Die Ybbstalbahn or Ybbs valley railway

Another of Austria’s beautiful narrow gauge railways is the Ybbstalbahn, in Niederösterreich (lower Austria), which follows the river of that name from Waidhofen an der Ybbs to Lunz am See, then climbs over the watershed on the section known as the Bergstrecke to reach Keinberg – Gaming in the Erlauf valley.

In the late 1800’s it was recognised that not only was there a need for a railway to serve the long established iron working industry but also that tourism in this beautiful forested area could receive a powerful boost if it was made more accessible.

The concession for the building and operation of a 760mm gauge line from Waidhofen a.d.Ybbs to Kienberg - Gaming was was given on 22nd October 1894 and work began on 1st June 1895. By 1896 the line was open to Gross Hollenstein (25 kms) including the 6 km long branch from Gstadt ( 6 kms) to Ybbsitz and by the summer of 1898 to Lunz am See (54 kms). It was completed to Kienberg – Gaming (71 kms) by the end of that year.

The railway worked in its entirety until 1988 when the Bergstrecke was declared uneconomical, fortunately it was saved by a Company set up as the N.Ö.L.B Nieder Österreichische Lokalbahn and is operated by the preservation Group Ö.G.L.B Östereichische Gesellschaft fur Lokalbahnen.using historic steam and diesel locos.

The line was originally worked by steam, three Yv class 0-6-4 tank locos being provided initially but trouble with these locos led to them being run bunker first only and turned at each end. They were subsequently supplemented with 3 Uh class 0-6-2 tank locos. All three Yv Class survived the end of steam, 2 are still preserved on the line whilst the 3rd is now on static display in Eichgraben.(near Vienna). Diesels arrived in 1947, although 2 diesels were tried out on the line in 1930, BBÖ 2021.01 (now 2090.01 and for many years shunter at Waidhofen) and BBÖ 2070.01 ( now 2093.01). The diesels introduced were the 1936-1940 built 2041 class with 1Bo1 wheel arrangement currently class 2091. However, steam was not finally displaced until the 1960’s as the 2091 class were not sufficiently powerful to operate the steeply graded section known as the Bergstrecke ( mountain section) between Lunz and Kienberg – Gaming. By 1962 steam was rendered surplus with the introduction of the powerful 2095 class Bo-Bo diesels.

Today the line is operated by 5090 class diesel railcars introduced to increase speed and decrease the costs of operating of operating loco hauled trains. However, the 2095 class locos are still used on one return journey per day and on the once weekly goods service.

Line Map and Station Photographs
including the Bergstrecke and Keinberg Gaming.

**** Look at The M i Xe d t R A i> N *****

The traffic on the line is almost entirely passenger with the busiest section being to and from Ybbsitz, which passes through housing and by a small shopping centre, it is also is convenient for schools and stops at the door of the technical college. The daily return working of the loco hauled train ( ex Waidhofen c.9.30 returning ex Lunz c1650 ) is the named Ybbstaler, which also carries a bicycle van thus making it popular with cyclists for a day out. There are of course regular railcar workings on the line.

The most interesting traffic on the line must be the weekly timber working, as it is now the only ÖBB line still using n.g. wagons, instead of carrying std. gauge wagons on transporter bogies ( rollwagen). On Tuesday a lengthy train of empties leaves Waidhofen after the 9.32 passenger departure and works to Gross Hollenstein where some swift shunting swaps the empties with the loaded wagons, after a break and the passage of a passenger train the train returns around 11.30. The wagons are subsequently shunted into a siding where a hydraulic grab transfers the logs onto adjacent standard gauge wagons.

Steam has survived with ÖBB operated specials and also by Club 598 using preserved Yv2 (598.02). The Bergstrecke sees regular weekend steam in summer using classic Austrian n.g. steam and historic diesels are also run. This year (2004) the ÖBB steam specials,”Schafkasexpress”,( sheep cheese express, the colloquial nickname for the line) ,which until recently were hauled by Engerth type 0-8+4 TT locos are being hauled by Yv2, which has just had a major overhaul.

