Steam and more in Tyrol (Austria)

Thanks for sharing, and I envy your vacation trip.

Easy to see why this is a favorite spot of yours. Thanks Nichole.  

Thanks, really appreciated the pics.

Buzz

Absolutely beautiful!  Thank you for sharing!

I have one question for you and/or others - in pictures 10 & 11 you show a steam locomotive that in picture 13 is using a rack to ascend a steep grade, yet in the first two pictures there is no rack.  I've only ever seen one such dual-purpose locomotive before, and it had separate cylinders and drive train for the pinion.  This locomotive appears to only have one - is that true?  If so, any thoughts on how they engage the rack?  Seems like you may be faced with some misalignment...?

Thanks again for posting!

 Hi,

These locomotives use the Riggenbach system, whereby the cog gear is located on the axle and is permanently driven. The rack itself is the ladder type, and at least 2 gear teeth are engaged at any one time.

On the Achenseebahn, there are several stretches where the gradient is less than 7%, and on these stretches the rack rail is not fitted. This is not the smoothest of drive systems, and there can be quite a bump when the rack is engaged. But as these trains travel very slowly at such transition points, no damage is caused.

This is a picture I took of a sister locomotive on a previous visit.

In this picture, you can just see the gear mounted on the central axle. This axle is driven by gears from the primary drive shaft, and then the wheels are driven by rods from the gear axle.

These locomotives have been in almost daily service since 1889, so they must be fairly tough.

Below are a couple more photographs from previous visits that show the drive gear in more detail. Note also that the brakes are fitted onto the primary drive shaft, and not the locomotive wheels.

Thanks Nicole  Wonderful stuff.  Mike  

Fascinating.  Certainly a lot less complicated than the locomotive seen below in the Berlin Technical Museum that had two whole sets of everything.  Thanks for the additional photos and explanation.

Hey Nicole,

Thanks for sharing this - I had no idea there are old steam lines in Austria and it made a nice change from reading about Lionel delivery issues and MTH service gripes.

Did he let you have a go?

Was one of the nuns Julie Andrews?

I'm off for a trip on the Cumbres & Toltec RR next week and your pics really whetted my appetite!

Or Carrie Underwood? Looks like The Sound of Music is getting a remake with Underwood as Maria.

Hi Britrailer,

Sadly I didn't get a turn at driving this year. But I have done such in the past. 

Neither of the nuns were Julie Andrews in disguise, but this is Sound of Music country, so she could have been hiding in the other carriage. 

I hope that you have a wonderful trip next week. 

Now that's a thought………. 

Hi Nicole, fantastic pics, I must go there. Is it 2'6" gauge?

Nice!

LGB at it's finest!

Hi Dave ,

The Zillertalbahn is 760mm gauge, and the Achenseebahn is metre gauge. If you are ever in Austria, it is most certainly worth a visit. Even if you just stop at Jenbach station on the OBB main line, you can spend a few happy hours watching steam trains on either side of you.