# Schneeberg Railway

The Schneeberg Railway (German: Schneebergbahn) is a local railway line in Lower Austria running from Wiener Neustadt to the Hochschneeberg mountain.

## Location

Between Wiener Neustadt and Puchberg am Schneeberg (the main section) it runs as a standard gauge adhesion railway, and on the Puchberg am Schneeberg–Hochschneeberg extension as a narrow-gauge cog railway . The main section from Wiener Neustadt to Puchberg am Schneeberg had a branch to Wöllersdorf from the outset. The section built later from Sollenau to Feuerwerksanstalt (extension) is now closed and renaturalised.
The line's name - the Schneeberg Railway (Schneebergbahn) - was not only used in the title of the original operating company, the Schneeberg Railway Company Limited, (Actiengesellschaft der Schneebergbahn), but has also been adopted by its latest operator, the Lower Austrian Schneeberg Railway Company (Niederösterreichsche Schneebergbahn GmbH or NÖSBB) founded on 1 January 1997. However, the NÖSBB uses the name Schneebergbahn only for the cog railway section of the route.

## Management

Whilst the operation of the standard gauge section of the Schneeberg Railway is handled by the ÖBB, the management of the narrow-gauge rack railway is carried out by the Lower Austrian Schneeberg Railway Company founded in 1997, in which the state of Lower Austria - in the guise of the "Lower Austrian Transport Organization Company" (NÖVOG) - and the ÖBB each have a 50 percent share.
The journey time on the main section from Wiener Neustadt to Puchberg am Schneeberg takes regional trains approximately 45 minutes on the non-electrified single track. On average 15 to 20 Regionalzüge trains run in each direction daily.
The Schneeberg Railway on the extension line from Puchberg am Schneeberg to the Hochschneeberg is a narrow gauge rack railway that has become an important tourist attraction in southern Lower Austria, transporting 120000–130000 registered guests per year.
The journey up the mountain takes 53 minutes using modern coaches. Heritage trips using steam traction and the original carriages still take 1 hour, 17 minutes. The trains to the Hochschneeberg run hourly depending on demand. Adverse weather conditions can cause restrictions or changes to the train service. Services are operated from late April to late October depending on the weather. In addition, in April, special trips to the Hengst Hut are added.
| Schneeberg Railway extension Puchberg am Schneeberg–Hochschneeberg cog railwayCog railway on the HochschneebergOverviewLine number198 01ServiceRoute number523TechnicalLine length9.851 km (6.121 mi)Rack systemSystem AbtTrack gauge1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in)Minimum radius80 m (260 ft)Operating speed15 km/h (9.3 mph) max.Maximum incline19.6% Route map Legend km elev (M) or length (m) in metres 0.000 Puchberg am Schneeberg 577 M 0.205 Sebastianbach 1.098 Hengsttal 613 M 3.040 Hauslitzsattel 824 M 4.523 Hengsthütte [de] 1,012 M 5.060 5.940 Ternitzer Hütte [de] 1,231 M "Kaltwassersattel" ("cold water saddle") 7.360 Baumgartner [de] 1,398 M "Hohe Mauer" ("High Wall") 8.532 tunnel 1 177 m 8.886 tunnel 2 202 m 9.672 Hochschneeberg relocated 1,795 M 9.805 Hochschneeberg 2009  1,796 M 9.851 end of track until 2009 This diagram: viewtalkedit | Schneeberg Railway Bad Fischau-Brunn−Wöllersdorf branchWöllersdorf station – junction with the Gutenstein RailwayOverviewLine number166TechnicalLine length5.519 km (3.429 mi)Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)Minimum radius170 m (560 ft)Maximum incline2.0% Route map Legend to Wiener Neustadt 0.000 Bad Fischau-Brunn 280 M to Puchberg am Schneeberg 0.686 Bad Fischau 1.657 A 2 Süd Autobahn Vienna High Source Line [de] 2.997 MABA siding 3.054 Feuerwerksanstalt 3.311 Stainer siding to Steinabrückl 3.644 B 21b 4.852 A 2 Süd Autobahn Gutenstein Railway [de]to Wittmannsdorf 5.519 Wöllersdorf 328 M Gutenstein Railway [de]to Gutenstein This diagram: viewtalkedit | Schneeberg Railway Feuerwerksanstalt–Sollenau link lineFeuerwerksanstalt. Right near the road: the trackbed of the Schneeberg lineTechnicalTrack gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) Route map Legend km to Bad Fischau-Brunn 8.8 Feuerwerksanstalt to Wöllersdorf Gutenstein Railway [de]to Wöllersdorf 6.9 Steinabrückl Gutenstein Railway [de]to Wittmanndorf Vienna High Source Line [de] Southern Railway← to Felixdorf│to Leobersdorf → Aspang Railway [de] to Felixdorf Ebenfurth–Wittmannsdorf railwayto Ebenfurth 0.0 Sollenau (AR [de]) Ebenfurth–Wittmannsdorf railwayto Wittmannsdorf Aspang Railway [de] to Tattendorf This diagram: viewtalkedit |

## Photos

* The original locomotive No. 22 Klaus was operated by the ÖBB as 92.2220 until the 1960s
* Boundary stone for the Schneeberg Railway
* Willendorf station
* An ÖBB 5047 at Puchberg station
* Two-car set of Class 5147 at Brunn Halt
* Steam engine monument
* The Schneeberg Railway and its neighbouring lines around 1915 (special map of the state records