The Line

Thee pleasant working and market town of Waidhofen a.d. Ybbs is situated on the line from Amstetten to Selzthal. At Waidhofen are located the transhipment facilities and loco depot of the narrow gauge , the platform of which is situated across the station forecourt. Adjacent is the former Goods/transhipment shed and loading bank with n.g and s.g sidings on opposite sides.

Leaving the station the line soon runs parallel with the main line and a footpath which leads to the town, as the station is situated about a kilometre from the town centre itself. Both lines continue to climb until the n.g line swings left skirting the rooftops of the old town to cross the Schwarzbach viaduct, the largest structure on the line with both stone arches and steelwork, to regain the Ybbstal . Immediately there is the haltstelle Schillerpark, only created in 1991, which is much handier for the town centre and the adjacent schools. In less than a kilometre the Lokalbahnhof ( station on the local railway) is reached , this being the n.g. station which served the town best before Schillerpark halt was built. There were goods facilities here and presently, Club 598 are using this area as a depot and workshops, 598.03 (Yv3) is under restoration here.

From either of the two stops a walk can be taken to viewpoints above the line on the Buchenberg ( park) which are good spots for photographing trains on the viaduct, with the towers and steeples of the town behind. Incidentally, Waidhofen is marketed as Stadt der Turme ( town of towers) and there are many photogenic corners, towers can get in a picture and some, if open, be used to take photos of the lines.

The line then makes its way through the outskirts past the halts of Vogelsang, at the technical college , and Kreilhof before running in the open valley to the junction of Gstadt. The large modern office furniture works of Bene are adjacent, containers from here go by road to Waidhofen for transfer to S.G. rail.

At Gstadt the 6 km Ybbsitz branch bears off left crossing the road on the level and then the river Ybbs on an impressive fish bellied viaduct to the first halt at Schutt, the line continues up the fairly wide valley of the Kleine Ybbs ( Little Ybbs) with other halts at Steinmuhl, Ederlehen, and Gurhof .. A useful cycle/walking path follows the line most of the way. The delightful n.g. station at Ybbsitz also retains the branch loco shed which is occupied by Yv 2 of Club 598. Ybbsitz is an interesting metal working village ( blacksmithing centre) with both working ( hand tool manufacture) and preserved forges.

Returning to Gstadt, the line continues in a narrow section of the valley passing the halts of Gaissulz, Mirenau and Furth-Prolling reaching the station of Opponitz where the hydro electric power station ( 1924) of the Vienna Electricity Authority can be seen, and shortly the only tunnel on the line. Then after the halts of Seeburg, Waidach and Hohenlehen comes Kleinhollenstein, a station and crossing point at Km.22, next the halt of Saimanslehnen to reach Grosshollenstein. Again this is a station, with passing loops and sidings for loading timber and serving the sawmill. This station sees a burst of activity on Tuesday mornings when the weekly timber train shunts.

Four more halts, Oisberg ,Blamau,Konigsberg and Obereinod take us a further 10km to St Georgen am Reith, with loops, sidings and shed. Passing another halt, Kogelsbach, takes us to the station of Gostling an der Ybbs, 44.1 kms. Finally the last 9 kms to Lunz am See , 53.5 km,takes in the halts of Steigenraben –Ybbstalerhutte and Kasten.

Lunz am See is a pleasant little terminus with small shed, sidings etc., and a short walk can be made to the little lake of Lunzersee (boat hire, swimming)

Beyond Lunz the line continues on the preserved Bergstrecke (mountain section). On this heavily graded and tightly radiused section there is a halt at Holzapfel and a small station with watering facilities at Pfaffenchlag after which the line begins its descent. There is a halt at Gaming before passing the last halt at Gstetten before reaching the the interchange with the ÖBB at Keinberg- Gaming, from here one can return on the standard gauge branch to Pochlarn on the Westbahn. Of particular interest on this section are the two tall steel trestlework viaducts at Huhnersnestgraben and Wetterbach.