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Weiz to Anger Austria Gauge : 760mm Status : Working A short but scenic line still continues with freight services by virtue of a singe factory still using the railway |
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. Goods traffic only uses the first 11km of the railway serving one factory. The narrow gauge/standard gauge transhipment is carried out at Weiz(above), where recent investment in the narrow gauge system has seen new facilities, and rolling stock built to modernise the service.
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Seen alongside the transhipment facility in May 1996, one of the railway's two ÖAM
built BoBo Diesel locos, VL14 readies a train of NG 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.
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To the right of the previous picture are situated the workshops and loco sheds for the
line. Again much of this has been rebuilt in recent years.
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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.
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RT3 is the line's smallest loco, bult by Deutz in 1957, and aquired by the railway in
1980. It is often used to shunt the factory siding at the far end of the line.
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Oberfeistritz is the current terminus of the freight traffic. Here, VL14 has 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.
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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.
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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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