Austrian Railway Group

Mariazell Tramway

The Mariazell tramway was opened in 1986 between the St. Sebastian station on the Mariazellerbahn, and the Erlaufsee, a lake 2.5 km to the north-west. The line was completely new, the original intention having been to use the 7 km end section of the Mariazellerbahn beyond Mariazell to Gußwerk, closed in 1988. When the sale of this line fell through, the decision was made to construct a totally new tramway to the picnic area being built near the dam at one end of the Erlaufsee, and to use some of the growing collection of tramway vehicles being stored by the organisation.

Unlike the Mariazellerbahn, which is 760mm gauge, the new line was constructed to standard gauge, and an interchange was built in the station yard at Mariazell. In the early years, standard gauge steam locomotives were used, as there was no overhead power supply. This was later supplemented by a tram connected to a truck containing accumulator batteries. However, overhead electric poles were acquired and erected, and the service is normally operated by electric tram. The museum has restored a Wien steam tram to working order, and this is used on the line.

The museum building at Mariazell is home to over 100 trams from Austria and Eastern Europe. Some have been restored to working order, whilst others are in long-term storage waiting their turn. Some of the trams have been stored at Brno in Czecholovakia pending restoration, whilst others were in Bucharesti, Romania. Amongst the many exhibits are examples from the tramway systems of Wien, St.Pölten, Salzburg and Ghioroc in Romania. Other items include working examples from the Wien – Preßberg (POHEV) line and include a 1913 built steeple-cab locomotive, built by Waggonfabrik Ringhoffer and a 4-wheel electric tram built for the Baden Tramway service by Grazer Waggenfabrik in 1900. There are four examples of horse-drawn trams from Wien, and an electric tram and trailer from the Wien – Baden line, built in 1907 by Ringhoffer (from Smichow near Prag. Subsequently became part of Tatra, and now trading as part of CKD Dopravni Systemij. As the station at Mariazell is over 1 km from the town, the tramway is to be extended along the former narrow gauge line trackbed to the outskirts.

The line and museum are open at weekends from Whitsun to early September, with additional services operating during national and school summer holidays. A roughly hourly service operates, with a gap in service at lunchtime. It is possible to hire a tram for sole use.