24-102 is standing on the 
standard gauge tracks into Vorchdorf depot, awaiting repair. 
Just visible on the extreme left is the end 
of the metre-gauge station. Shot from the standard 
gauge station platform. 
Passengers cross all 7 lines between trains. 
27 Feb 1997 Photo S Ford.
Photo : S Ford 23 103 in Vorchdorf Depot

Austrian Railway Group

Stern & Hafferl Verkehr
LVE Lambach Vorchdorf


Promoted in 1897 as a light railway to connect Lambach with Vorchdorf and Grünau im Almtal, the standard-gauge branch line between Lambach, on the ÖBB Westbahn between Salzburg and Linz, and the market town of Vorchdorf, was opened in 1903. The section onward to Grünau was never constructed, as a standard gauge line from Wels was constructed. The line was operated by a local company until 1 May 1931, when it was absorbed by Stern und Hafferl. Electrified at 750V DC from 14th November 1931 (later raised to 800V DC), the line is still operated by S&H, who call it the Vorchdorferbahn. The line leaves Lambach station in a north-easterly direction, describing a 200 ° bend over the River Traun. The service shares track with the non-electrified ÖBB branch to Gmünden Seebahnhof (now disused for passenger services, but still open for freight as far as the paper making plants at Laarkirchen and Steyrmühl). At the first halt, Hst Stadl-Paura, the two route separate. The Vorchdorferbahn then heads in a generally south-easterly direction, through Bad Wimbach-Neydharting, and a number of halts, including Au and Feldham, before passing under the A1 motorway and entering the market town of Vorchdorf.

The line passes through Vorchdorf station, 14.66 km. from Lambach, where the passenger services terminate, to the ACAMP garden furniture factory at Eggenberg alongside the Eggenberg Brewery, brewers of "Samichlaus", at 14° proof, the strongest beer in the world, and brewed only once a year on December 6th. The total length of the line is 15.22 km. At Vorchdorf, the line shares station area with the metre-gauge Vorchdorf - Gmünden line, the Traunseebahn, whilst the main Stern und Hafferl workshops are also located here, at the north end of the station area. The workshops were built in the period 1943-1947, and are unusual because they deal with two gauges (metre and standard gauge) in the same building. Usually stored outside, near the narrow gauge station, are a line of tramcars awaiting conversion. S&H have specialised in converting vehicles for further use on their system, but because of lack of workshop space, these vehicles can sometimes be stabled for several years before being taken in for conversion.

Local goods traffic is hauled by one of the five electric railcars, the newest dating from 1953. However goods traffic to the factory is in the charge of E24 010, a Krauss Maffei steeple-cab locomotive built in 1910 for Wuppertal Tramways in Germany. The Traunseebahn, like other S&H lines, has special offers to tempt tourists, including "Ride and Beer", to Eggenberg, and a visit to a water-driven smithies mill at Bad Wimbach-Neydharting. Information is available, in German, from the Stern und Hafferl website.

Vorchdorf 20th September 2004,
our video subject 24 103 
stands in the center of the yard.

Look at some video : On the Stern und Hafferl standard gauge line from Lambach to Vorchdorf, S&H 20 113, and LVE 24 103 pull into one of the through lines having shunted up to Eggenberg Brewery. Both built in 1912 by Graz Waggon- Maschinenbau und Stahlwerk AG, now SGP, they are still in daily use.
(20secs about 450Kb in WMV format)View Now

Vorchdorf 20th September 2004,
turmwagen X24 641 languishes 
in the corner of the yard.
20 109 stands ready to depart 
from the rebuilt Lambach station, 
where it now has a platform. 
20th September 2004
Vorchdorf 20th September 2004,
E24 010 stand centre yard.
Built 1910 by Maffei 
and purchased 1980 from Stadtwerke Wuppertal
for use here.
Vorchdorf 20th September 2004,
One of few S&H freight types,
24 463 Kkkms steel sided open wagon sits beside 
units 24 103 and 20 113

ARG Lambach Vorchdorf - Gallery

For current information,
see S+H's web site.

Click on the ARG logo to return to the home page or here to go back to the previous screen.


text by Stephen Ford
Sources included : Http://www.stern-verkehr.at/sverkehr/, Http://www.vorchdorf.at/ www.eggenberger.at/

updated 3rd October 2004
Design and © 2004 RFerguson yewtreefm@aol.com