Murtalbahn

Unzmarkt – Mauterndorf
Railcar and steam train in Ramingstein-Thomatal station
Course book route (ÖBB) :	630
Route length:	76.112 km
Gauge :	760 mm ( Bosnian gauge )
Maximum slope :	23  ‰
Minimum radius :	90 m
Top speed:	70 km / h
Legend of St. Michael 0.000 Unzmarkt (transition to the Rudolfsbahn ) 733  m above sea level A. Rudolfsbahn 1,800 Wallersbach 6.369 Lind-Scheifling 736  m above sea level A. Wölzer Bach 8,921 Niederwölz 741  m above sea level A. Mur 10.686 Teufenbach 745  m above sea level A. 12,926 Puxerboden 15,322 Frojach 763  m above sea level A. Connection to the Frojach Railway Museum 17,273 Saurau 769  m above sea level A. 20.266 Triebendorf 769  m above sea level A. 23,900 Gestüthof (until 2008) 784  m above sea level A. Lassnitzbach 26,313 St. Egidi 26,950 Murau 809  m above sea level A. 27,567 Murau-St. Leonhard Murau Tunnel (102 m) 29.200 Murau West 31.303 Kaindorf in the Murtal 827  m above sea level A. 32.670 Marbach golf course 33,000 St. Lorenzen ob Murau Ost 34.070 St. Lorenzen ob Murau 850  m above sea level A. 34.298 Kreischberg valley station 35.232 Lutzmannsdorf 853  m above sea level A. 37.280 Cäcilia Bridge (until 2014) 857  m above sea level A. 38.635 Wandritsch company switch 39,460 St. Ruprecht ob Murau 858  m above sea level A. 41.133 Falkendorf 43.294 Hagendorf Paalbach 43,950 Stadl ad Mur 891  m above sea level A. 47.244 Simply 48,550 Predlitz -Ladin (only loading point since 2008 ) 910  m above sea level A. 48,980 Predlitz-Pichl (until April 1, 1991 Pichl) Mur 50.110 Predlitz- Turrach 910  m above sea level A. -------- State border Styria / Salzburg Kendlbruck Tunnel (34 m) 52,440 Kendlbruck company switch 53.829 Backing 55.651 Ramingstein 960  m above sea level A. Ramingstein tunnel (98 m) 56.679 Ramingstein- Thomatal 967  m above sea level A. 57.352 Madling 985  m above sea level A. Mur 63.659 Tamsweg -St. Leonhard 1012  m above sea level A. Mur Leißnitzbach 64,320 Tamsweg up to here StB -Passenger traffic 1019  m above sea level A. Connecting railway warehouse Tamsweg Loading point sawmill Graggaber up to here StLB-Güterverkehr Locking shoe Lessachbach 65,850 Wölting 1036  m above sea level A. 66.300 St. Andrä- Wölting from here Taurachbahn- Museum traffic former Funcke connection State Road 222 Göriachbach 66.500 Start of re-routing from 1984/85 66.600 St. Andrä - Göriach 66.700 St. Andrä-Andlwirt 68.500 End of realignment from 1984/85 68.500 Lintsching 68.600 Lignitzbach 70.800 Southern Taurach 71.100 Mariapfarr Groebendorf 74.100 Steindorf-Fanningberg 76.112 Mauterndorf 1116  m above sea level A.

The Murtalbahn is a narrow-gauge railway with a gauge of 760 millimeters ( Bosnian gauge ) that runs from Unzmarkt in the Austrian state of Styria via Murau and Tamsweg to Mauterndorf in the state of Salzburg .

The line is the second longest narrow-gauge railway in Austria after the Mariazeller Bahn and is operated by the Styria Railway (StB) as far as Tamsweg . Until there it follows the valley of the eponymous river Mur . The route to Tamsweg is integrated into both the Salzburger Verkehrsverbund and the Verkehrsverbund Steiermark . The remaining section was leased from the Taurach Railway Company after regular operations had ceased . This is a sub-organization of Club 760 and runs a seasonal museum railway there with its own license . The name is derived from the southern Taurach , along which the railway runs in the upper section.

history

Murthalbahn Unzmarkt-Mauthendorf share from 1895

Laying of the foundation stone in Murau, 1883

Mauterndorf train station around 1900, colored postcard

The first interested parties to acquire a concession for a railway line branching off the Rudolfsbahn to the Murau district appeared as early as 1883 . In 1888, engineer Hermann Ritter failed with a project for a local railway between Sankt Lambrecht- Murau-Tamsweg-Mauterndorf. In 1889 the construction company Stern & Hafferl tried to apply for a license, but here too the project failed due to excessive costs.

