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Austrian Railway Group |  | ||
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Austrian Railway Group | | ||
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A 900mm gauge private goods line, the
international 5km route takes quarried
stone from the rockface at Thiersee in
Tyrol Austria, across the border to the
Heidelberg cement factory at Kiefersfelden
in Germany. The electrified line transports
400 tonnes of rock at a time across the border.
The railway uses two narrow gauge Crocodile
locomotives, built in 1929 and 1930.
In 1990, following representations by the local community, the cement company, with assistance from the Bavarian government, bought three coaches from the Wendelstein Railway in Brannenburg, built in 1912. They then started to run a passenger service on seven summer weekends, advertising the service as the "Wachtl-Express". The weekend running is not regular, and intending visitors are enouraged to contact the Tourist Office or the company before travelling. The line starts in the works, near the DB station, but across the Kieferbach river, near its' confluence with the River Inn. The route leaves Kiefersfelden in a NW direction, passing through the centre of Kohnstatt before running alongside the river, passing a dam on the way. Bearing first west, past Schoffau, then southwest through woodland, the line crosses the river twice before terminating at Thier in Tyrol, just inside the Austrian border. Journey time is 20 minutes. There are five intermediate halts:
Booking and timetable information can be obtained from Museums-Eisenbahn-Gemeinschaft Wachtl e.V. Pendlingstr.6,D - 83088 Kiefersfelden, Germany (tel : ++49-(0)8033-304813 fax : 304814) |