Semmering Railway - 2

The Semmering Railway - this is part 2 of the presentation.

Also available are from north to south part 1, part 3, part 4, part 5; anniversary 150 years and a gallery with winter images. For geographical orientation click on the area map symbol left!

This 2nd part deals with the section between Abfaltersbach viaduct and Rumplergraben viaduct.

When selecting images for my presentations, I try to mix shots from different decades, as far as available. Up to now this represents an overview over the last 20 years of Semmering operation …

Scroll down and feel free browsing ...

There is a hiking trail along the Semmering railroad. The logo displayed left up guides the way when running the hike. The trail which passes all important and interesting line locations also opens insight in the natural and cultural scenery of the Semmering area.

The longest version of the trail is that from the Semmering mountain station to the Gloggnitz valley station, which is about 23 km long. For detailed activity planning and scheduling there is some map and other material available in tourist offices and some specific inns.

The graphic above is from a folder of the tourist office Semmering-Rax-Schneeberg
  The Abfaltersbach viaduct will be the next building, this train will pass. In the back the Schneeberg mountain is visible and right the Schwara valley floor (8/2005).

Click on the photographs to enlarge!		  
  This image was taken from the same location like the one before. Just towards the opposite direction. A short stopping train has passed the Abfaltersbach viaduct after leaving the station of Eichberg a few minutes before. At the time when this photo was taken (about 1988), the class 1042 locos had additional corner windows.  
  This one is taken 16 years after the one before. The push pull composition also on the Abfaltersbach viaduct. Today regional stopping trains look like this. The train had passed the Eichberg mountain visible in the background by a 180° left turn (10/2004). (top of page)  
  Between Gloggnitz and Payerbach the line follows the Schwarza valley floor. Then the Schwarza viaduct crosses the river and the line climbs back until Eichberg. Then a new bend turns to west again. After the Klamm and Breitenstein station the two famous turns across the Kalte Rinne and the Adlitzgraben viaducts follow, and finally the line reaches its top at the Semmering station. Map: Amap BEV with ebepe graphics  
  IC 151 Emona has reached the station of Eichberg going uphill. In the background visible the former signal box west. Eichberg station is equipped with three tracks and therefore may be used for overtaking actions (5/2003).  
  At about 9:00 a.m. the railcar train IC 550 Ritter von Ghega passes the station of Eichberg downhill. Also Eichberg east has its separate former signal box (5/2003). (top of page)  
  Behind the station of Eichberg the line bends westwards again. The loco 1142.534 helps another class 1042 carrying the train uphill. In a few moments the train will enter the Eichberg tunnel (5/2003).  
  Same location like before but another camera position. The Eichberg - Geyregger - and Rumpler tunnel need now to be crossed. The 1044.111 don't need any additional loco, even when carrying "car carriages" uphill (about 1997).
  