On March 31, 1892, the Styrian Landtag decided to have the Murtalbahn built as a narrow-gauge railway due to cost reasons. As with numerous other railway projects, the central government in Vienna insisted on a track width of 760 mm for strategic reasons. On April 7, 1893, the Styrian State Committee was granted the concession to build and operate the Unzmarkt - Mauterndorf local railway for 90 years. Karl Wurmb was responsible for the planning , at that time director of the Styrian Railway Authority. With a few exceptions, the route was designed in terms of curve radii and inclinations for a possible conversion to standard gauge. The construction was entrusted to the company Stern & Hafferl. The groundbreaking took place on August 27, 1893 by Adolph Joseph Fürst. The first test drives took place on September 22nd, 1894. On October 7, 1894, the 76.230 km long railway line from Unzmarkt to Mauterndorf was completed. The maximum line speed at that time was set at 30 km / h. The Ramingstein-Thomatal-Tamsweg section was an exception. The maximum speed on the route was 25 km / h.

Even then, telephones were used on the Murtalbahn to communicate between the stations and the trains on the route. The Murtalbahn was the first in Austria to carry out the train notification procedure by telephone.

The festive opening of the Murtalbahn was celebrated on October 8, 1894 with a special train from Leoben to Unzmarkt, which brought almost 200 guests to Unzmarkt. Quote from the mayor at the time, Josef Mitteregger, in the opening speech: “The participation in this celebration, both on the part of the people of Murau and the surrounding area, should show the interest there is. Our long-cherished wish for a railway connection has now come true, with the next train our railway will serve general traffic and revitalize our quiet valley. We owe that to the high Styrian state parliament and outstanding men of the state. "

The first years of operation of the Murtalbahn were sluggish. But from year to year the Murtalbahn brought more tourists to the city of Murau, and in 1896 there was also a sharp increase in freight traffic. To speed up traffic, the Gestüthof, Cäciliabrücke, Kendlbruck, Madling, Lintsching and Steindorf-Faningberg stops were converted into stops on demand on October 1, 1912. In the period from 1933 to 1939, the first Austro-Daimler petrol railcars were used, which reached a top speed of 60 km / h. However, it was later necessary to switch back to steam because the railcars did not run smoothly. Accidents, technical difficulties, lack of fuel and susceptibility to repairs meant that the railcars were replaced again in 1939.

On July 1, 1942, the state of Styria took over the Murtalbahn. The joint stock company Murtalbahn Unzmarkt-Mauterndorf was dissolved and the assets were transferred to the State of Styria. At first the Murtalbahn was called Gaueisenbahn Unzmarkt – Mauterndorf and after the end of the war as Landesbahn Unzmarkt – Mauterndorf (U – M) .

Play media file

The slow train just before Ramingstein and at Ramingstein-Thomatal station

Multiple unit train between Tamsweg and Ramingstein (Sept. 2019)

The first diesel-electric locomotives were purchased between 1964 and 1967. With the conversion to this technology, the age of steam locomotives seemed to be over. However, railway enthusiasts, railway managers and tourism managers continue to advocate steam locomotives. So in 1968 the steam train appeared . These have been an integral part of the Murtalbahn timetable since 1969. To arouse additional interest in the Murtalbahn, the idea of ​​amateur locomotive rides was born in 1969. These were carried out with the Stainz 2 steam locomotive , built in 1892, the oldest locomotive of the Styrian State Railways. Since then, everyone has had the opportunity to drive a steam locomotive themselves.

However, there were problems with the Tamsweg – Mauterndorf section. The 11 km long route in Lungau is not ideal, the stops are too far away from the towns and therefore unattractive for the population. Due to the lack of capacity utilization, public passenger traffic had to be stopped on March 31, 1973 and finally the freight traffic that had remained on September 1, 1981. As a result, the official name of the Murtalbahn was changed from Landesbahn Unzmarkt – Mauterndorf to Landesbahn Unzmarkt – Tamsweg (U – T) . Above what is now the terminus, after the preparatory work begun in 1983 by Club 760 under the name Taurachbahn, museum traffic has been running since 1988 . Its trains stop at the stations between the upper end of the line and Sankt Andrä im Lungau and turn a little below at the former Funcke junction.

After purchasing only a small number of diesel locomotives, operations had to continue in the form of freight trains with passenger transport, which resulted in unattractive long journey times. Therefore, there have been repeated considerations to move all passenger traffic from rail to road. However, the decision was made in favor of rail. The Styrian state railways then invested in new railcars. On November 28, 1980, the first multiple unit (VT 31) was delivered to Murau. The test traffic in passenger traffic had already started on February 9 of that year. In 1981 a further three railcars (VT 32-34) were purchased and an additional four control cars (VS 41-44) in 1982. With accompanying measures, such as the modernization of the superstructure with increasing the maximum speed and the installation of fallback switches in crossing stations, a total package was created to make the Murtalbahn more attractive. In 1999, another multiple unit, the VT 35, was purchased. The five railcars and their control cars handle all passenger traffic on the Murtalbahn until a new generation of vehicles is purchased.

