still operate over the route.

Operation

Diesel locomotive VL13 at Murau in 2006.

Five diesel-electric railcars, introduced in 1981, are used to operate a service every two hours over the Mur Valley Railway. In the summer months the STLB operates weekend steam-hauled services between Murau, where the main workshop are, and Tamsweg.

Goods trains still operate on the railway, with trains hauled by diesel locomotives VL 14 and 15, built in 1966. Timber and petroleum tankers are the major goods transported.

The STLB invested in the railway, and the infrastructure is maintained to the standard of standard gauge mainline routes. There are good positions for photography by railway enthusiasts along the whole route, particularly in the valley between Madling and Tamsweg.

Museum

A museum is maintained in the locomotive shed at Frojach Katschtal station by Club 760.

Fleet

Number	Built	Builder	Wheel arrangement
Steam locomotives
Stainz 2	1892	Krauss	0-4-0T
U 11	1894	Krauss	0-6-2T
Bh1	1905	Krauss	0-6-2T
U 40	1908	Wiener Neustädter Lokomotivfabrik	0-6-2T
U 43	1913	Krauss	0-6-2T
Diesel Locomotives
VL 5	1938	Demag	B
VL 6	1959	Orenstein & Koppel	B
VL 7	1940	Gmeinder	B
VL 12	1966	ÖMAG	B-B
VL 13	1967	ÖMAG	B-B
VL 16	1967	ÖMAG	B-B
Diesel Railcars and Trailers
VT 31	1980	Knotz
VT 32	1981	Knotz
VT 33	1981	Knotz
VT 34	1981	Knotz
VT 35	1998	Jenbacher Werke
VS 41	1982	Knotz
VS 42	1982	Knotz
VS 43	1982	Knotz/BBC
VS 44	1982	Knotz/BBC

References

• Steiermärkische Landesbahnen (Herausgeber): Das Buch der Murtalbahn. Eigenverlag, 1994, ISBN 3-901474-02-1
• Walter Kroboth, J.O.Slezak, H.Sternhart: Schmalspurig durch Österreich. Slezak, Wien 41991, ISBN 3-85416-095-X
• Joseph O. Slezak, Hans Sternhart: Renaissance der Schmalspurbahn in Österreich. Slezak, Wien 1986, ISBN 3-85416-097-6
• Markus Strässle: Schmalspurbahn-Aktivitäten in Österreich. Slezak, Wien 1997, ISBN 3-85416-184-0
• Markus Strässle: Lokalbahnen in der Steiermark. Zeunert, Gifhorn 1995, ISBN 3-924335-17-6

External links

• Murtalbahn page from STLB web site (in German)