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Austrian Railway Group |  | |||
Die Taurachbahn Mauterndorf - St. Andrä
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Once part of the Murtalbahn,
the Taurachbahn is a 10.6 km long section of
760 mm gauge railway operated by Club 760.
Closed to passengers in March 1973, the line
between Tamsweg and Mauterndorf survived as a
goods line, until June 1980. An over height
truck dislodged the overbridge at St. Andrä,
and the line closed beyond this point. The
owners, StLB officially abandoned the line
in September 1981, but negotiations had
already started to lease the line by
Club 760, and the lease was signed in
May 1982. Unfortunately, mineral extraction
west of St. Andrä had led to the removal of
the railway, and reinstatement was carried
out on a new alignment passing the works.
The bridge was replaced in June 1983, and
a special train was run right down the
line in October 1985. The Federal Ministry
for Transport granted the Taurachbahn a
public railway licence, rather than a
museum line licence, allowing it to
run goods trains if traffic could be
obtained. On 9 July 1988 the line was
officially reopened.
Services, which does not run every day,
even in Summer, start at Mauterndorf,
where a new carriage and locomotive
shed has been erected on the site of
the old goods shed. The main intermediate
station, Mariapfarr, serves the pilgimage
village of the same name. In 1815 the
priest in the parish church taught a
newly ordained priest who had come to
Mariapfarr seeking his grandfather. The
trainee priest, Joseph Mohr, was to write
a poem there, which when put to the music
composed by Francis Xavier Gruber, became
the most famous piece of music in the world -
the carol "Silent Night".
in the mood for a snowy look at Mauterndorf depot?
At St. Andrä the practice of fly-shunting
the stock is still carried out,
making use of the slope on the main line.
Passenger trains from Mauterndorf,
having unloaded their passengers at the
station, are taken forward and braked
to a halt at the former entrance to a
factory, now demolished. The loco runs
into a siding, and the coaches freewheel
past. The loco is attached to the
rear of the train, which is then pulled
back into St. Andrä station so that
the passengers
can reboard.
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Services, which does not run every day,
even in Summer, start at Mauterndorf,
where a new carriage and locomotive
shed has been erected on the site of
the old goods shed. The main intermediate
station, Mariapfarr, serves the pilgimage
village of the same name. In 1815 the
priest in the parish church taught a
newly ordained priest who had come to
Mariapfarr seeking his grandfather. The
trainee priest, Joseph Mohr, was to write
a poem there, which when put to the music
composed by Francis Xavier Gruber, became
the most famous piece of music in the world -
the carol "Silent Night".
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At St. Andrä the practice of fly-shunting the stock is still carried out, making use of the slope on the main line. Passenger trains from Mauterndorf, having unloaded their passengers at the station, are taken forward and braked to a halt at the former entrance to a factory, now demolished. The loco runs into a siding, and the coaches freewheel past. The loco is attached to the rear of the train, which is then pulled back into St. Andrä station so that the passengers can reboard.
Bi38 Markt Cadolburg
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298 56at Mauterdorf
Photo : S Ford Club 760's VL Braubach |
For source information,
their web site
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Tourist Information :
Mauterndorf:
Tourismusverband Mauterndorf, A-5570 Mauterndorf, Markt 52 Tel: ++43 6472 7949; Fax: ext. 27 Tamsweg :Tourismusverband Tamsweg, A-5580 Tamsweg, Kirchengasse 107 Tel: ++43 6474 2145-0; Fax: Ext. 42 St. Andrä : Tourismusverband St. Andrä, A-5580 St. Andrä, Nr. 16, Tel: ++43 6474 2147 Fax: ++43 6474 2283-75 |
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text by Stephen Ford
updated 7th October 2005