In 2011 the building of the Ramingstein-Thomatal train station was demolished due to high maintenance costs. Murtalbahn steam trains have been running to Wölting again since 2012 .

From July 24th in the evening to July 25th at 11 a.m., the 2016 railway line after mudslides in Tamsweg (Lasaberg, Einöden) was laid in one place and therefore closed.

On November 18, 2019, after heavy thunderstorms with heavy rain, a section of the Murtalbahn was severely damaged over several hundred meters due to mudslides and erosion of the track at Stadl-Predlitz. Operations between Unzmarkt and Murau could be resumed on November 20, the restoration of the rest of the route was completed on December 21, 2019. According to an initial estimate, the damage is estimated at around 2 million euros.

business

Today there is a passenger train on the Murtalbahn every two hours. The train crossings take place on the full hour in Murau. The diesel railcars VT 31–35 are used , some in multiple units and with control cars .

There is also freight traffic, which is carried out by the VL 11-16 series diesel locomotives built in 1966 .

The main workshop of the Murtalbahn is located at Murau train station. The inoperable U.40, U.43 and Stainz 2 locomotives are also parked here.

The Steiermärkische Landesbahnen invest in the operation and maintenance of the line, the infrastructure is in a condition comparable to normal-gauge main lines. The continued existence of the Murtalbahn was not considered secured for a short time at least in 2011. The reason given was the financial weakness of the state of Styria. Tamsweg's mayor is of the opinion that the Murtalbahn is an indispensable part of the regional transport concept, and the Styrian Transport Minister Gerhard Kurzmann also wants to keep the train, but refers to the tight budgetary situation.

vehicles

Steam train with U 40 in Murau station (1989)

Railcar in the original livery at Tamsweg station (1993)

Diesel locomotive with freight train in Murau

The workshop in Murau, this is where the vehicles are serviced and repaired.

The Murtalbahn operated in 2007

• 5 steam locomotives
• 3 diesel locomotives
• 5 diesel-electric railcars and 4 control cars (one of which is parked in Murau)
• 8 passenger cars
• 2 luggage trolleys
• 97 freight cars

The first four diesel-electric railcars (VT 31–34) were built between 1981 and 1982 by the Knotz company in Vienna, the fifth (VT 35) was supplied in 1999 by the Jenbacher works . The 5090 series of the ÖBB was designed according to their model .

Steam locomotives
number	Construction year	Manufacturer	Art	Power kW)	Power transmission	Vmax
Bh1	1905	Krauss Linz	C1-h 2 t	270	Superheated steam	45
Stainz 2	1892	Krauss Linz	Bh 2 t	090	Superheated steam	35
U 11	1894	Krauss Linz	C1-n 2 t	160	Wet steam	45
U 40	1908	Wiener Neustadt	C1-h 2 t	200	Superheated steam	45
U 43	1913	Krauss Linz	C1-h 2 t	200	Superheated steam	45

Bh1 and U 11 will be operational in 2019, the others are shut down.

Mainline diesel locomotives
number	Construction year	Manufacturer	Art	Power kW)	Power transmission	Vmax
VL 12	1966	ÖMAG / BBC	Diesel locomotive	390	DE	50
VL 13	1967	ÖMAG / BBC	Diesel locomotive	390	DE	50
VL 16	1967	ÖMAG / BBC	Diesel locomotive	390	DE	50

Shunting diesel locomotives
number	Construction year	Manufacturer	Art	Power kW)	Power transmission	Vmax
VL 5	1938	Demag	Small locomotive	160	DM	20th
VL 6	1959	O&K , Voith	Small locomotive	100	DH	20th
VL 7	1940	Gmeinder	Small locomotive	090	DH	20th

Railcar
number	Construction year	Manufacturer	Art	Power kW)	Power transmission	Vmax
VT 31	1980	Knotz / BBC	Diesel railcars	221	DE	70
VT 32	1981	Knotz / BBC	Diesel railcars	221	DE	70
VT 33	1981	Knotz / BBC	Diesel railcars	221	DE	70
VT 34	1981	Knotz / BBC	Diesel railcars	250	DE	70
VT 35	1998	Jenbacher	Diesel railcars	250	DE	70

Control car
number	Construction year	Manufacturer	Art	Power kW)	Power transmission	Vmax
VS 41	1982	Knotz / BBC	Control car			70
VS 42	1982	Knotz / BBC	Control car			70
VS 43	1982	Knotz / BBC	Control car			70
VS 44	1982	Knotz / BBC	Control car			70

tourism

In the summer months, the Styrian regional railways put steam trains into operation, which on Tuesdays and Thursdays travel the most scenic stretch between Murau and Tamsweg. In particular, the narrow valley between Madling and Tamsweg-St. Leonhard is considered a section with worthwhile photo motifs. The journeys are pulled by the locomotives Bh.1 or U.11 . Special steam trains can be used on the route and amateur locomotive rides can be ordered.