  This downhill train uses the right track. The tunnel in the background is called Eichberg tunnel. Train IC 932 Oskar Kokoschka is leaving the Eichberg tunnel downhill. The early morning sun causes shiny and strong colours. The gray carriages with red roofs are latest Austrian design style (5/2003). (top of page)  
  About 130 m is the open distance between Eichberg and Geyregger tunnel. This shot of the single class 2143 Diesel engine was made from the Geyregger portal when entering the 89 m long Eichbergtunnel. Diesels are seen at the mountain when construction works are performed (8/2003)  
  Now the opposite view. In the back the Geyregger portal. It took a lot of time to find an open view hole within the catenary mess. A class 4010 train goes downhill (8/2003).  
  The light at the rear carriages indicates, that the tunnel length is just 81 m. In summer 2003 very hot weather conditions for long periods were causing forest fires. Left marks of such fire are visible. It's the uphill portal of the Geyregger tunnel with a regional stopping train (8/2003). (top of page)  
  This railcar approaches the Rumpler tunnel area. It's the 6010.013, the same train like shown some images later at the Krauselklause tunnel. I took this image, because one can compare the differences between the actual design (2002) and the original version as it was in the late eighties when the other photo was taken. Watch the missing corner windows and the not really fitting automatic doors, which were installed in the meantime (5/2002).  
  This is the valley sided portal of the Rumpler tunnel. The area is rather difficult to be reached by foot. A railcar passes the tunnel when rolling down the hill. In contradiction to the image before, the machine head is in front here. Steering head: 6010 - machine head: 4010 (5/2002).  
  About 900 m later trains are entering the area of the today unmanned Klamm Schottwien station. At both station heads turnout connections between the tracks are placed. This one is located directly in the curve (6/2004). (top of page)  
  The tracks reache the station of Klamm Schottwien located in a real panorama section. In a long bend the train approaches the Klamm tunnel. Today it's heavy to find an open position between the trees (10/2001).  
  The hourly regional train is stopping at the Klamm-Schottwien station. The train is mainly used by Semmering hikers, but the total seat capacity is not really often needed (5/2003).  
  This freight train is leaving the Klamm Tunnel downhill. The rather quiet operating noise of loco 1116.084 is in strong contradiction with the waggons, which are producing heavy sound (5/2003). (top of page)  
  This 3 Taurus headed train is at the same position as the one on the image before. Close to the tunnel a former attendant building is visible and left beside the train a special turnout construction for track changing opens the Klamm Schottwien station area (6/2004).  
  At about 6:00 p.m. a Taurus with train IC 631 "Universitaet Klagenfurt" has reached the uphill exit of the Klamm Tunnel. This Taurus belongs to the Gysev Company, it is leased from OeBB for 20 years (8/2005).  
  After leaving the Klamm tunnel the train gets closer to the Wagner viaduct. In the background the Klamm ruin and an additional rail attendant building is visible. Carrying this design release (orange color, corner windows, large headlights) class 1042 was well known for several decades (about 1987). (top of page)  
  Because of the left side traffic, the lookout to viaducts from train windows is plenty nice when going uphill; here the Wagner viaduct. In order to enable open object view to the Semmering world heritage for passengers, a lot of trees were felled in many places along the rail track in 2004 (5/2005).  
  Because trees are still leafless beginning of May, one can recognize that the Wagner viaduct is a two storey building. With 9 upper and 5 lower arches and 142 m length the building is the second largest of the two storey viaducts (5/2005).  
  Train crossing close to Gamperl viaduct. It seems that the track distance which is built here, is the minimum which is still operational without problems (5/2005). (top of page)  
  About 800 m uphill of the Wagner viaduct the Gamperl Graben viaduct chains on. Even in 2004 the 150 years anniversar of the line, the responsible railroad people did not decide to remove ugly plants from the parapets. (10/2004).  
  This is the 78 m long Gamperl tunnel. After leaving this tunnel trains immediately enter the Gamperlgraben viaduct which has 7 upper and 5 lower arches. Length is 152 m. The portal is decorated with some "supraport" (10/2004).  
  After passing the Gamperl viaduct, trains have to pass the Gamperl tunnel. The uphill exit is visible in the background. The regional stopping train with loco 1142.691 is climbing up this morning (5/2003). (top of page)  
  Side view of the location like on the image before. Here is one of the rare sections with open line view, also the line's inclination is pretty visible. Below of the tracks, the farm Pfefferhof is located and in the background the little village Klamm with church and castle ruin (8/2005).  
 

Now the Blue Notch. The name comes from blue material which was excavated here during line construction. Train EC 33 "Allegro Stradivari" is on tour uphill (5/2005).

  
  The upper end of the Blue Notch is fine visible from the opposite slope. Train EC 555 "Johann Nestroy" on its way to Villach. Some few meters later, the track again vanishes behind trees from this camera position (5/2005).
(top of page)		  
  Between the Blue Notch and the Weinzettlwand tunnel the Rumpler viaduct is located. Again EC 33 "Allegro Stradivari" is visible. There is just one small spot on the hiking trail, where a limited view to the line is possible between forest trees (5/2005).  
  Now we come to the spectacular sections of the line. The famous Weinzettlwand is located behind the forest slope, visible mid left of the image. Today the Weinzettlwand is passed via the visible Tunnel. But originally Ghega wanted to build the tracks open. Falling rocks and a lot of killed workers prevented this plan. Left of the visible portal a 40 m deep tunnel hole is remembering the old plans for a short tunnel to come to the open rock face (10/2004).  
 

When express trains are delayed - and in case the uphill traffic makes it possible - they sometimes take over commuter trains using the wrong track. This day, I catch EC 556 "Schauspielhaus Wien" with the tele sniper using the wrong track when exiting the lower portal of Weinzettlwand tunnel (5/2005).

For more information go to part 3.

  
Navigation: Rail world select - Semmering: part 1 - part 3 - part 4 - part 5 - 150 years - winter
Last Update: January 2022 - send me an email
-- content + design © ebepe - the ebepe pages - www.ebepe.com and www.eberhard.at - 1999 : 2022 --