Cog Railways In Austria

Cog railways are the true veterans among the many mountain railways and cable cars in the European Alps. In the late nineteenth century these masterpieces of railway engineering opened up the mountains for even the non-sportive sightseeing tourist. Soon, the masses discovered the pleasures of the mountains and subsequently changed the way we view and perceive mountainous landscapes.

A cog railway is equipped with a cog wheel which mesh with toothed rack rail, which are running just in the middle of the usual rail tracks. Thus the train is able to climb extremely steep inclines just tooth by tooth. The disadvantage of this system is the low maximum speed of cog railway which is usually not more than 25 kilometers per hour. Another common feature of cog railways is that the locomotive always pushes the respective passenger cars. Cog railways used to go with steam powdered locomotives. Thus, the locomotives usually had their superstructure (cabs and boilers) fairly tilted forward relative to their wheels. Thus the power engine was in level even on steep terrain. Modern diesel or electricity powered cog railway locomotives do not require this special feature anymore. Most cog railways use narrow gauges.

Today there are three cog railways still in operation in Austria. All three are operated as tourist attractions and to transport hikers and tourists up to special places in the mountains. Cog railways are especially perfect for family trips since almost all kids love the combination of old, museum-like railway techniques, fresh air and mountainous landscapes. Usually kid-related infrastructures (like game parks etc.) are provided by the operators at the main railway stations.

The Schneebergbahn starts at the the small, traditional spa town of Puchberg am Schneeberg in Lower Austria. The cog railway goes up to a plateau just beneath the summit of the Schneeberg (2076m) which is the highest mountain of the province of Lower Austria and the Easternmost 2000er of the entire Alps. The top station is equipped with a traditional hotel and restaurant with terraces and a large, modern playing facility for kids. The views over the Puchberg basin and to the surrounding mountains are gorgeous. On clear days it is possible to see the city of Vienna, the Lake Neusiedl and sometimes even the plains of Hungary. The relatively flat and safe plateau beneath the summit is perfect for easy mountain hiking, the summit is to be reached within a mere 45 minutes and there are some mountain huts for picnic scattered around the plateau. One hut is even on the top of the secondary summit of the Schneeberg, at an elevation of 2040m.

The railway has a total length of almost 10 kilometers (about 6 miles) and covers a height difference from bottom station to the top station of about 1,200 meters (almost 4000 ft). The Schneebergbahn was built between 1895 and 1897. Today it is usually in operation between the end of April and the end of October. For almost a century the Schneebergbahn operated exclusively with steam engine locomotives. Today modern diesel-driven trains (called Salamander due to their design) are used mainly, however steam locomotives are still used on certain occasions and on weekends during the peak time in the summer.

The Schafbergbahn is a cog railway located in the Salzkammergut region (Austria's lake district) in the provincial state of Upper Austria. The Salzkammergut region is famous for its many lakes spotted in between high, rocky mountains with the glacieted Dachstein mountain (2995m) towering above the whole landscape. The Salzkammergut region was in the nineteenth century (together with the Semmering) Austria's first top destination for recreation and tourism. Especially the nobles of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, on top of the noble crowd Emperor Franz Josef himself, were attracted by the gorgeous landscape and the deer hunting possibilities in this region.

The Schafbergbahn starts in Sankt Wolfgang am Wolfgangsee, a picturesque small town spotted in between steep mountain slopes and the lake and leads up to the summit of the Schafberg (1,783 m). The cog railway is almost 6 kilometers long and gains a total height difference of about 1200 m. The Schafberg is perfect for overlooking the whole region with its many deep blue lakes in the valleys and its many rocky peaks. The Schafbergbahn started its operation in 1893. Today the railway uses steam locomotives as well as diesel-driven trains. Today, the cog railway is in operation from Mai, 1st to the end of October.

The Achenseebahn in Tyrol connects the small town of Jenbach (562m) in the Inn valley (at the international railway between Munich and Innsbruck) with the tourism area around the Lake Achensee (929m) which is located in a secondary valley (Achen valley) high above the Inn river. The total length of the railway is about seven kilometers and it gains a total height difference of about 400 meters. The railway was built in the late 1880ies and started its operation in 1889. The cog railway is in operation year-round.