Schneeberg Railway

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.

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
Overview
Line number	163
Technical
Line length	28.205 km (17.526 mi)
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in)
Minimum radius	150 m (490 ft)
Maximum incline	5.2  %
Route map Southern Railway from Vienna Südbahnhof -1,519 Wiener Neustadt Hbf 0,000 Wiener Neustadt Schneeberg station Mattersburg Railway to Sopron Aspang Railway to Aspang Southern Railway to Spielfeld-Straß 1,047 Road bridge B 26 Approaches to Wiener Neustadt 2,105 Wiener Neustadt Anemonensee 3,674 Road bridge Süd autobahn 5,289 Bad Fischau-Brunn 280 m (AA) Branch to Wöllersdorf ~6,3 Branch to Bad Fischau 6,598 Brunn an der Schneebergbahn 8,611 Weikersdorf 8,793 Bridge 1st Viennese Spring Water Pipeline ~10,3 Siding Curti Limestone Works 10,408 Bridge Prossetbach 10,545 Winzendorf 332 m above sea level (AA) 12,850 Urschendorf ~14,3 Strelzhof to Neunkirchen 15,410 Willendorf 385 m above sea level (AA) 16,120 Rothengrub 17,525 Unterhöflein 20,607 Grünbach am Schneeberg 557 m above sea level (AA) 22,143 Grünbach School ~22,8 Siding Grünbacher Coal Works 22,988 Grünbach Coal Works 23,992 Grünbacher Sattel 678 m above sea level (AA) 26,809 Siding Rigips & Co. 26,820 Bridge Pfenningbach 26,850 Pfenningbach 590 m above sea level (AA) 27,831 Bridge Pfenningbach 28,010 Puchberg am Schneeberg 577 m above sea level (AA)

Schneeberg Railway extension Puchberg am Schneeberg–Hochschneeberg cog railway
Cog railway on the Hochschneeberg
Overview
Line number	198 01
Technical
Line length	9.851 km (6.121 mi)
Track gauge	1,000 mm (3 ft 3 ^3⁄8 in)
Minimum radius	80 m (260 ft)
Operating speed	15 km/h (9.3 mph) max.
Maximum incline	19.6  %
Rack system	System Abt
Route number	523
Route map 0,000 Puchberg am Schneeberg 577 m (AA) Standard gauge railway junction 0,205 Sebastianbach 1,098 Hengsttal 613 m above sea level (AA) 3,040 Hauslitzsattel 824 m above sea level (AA) 4,523 Hengst Hut 1,012 m above sea level (AA) 5,030 Water point at Hengst 5,940 Ternitzerhütte 1,231 m above sea level (AA) 7,360 Baumgartner 1,398 m above sea level (AA) 7,360 Water point at Baumgartner 8,532 Tunnel 1 (177 m) 8,886 Tunnel 2 (202 m) 9,672 Hochschneeberg terminus 1,792 m above sea level (AA)

Schneeberg Railway - branch Bad Fischau-Brunn−Wöllersdorf
Wöllersdorf station – junction with the Gutenstein Railway
Overview
Line number	166
Technical
Line length	5.519 km (3.429 mi)
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in)
Minimum radius	170 m (560 ft)
Maximum incline	2.0  %
Route map Main section from Wiener Neustadt 0,000 Bad Fischau-Brunn 280 m (AA) Main section to Puchberg am Schneeberg Branch to Puchberg am Schneeberg 0,686 Bad Fischau 1,657 Road bridge Süd Autobahn Bridge 1st Viennese Spring Water Pipeline 2,997 Siding Firm of MABA 3,054 Feuerwerksanstalt 3,311 Siding Firm of Stainer Branch to Steinabrückl 3,644 Road bridge B 21b 4,852 Road bridge Süd autobahn Gutenstein Railway from Wittmannsdorf 5,519 Wöllersdorf 328 m above sea level (AA) Gutenstein Railway to Gutenstein

Schneeberg Railway - link line Sollenau (Aspang Railway)−Feuerwerksanstalt
Feuerwerksanstalt. Right near the road: the trackbed of the Schneeberg line
Technical
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in)
Route map Aspang Railway from Vienna from Wittmannsdorf 0,0 Sollenau Aspang Railway Aspang Railway to Felixdorf to Ebenfurth to Felixdorf to Felixdorf Southern Railway Bridge Spring water pipeline Gutenstein Railway from Wittmanndorf 6,9 Steinabrückl Gutenstein Railway to Wöllersdorf Branch from Wöllersdorf 8,8 Feuerwerksanstalt Branch to Bad Fischau-Brunn

Railway lines in the Wiener Neustadt region

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. 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

• Austrian Federal Railways (in German)
• Lower Austriaische Schneebergbahn (in German)
• Gemeinde Puchberg