Schafberg Railway

The Schafberg Railway (German: Schafbergbahn) is a metre gauge cog railway in Upper Austria and Salzburg leading from Sankt Wolfgang im Salzkammergut up to the Schafberg (1,783 m). With a total length of 5.85 km it gains about 1,200 m in height difference. Railway operation started in 1893.

Schafbergbahn
Schafbergbahn near St. Wolfgang
Overview
TypeRack railway
Locale St. Wolfgang (Austria)
TerminiSt. Wolfgang
Schafbergspitze
Stations4[1]
Operation
Opened1893[1]
OwnerAustrian Federal Railways (ÖBB)
Operator(s)SLB[1]
Technical
Line length5.85 km (3.64 mi)[1]
Number of tracksSingle track[1]
Track gauge1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in)[1]
Electrificationno[1]
Maximum incline26%[1]

Overview

The rail gauge is 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in). It uses the Abt system. Today steam locomotives (both oil and coal fired), two modern Stadler-manufactured diesel locomotives,[2] and a diesel railcar are in operation. Owned by Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB), it is operated by the local company SLB (SchafbergBahn und Wolfgangsee Schifffahrt), part of the Salzburg AG group,[1] that operates also the shipping on the Wolfgangsee lake.[3]

Lok 999.105 pushing a carriage up the railway featured in a short sequence for the 1965 musical feature film The Sound Of Music starring Julie Andrews. Several minutes of footage of the railway were included in the 1987 American-Austrian television movie Christmas with Flicka.[4]

Route

The lower station is located in the east of St. Wolfgang (in the state of Upper Austria), in front of Wolfgangsee. After leaving the town, and starting to climb the mountain, the line enters in the municipal territory of St. Gilgen, in the state of Salzburg. Nearest railway was the Salzkammergut-Lokalbahn Salzburg-Bad Ischl (closed in 1957), that counted a "St. Wolfgang" station in the opposite side of the lake, linked to Schafbergbahn's one with a ferry.[5]

Station[6][7] Km Amsl Notes
St. Wolfgang
0.00
542
 lower station, train depot
Dorneralpe
2.70
1,010
 water station, no passenger service
Schafbergalpe
4.00
1,363
 guest house
Schafbergspitze
5.85
1,732
 summit station, guest house
  • Going up Schafberg in a diesel railcar
  • Schafberg Railway summit station
  • Schafberg Railway train outside the summit station
  • Schafberg Railway trains passing on the way down
  • Locomotive Z13 at the summit station
  • Diesel unit Z21 at St. Wolfgang
  • Z12 at Schafbergalpe station

Literature
A 5099 railcar (ÖBB) and a steam train at St. Wolfgang station
  • Gunter Mackinger: Schafbergbahn und Wolfgangseeschiffe. Verlag Kenning, Nordhorn, 2008 - ISBN 978-3-933613-92-9

See also

References
  1. Infos about Schafbergbahn (official website)
  2. Railway Gazette, 03 Apr 2016 - SchafbergBahn rack locomotive delivered
  3. SLB: infos about the shipping (official website)
  4. Christmas with Flicka, Kultur DVD, D2986, 1987
  5. SKGLB map of 1957 showing also the Schafberg Railway
  6. Schafbergbahn timetables (official website)
  7. Route and technology of Schafbergbahn

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