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Steiermärkische Landesbahnen
Weiz to Anger

 
Gauge : 760mm
Status : Freight ceased
(click on photos to enlarge)

 
Steiermärkische Landesbahnen  

The Feistritztalbahn is operated by the Steiermärkische Landesbahnen, and was originally 42.5km long, running from Weiz, north to Ratten. Now the line only runs as far as Birkfield and this is only for special steam services. At the time these photos were taken goods traffic only used the first 11km of the railway serving one factory.

 

Date: May 1996

Date: May 1996

Date: May 1996

The narrow gauge/standard gauge transhipment was carried out at Weiz(above), where recent investment in the narrow gauge system had seen new facilities, and rolling stock, built to modernise the service.

Seen alongside the transhipment facility in May 1996, one of the railway's two ÖAM built BoBo Diesel locos, VL14 readies a train of tankers in Weiz sidings. This loco was built in 1967. To the left of this is a small standard gauge 4w Jenbach diesel, used for shunting at Weiz.

To the right of the previous picture are situated the workshops and loco sheds for the line. Again much of this had been rebuilt in recent years.

 

Date: May 1996

Date: May 1996

Date: May 1996

A brief look around the sidings at Weiz in 1996, showed much evidence of the new rolling stock, with new covered vans, tankers, and flat wagons.

RT3 is the line's smallest loco, bult by Deutz in 1957, and aquired by the railway in 1980. It was often used to shunt the factory siding at the far end of the line.

Oberfeistritz was the current terminus of the freight traffic. Here, VL14 had travelled the 11km from Weiz, and draws into the loop in front of the station. On the left, VL4 is seen approaching the station with a short train of tankers from the talcum factory. This factory is still served by an aeriel ropeway from the adjacent hillside.

Date: May 1996

Date: May 1996

VL4 passes infront of VL14 to exchange wagons for the talcum factory. This small 0-6-0 is a Wehrmacht HF loco built in 1942 by Gmeinder.

After a small amount of shunting, VL14 departs back for Weiz. In 1996, this was the only train of the day. What is not immediately apparent from these photos is the scenic nature of the railway with several short tunnels, and many viaducts, including the 276m Grub Viaduct.

 
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© Steve Thomason 2019
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