ARG history

The State Railways of Austria – Official Titles

as carried by many pieces of equipment at the time
The state railways have existed under a number of names. In addition there were and are many smaller local operators. In general their translation includes Austrian and Railways!

The following year saw the opening of the Buschterhrader Eisenbahn AG (BEB). The Südbahn-Gesellschaft (SB), and the Galizische Carl-Ludwig-Bahn, the Kaiserin Elizabeth Bahn (KEB) and the Aissig Teplitzer Eisenbahn (ATE) all opened in 1858. The Böhmische Nordbahn (BNB) opened in 1865, followed in the next year by the Kaiser Franz Josef Bahn (KFJB).In 1868 three lines opened in Austria; the Kronprinz Rudolf Bahn (KRB), The Lemberg - Czernowitz Jassy Eisenbahn (LCJE), and the Österreich - Nordwestbahn (ÖNWB). The following year, 1869, saw the opening of the Kaschau Oderberger Bahn (KOB). 1870 saw the opening of the Prag Duxer Eisenbahn (PD), and the Dux Bodenbacher Eisenbahn (DBE) followed in 1871, along with the Erzherzog Albrecht Bahn (EAB). In 1872 both the Eisenbahn Pilsen - Priesen (EPPK) and the Mährisch - Schlesische Centralbahn (MSCB) opened, and it was another 9 years, in 1881, before the last major route, the Eisenbahn Wien - Aspang (EWA) was ceremonially opened.

Although the first steam operated railway in Austria was the Kaiser- Ferdinand- Nordbahn (KFNB), opened in 1836, the first railway in Austria ran from Gmünden to the city of Linz, and then northwards to the city of Budweis, more famous these days perhaps for the homeplace of a particular type of beer. The line (the Pferdeeisenbahn) was horse-worked thoughout its' history. Opened in 1825, the line was used to transport salt - a very precious commodity at that time.

After the opening of the KFNB, the next major line was the Österreich-Ungarien Staatseisenbahn-Gesellschaft (StEG), which opened for traffic in 1854 between Bochnia and Wien. First proposed in 1829 and opposed by the then Emperor, the line opened using steam locomotives imported from England, including products of the Stephenson locomotive works.

That same year, the Semmeringbahn was opened, after 6 years building. The line, now a UNESCO World Heritage site includes 16 viaducts, 15 tunnels and two galleries. Such was the lengthe of the gradients, and their angle, that a competition,on the same principle as the Rainhill Trails in Britain, was run to ascertain the best type of locomotive for the line. Mallet, Mayer, Fairlie and Engerth locos competed, all being used on the line. souvenir badge from 150th Annivrsary specials

prssrved ex kkStB 91 107 operating in the 1990s in Kartnen Consolidation started quickly, for on 1 July 1884 kk.St.B Kaiserlich-konigliche Österreichische Staatsbahnen (Imperial-royal Austrian State Railways) was formed from the amalgamation of the KFJB, the KEB, the KRB and the EPPK. Five years later, in 1889, the LCJE joined the growing railway empire. In 1892 they were followed by the CLB and the EAB, together with the DBE and the PD. By 1895 the MSCB and the BNB had joined the kkStB, and they were joined in 1907 by the KFNB. ÖNWB and StEG followed in 1909 On 12 November 1918 the kkStB became the DÖSt.B Deutsch Österreichische Staatsbahnen (German-Austrian State Railways, but 11 months later, on 21 October 1919 Ö St.B Österreichische Staatsbahnen (Austrian State Railways) On 1 April 1921 the organisation changed its' name again, to BBÖ Bundesbahnen Österreich (Federal Railways Austria). In 1924, the KOB, ATE and BEB lines were absorbed by the Czech Railway company CSD. In 1937 the EWA, still a private company, finally became part of the national railway service.
After the Anchluß, the Austrian railway network became part of German Railways, being absorbed on 18 March 1938 into DRB DDeutsche Reichsbahn (German Empire Railway)
After the end of the War, on 27 April 1945, the railways inside the redrawn boundaries of Austria became Ö St.B Österreichische Staatseisenbahnen (Austrian State Railways), and following ratifiaction of the Federal State, became ÖBB Österreichische Bundesbahnen (Austrian Federal Railways) on 5 August 1947. This is still the name the company uses today.