A narrow-gauge railway museum is located in a vehicle hall specially built by Club 760 at Frojach -Katschtal station . The 760 Club, Friends of the Murtalbahn , was founded in 1969 on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the Murtalbahn. The club is named after the gauge of the Murtalbahn (760 mm).

literature

• Along the Murtalbahn. New illustrated guide for the Murtalbahn Unzmarkt – Mauterndorf . "Tauern-Post", Tamsweg 1929. - Full text online .
• The Murtalbahn in words and pictures . (Published by Club 760 on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the Murtalbahn). Club 760, Murau 1974.
• Peter Wegenstein: Murtalbahn. Unzmarkt - Murau - Mauterndorf . Railway collection booklet, Volume 11, ZDB -ID 47388-1 . Slezak, Vienna 1979, ISBN 3-900134-55-3 .
• Gerhard Mayr, Helmut Wittmann: 90 years of the Murtalbahn . Steiermärkische Landesbahnen (Directorate), Graz 1984.
• Joseph Otto Slezak , Hans Sternhart: Renaissance of the narrow-gauge railway in Austria . International Archive for Locomotive History , Volume 36, ZDB -ID 256348-4 . Slezak, Vienna 1986, ISBN 3-85416-097-6 .
• Sepp Tezak, Franz Kleindel: Steiermärkische Landesbahnen . Volume 4: Sepp Tezak (texts), Helmut Griebl (photo): Murtalbahn . First edition. Bahn im Bild, Volume 56, ZDB -ID 52827-4 . Pospischil, Vienna 1987.
• Walter Krobot, Joseph Otto Slezak, Hans Sternhart: Narrow gauge through Austria. History and fleet of narrow-gauge railways in Austria. 327 photos, 1063 vehicle sketches, 23 route plans, 36 station plans, 11 type drawings . Fourth edition. International Archive for Locomotive History, Volume 3, ZDB-ID 256348-4. Slezak, Vienna 1991, ISBN 3-85416-095-X .
• Alfred Horn: ÖBB Handbuch 1993 , Bohmann Verlag, Vienna 1993, ISBN 3-7002-0824-3 .
• Helmut Wittmann (Red.): The book of the Murtalbahn . Steiermärkische Landesbahnen (Directorate), Graz 1994, ISBN 3-901474-02-1 .
• Markus Strässle: Local railways in Styria . Zeunert, Gifhorn 1995, ISBN 3-924335-17-6 .
• Markus Strässle: Narrow-gauge railway activities in Austria . International Archive for Locomotive History, Volume 43, ZDB-ID 256348-4. Slezak, Vienna 1997, ISBN 3-85416-184-0 .
• Ernst Wachernig (text), Johann Fritz (editor), Karl Pürer (photo): The Murtalbahn. This book tells the story of 110 years of narrow-gauge railways . Steiermärkische Landesbahnen, Graz 2004, ISBN 3-901474-04-8 .

Web links

Commons : Murtalbahn  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

• Website of the Steiermärkische Landesbahnen about the Murtalbahn from Unzmarkt to Tamsweg, "approx. 65 km "
• Website of Club 760 about the Murtalbahn and the Taurachbahn it operates between Mauterndorf and St. Andrä

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Archived copy ( Memento of the original from May 9, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
2. ↑ Lungau rail experience
3. ↑ http://salzburg.orf.at/news/stories/2787467/ Murtalbahn reopened after landslide, orf.at, July 25, 2016, accessed July 25, 2016.
4. ↑ red, steiermark.ORF.at: Mudslides: Murtalbahn badly damaged. November 19, 2019, accessed November 19, 2019 . 
5. ^ ORF Salzburg: Fears about the continuation of the Murtalbahn
6. ^ ORF Salzburg: Lungau residents want to get Murtalbahn
7. ↑ Kleine Zeitung: Kurzmann: "I want to keep the railway"
8. ↑ Information sheet of the Steiermärkische Landesbahnen  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF; 860 kB), accessed on July 18, 2011.