Garden railway of the Graz Steam Railway Club
| Garden railway of the Graz Steam Railway Club | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Route
| |
| Route length: | 1.5 km |
| Gauge : | 127 mm and 184 mm |
The garden railway of the Graz Steam Railway Club (DBC) is a publicly accessible garden railway in the park of the LKH Graz II location south , Wagner-Jauregg-Platz 1 in Graz with a 1.5 km long narrow-gauge railway with gauges of 127 mm and 184 mm.
Location and route
The 1.5 km long garden railway loop is located in the westernmost area of the park of the Landesnervenklinik Sigmund Freud (formerly LNKH, new name: LKH Graz Süd-West, location south) on Wagner-Jauregg-Straße, not far from the corner of Kärntnerstraße in Graz . Over the entire length of the route, a welded three- rail track on steel sleepers with the internationally customary gauges of 127 mm (5 inches ) and 184 mm (7¼ inches) is used, which is also used for heavy garden railroad locomotives is suitable.
The route begins next to the signal box at Odörfer train station , which has three tracks secured with light signals and a bypass track as well as a scaled-down station building, which is probably the smallest in Austria. At the train station, the locomotives can be supplied with water to generate steam and compressed air for the air brakes. A track branches off from track 1 of the station to a hydraulic lifting platform with a load capacity of 1000 kg, with which locomotives and wagons can be lifted to the loading board height of small trucks or car trailers for loading. The rail vehicles reach the boiler house, the car hall and the water tower with a total of 450 m long side tracks via a turntable.
Behind the water tower, the 1078 m long route leads either back to the train station in a small circle or over a level crossing in a long loop with 12 to 15 m radii through the well-tended park. There are 18 light signals as well as 8 manually operated and 18 electro-pneumatically driven switches.
A tower-like signal box completes the ensemble.
history
The association was founded on September 3, 1999 after the founding members, who were mainly concerned with the construction and operation of real steam-powered railroad models, had already met in an interest group with monthly regulars. The garden railway facility was opened in 2004 and expanded in a second construction phase in 2007.
Rail vehicles
The focus is on the construction and operation of true to the original and functional replicas of historical steam locomotives and other rail vehicles in the scales 1:16 to 1: 4. Some of the suitable vehicles for passenger transport are even suitable for wheelchair users.
A three-axle steam locomotive based on the model of a two-axle narrow-gauge locomotive of the Decauville 8 t type with 600 mm gauge was built as the first club locomotive in 4,000 working hours within 8½ months . It was put into operation in September 2006. The locomotive has a 15 liter riveted and internally coated water tank on both sides, which is screwed to the driver's cab and whose level is displayed on the left in the driver's cab. There is a lubrication pump driven by the rocker for cylinder lubrication, a sandpit on the boiler that has not yet been in operation, and an auxiliary blower with a connection for compressed air for heating.
A double chassis powered by a Vanguard two-cylinder four-stroke engine from Daihatsu and Briggs & Stratton , the four bogies of which are comfortably driven by four hydraulic motors, has been purchased in the United States as the new Canadian Pacific Reserve club locomotive.
Guest locomotives are also welcome by arrangement and can be put into operation on the route.
Driving days
In the warm half of the year, on some weekends on Saturdays and Sundays, if the weather is fine, children can sit astride long wagons accompanied by an adult with a ticket, and on the long circuit an electric or steam-powered ride on the wider 184 mm -Lane can ride along.
Special events include a late summer night ride on a day around the summer solstice and St. Nicholas steam at the beginning of December or meetings of park railway builders with international participants.
Wooden tables and benches, sometimes even tents, are set up on the days of the ride, and sausages, ice cream and drinks are offered at a kiosk.
The fenced-in park is regularly open to the general public via a garden gate. In the area of the garden railway station there are permanent benches, a children's playground with swings and a drinking water fountain around May - October.
Web links
- www.dbc-graz.at (official website)
Individual evidence
- ^ A b Gernot Matzka, Wolfgang Haas and Franz Straka: Steam Railway Club - Graz. August 2009.
- ↑ Note. Company name of a Graz hardware wholesaler
- ^ A b Steam Railway Club Graz: system.
- ↑ Photo gallery: The new club locomotive "Canadian Pacific" introduces itself.
Coordinates: 47 ° 2 ′ 24.9 ″ N , 15 ° 24 ′ 53.5 ″ E