Livery

A less formal history

One of the earliest locomotives in Austria. Belonging to the KFNB, it is in the Strasshof museum in Wien. "Ajax", a 0-4-2 built in 1841, is occasionally towed outside, although is is many years since it last hauled a regular passenger train.
The railways in Austria started to use electric power supplied from an overhead wire at a very early stage. The first electrification was between Mödling and Klausen, being "sparked" on 22 Octobewr 1883, and was extended over the next two years, firstly to Vorderbrühl, and then on 14 July to Hinterbrühl.
The first railway in the world to use Alternating Current was the Stubaitalbahn, which commenced electric operations in 1904.
In 1911 lines around St.Pölten were electrified, from the station to Laubenbachmühle, Weinerbruck-Josefsberg, and to Grußwerk.
In the meantime, consideration was being given to connecting Innsbruck with München directly - passengers having to travel via Rosenheim up to now. So was born the Karwendalbahn, from Innsbruck to Scharnitz and the border with Germany, and the Mittenwalbahn onward to Garmisch-Partenkirchn. At the same time the Außerferbahn was built, connecting Garmisch with Reutte, back in Austria, and the on to Kempten, back in Germany. The lines were electrified, firstly to Scharnitz on 28 October 1912, and extended to Garmisch, Ehrwald and Reutte in July 1913 - the line onward from Reutte was never electrified.
The Mittenwaldbahn was the first international line in the world to be electrified, and was done so at 15kV, single phase a.c., at a frequency of 15Hz, subsequently changed to 16 2/3 Hz when it was adopted as the country standard. Until 2003 some of the original overhead equipment was still in use on this route, and even today the original catenery posts are still used. Power was supplied from the railway company's own power station at Ruetzbach at the exit of the Stubai Valley, from where it was already supplying the Stubaitalbahn, and would eventually service the Arlberg route as well. The power station eventually closed in 1983, and is now a museum.
Twelve locomotives were built for the opening of the lines, being class kkStB 1060. Constructed by Lokomotivfabrik Wien-Florisdorf, with electrical equipment made by AEG-Union, Wien, they weighed 54.9 tonnes, and had a top speed of 40km/h up the very steep gradients on the line. 1060.01 is now preserved in the Heizhaus Museum in Strasshof.
By the end of 1924 the line from Wien (Großmarkhalle) to Preßberg, the cross-border route from Salzburg (DB) to the border at Freilassing, the line from Innsbruck to Landeck and the line from Stainach-Irdning to Attnang-Puchheim had all been electrified.
Lines continued to be electrified before and after the War. The last electrification was the line between Lienz and S an Candido / Innichen, although even today new electrified by-pass routes are being completed around and under villages and towns on the Westbahn, and on the northern approach to the Tauern Tunnel. Around 90% of the trackwork of ÖBB is now electrified, over 10,000 km of route.
The first standard/gauge "preserved" line in Austria ran to a coal mine - now the site of the OGEG collection at Ampflwang.

kkStB of 1894 plinthed outside Linz Hbf September 1997

Slovenia railways 28 029 former kkStB 80,120 outisde Knittelfeld Eisenbahnmuseum

material by Norman Lamb/Stephen Ford
updated 9th November 2004
Sources : Http://www.bez-freistadt.at/pferdeeisenbahn/artikel.htm , Http://www.pferdeeisenbahn.at/mainframe.htm
Http://www.eisenbahn-forum.de/index.html , Http://www.tmw.at/ . Http://bahnarchiv.st/at
Http://www.heizhaus.com/ , Http://oebb.at

Design and © 2004 RFerguson yewtreefm@aol.com

		Although the first steam operated railway in Austria was the Kaiser- Ferdinand- Nordbahn (KFNB), opened in 1836, the first railway in Austria ran from Gmünden to the city of Linz, and then northwards to the city of Budweis, more famous these days perhaps for the homeplace of a particular type of beer. The line (the Pferdeeisenbahn) was horse-worked thoughout its' history. Opened in 1825, the line was used to transport salt - a very precious commodity at that time.
		After the opening of the KFNB, the next major line was the Österreich-Ungarien Staatseisenbahn-Gesellschaft (StEG), which opened for traffic in 1854 between Bochnia and Wien. First proposed in 1829 and opposed by the then Emperor, the line opened using steam locomotives imported from England, including products of the Stephenson locomotive works.
That same year, the Semmeringbahn was opened, after 6 years building. The line, now a UNESCO World Heritage site includes 16 viaducts, 15 tunnels and two galleries. Such was the lengthe of the gradients, and their angle, that a competition,on the same principle as the Rainhill Trails in Britain, was run to ascertain the best type of locomotive for the line. Mallet, Mayer, Fairlie and Engerth locos competed, all being used on the line.
		Consolidation started quickly, for on 1 July 1884 kk.St.B Kaiserlich-konigliche Österreichische Staatsbahnen (Imperial-royal Austrian State Railways) was formed from the amalgamation of the KFJB, the KEB, the KRB and the EPPK. Five years later, in 1889, the LCJE joined the growing railway empire. In 1892 they were followed by the CLB and the EAB, together with the DBE and the PD. By 1895 the MSCB and the BNB had joined the kkStB, and they were joined in 1907 by the KFNB. ÖNWB and StEG followed in 1909 On 12 November 1918 the kkStB became the DÖSt.B Deutsch Österreichische Staatsbahnen (German-Austrian State Railways, but 11 months later, on 21 October 1919 Ö St.B Österreichische Staatsbahnen (Austrian State Railways) On 1 April 1921 the organisation changed its' name again, to BBÖ Bundesbahnen Österreich (Federal Railways Austria). In 1924, the KOB, ATE and BEB lines were absorbed by the Czech Railway company CSD. In 1937 the EWA, still a private company, finally became part of the national railway service.
After the Anchluß, the Austrian railway network became part of German Railways, being absorbed on 18 March 1938 into DRB DDeutsche Reichsbahn (German Empire Railway)
After the end of the War, on 27 April 1945, the railways inside the redrawn boundaries of Austria became Ö St.B Österreichische Staatseisenbahnen (Austrian State Railways), and following ratifiaction of the Federal State, became ÖBB Österreichische Bundesbahnen (Austrian Federal Railways) on 5 August 1947. This is still the name the company uses today.