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 number163
Technical
Line length28.205 km (17.526 mi)
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in)
Minimum radius150 m (490 ft)
Maximum incline5.2  %
Route map
 Southern Railway
 -1,519 Wiener Neustadt Hbf
0,000 Wiener Neustadt Schneeberg station
Mattersburg Railway
Aspang Railway
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 number198 01
Service
Route number523
Technical
Line length9.851 km (6.121 mi)
Rack systemSystem Abt
Track gauge1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in)
Minimum radius80 m (260 ft)
Operating speed15 km/h (9.3 mph) max.
Maximum incline19.6  %
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 number166
Technical
Line length5.519 km (3.429 mi)
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in)
Minimum radius170 m (560 ft)
Maximum incline2.0  %
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
 5,519 Wöllersdorf
 328 m above sea level (AA)
 Gutenstein Railway
Schneeberg Railway - link line
Sollenau (Aspang Railway)−Feuerwerksanstalt
Feuerwerksanstalt. Right near the road: the
trackbed of the Schneeberg line
Technical
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in)
Route map
 Aspang Railway
from Vienna
 from Wittmannsdorf
 0,0 Sollenau Aspang Railway
Aspang Railway
to Ebenfurth
to Felixdorf
to Felixdorf
 Southern Railway
 Bridge
Spring water pipeline
 Gutenstein Railway
 6,9 Steinabrückl
 Gutenstein Railway
to Wöllersdorf
 Branch
from Wöllersdorf
 8,8 Feuerwerksanstalt
 Branch
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

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
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