Steam Loco Festival

Between June 7th and 9th, 2003 an impressive steam locomotive festival took place at the Austrian railroad hub Selzthal in Styria.

The event was organized by the Austrian Federal Railways (OeBB) and an organisation dealing with preservation of historic railroad vehicles (OeGEG).

Selzthal roundhouse is treated as protected memorial and visitors had much good opportunity to observe all ongoing activities.

Additionally some historic-like traffic based on several special trains was organized at the close environment.

My report has two parts: This first part has special focus on the steam locomotive presentation and everything which happened at the roundhouse and the turntable.

Part two is dealing with special train traffic which was organized as program amendment.

As participant I want to send best wishes to the festival organization - for rail fans it was a really breathtaking event. Especially the impressive views of loco parades in front of the 15 roundhouse doors, I want to point out.

But frankly spoken, Selzthal is worth a visit even if no festival is going on.
Because the roundhouse and the turntable are still in regular daily operation, this location is interesting for rail fans at any time. Around the turntable and at the surrounding area several historical locomotives are presented permanently.

Have a lot of fun now! Click on the images for enlargement!
  From some opposite slope a good view over the roundhouse area was possible. Many visitors could take their impressions when the scenic loco parades happened. There was placed some red-yellow painted platform car, where people could be lifted to the air for better overview.
  Obviously rail fanning is a hobby independently of age. Remarkable activity happened all the time and at best weather conditions. Besides the turntable area also shunting shows and drives at steam loco cabs were further attractions.
  All the days steam loco hauled trains approached from different directions and other ones departed. Therefore the mix of present steamers frequently changed. This one shows the approach of an OeGEG 01.533 headed train from Graz.
(Top of page)
  The organization "Oesterreichische Gesellschaft fuer Eisenbahngeschichte" (OeGEG) was co-organizer and exhibitor of several machines from their own locomotive stock. On the image visible is class 93.1455 which was the very first engine of OeGEG. Before WW2 this class was signed as 378 and production happened between 1927 and 44.
  But not just steamers of Austrian owners took part in the program. This one is class 424.246 owned by the Hungarian federal railways MAV. The engine presented a high level of maintenance standard.
  The MAV 424.246 has axle scheme 4-8-0 (twelve wheeler). Because the wheel diameter is not that large, I expect the loco was formerly built for passenger - and freight train hauling. (Top of page)
  This one probably was never in Selzthal during regular operation. The locomotive is one of the former units of Viennese city railway operation. Its actual depot is called "Heizhaus Strasshof", located north of Vienna. The equivalent OeBB class was signed as class 90.
  Here we have one of the giants of former express train transportation. The German 03.2294 is owned by the Bavarian Railroad Museum. This class represents the culmination of German steam loco construction. As tandem with class 12.14 she approached this day with some special train from Salzburg.
  This one is class 12.14 entering the turntable. The loco was built in Romania as license construction of the famous Austrian class 12. Some years ago OeGEG purchased this engine and adapted it to the former Austrian look. The 2-8-4 engine (Berkshire) is a real eye catcher for rail fans. (Top of page)
  Once again the 4-6-2 Pacific class 03.2295 from another view angle. The roundhouse and the turntable are ideal side scenes for such steam locomotive shootings. As visible, railroad oriented picture taking seems to be a rather popular hobby …
  The 2-10-0 (Decapod) class 50.3519 is an OeGEG owned engine too. It was built for freight train transportation, as the smaller wheel diameter indicates. The later class 52 was derived from class 50 by simplification. The construction of course complies to the general German uniformity code.
  This railcar class is called "Uerdinger". It approached from Carinthia operated by a rail fanning club named NIK. This image is the only one of this series not presenting a steam locomotive. All seats were occupied when approaching here. The body color seems to be the latest regular painting.
(Top of page)
  Views like this probably are heart breaking for every railroad fan. A parade of well maintained and fully operational steam locomotives in front of the Selzthal roundhouse.
  Today it's of high exclusivity, seeing so many fine engines together at one single place. Thanks good weather conditions and first class organization, all event activities could be performed successfully. In the foreground a 760 mm gauge guest is visible on a wagon. It's class 699.103 which actually is stationed at the Zell am See narrow gauge line.
  In the evening when some of the steamers had departed, roundhouse positions got vacant. These open slots were closed by placing electric old-timers there. In the foreground visible is class 1080.01, a former Austrian freight loco and behind the green colored Slovakian guest engine class 486.007. (Top of page)
  Closely after sunrise I could take this one from the roof of the formerly mentioned platform car. The flat early morning illumination perfectly models this scenery of steamers in front of the right part of the Selzthal roundhouse. It's not an every day shot …
  This all over panorama image consists of several single shots put together and was made from the platform car roof too.
Navigation: Rail world select - Festival Selzthal: Part 2
Last Update: January 2004 - send me an email
-- content + design © ebepe - the ebepe pages - www.ebepe.com or www.eberhard.at - 1999 ÷ 2004 --