Schneeberg Railway

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 stationLeft: the tracks of the cog railway. Right: the standard gauge railway 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 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 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: thetrackbed of the Schneeberg line 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). 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.

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.

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.

Photos

• Schneebergbahn 922220.jpg

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

• Grenzstein der Schneebergbahn.jpg

  Boundary stone for the Schneeberg Railway

• Bahnhof Willendorf 1.jpg

  Willendorf station

• ÖBB 5047-093 in Puchberg 1.jpg

  An ÖBB 5047 at Puchberg station

• Brunn Schneebergbahn.jpg

  Two-car set of Class 5147 at Brunn Halt

• Puchberg Dampflokdenkmal 92.2220.jpg

  Steam engine monument

• Spezialkarte 4856 Wiener Neustadt.jpg

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

See also

• Austrian Federal Railways

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 (German)
• Lower Austriaische Schneebergbahn (German)
• Gemeinde Puchberg