Austria 24/05 to 29/05 2001


Another single manned trip, new track Diesel hauled and trying to get my last required narrow gauge route for service train, Gmund to Gross Gerungs (due to close the following week) being the main aims. New engines marked with #
Although never having anything out of Gmund on the narrow gauge I only needed 1 of their 3 locos, 2095 012 (my last one to clear the class) as I'd quite jammily had both the other 2 on Ober Grafenburg - Wieselburg running in turns (a year apart) after they had received overhauls.
I had decided to base myself for 2 nights in a B&B in Schwarzenau, a major junction with 2 branch lines 24km south of Gmund - just in the hope that something might drop, all booked narrow gauge services in the hands of single car Dmu's.

 Thursday 24/05/01

 91107#     Doncaster - Peterborough  1137 Bradford F.S - Kings Cross 80miles
Unit         Peterborough - Stansted Airport
Shuttle 1  Stansted Terminal - Stansted Departures
Flight        Stansted - Salzburg
1044 036#  Salzburg - Villach  1721 Wien West - Villach 188km
Friday 25/05/01

Main aims for today: Wiener Neustadt - Deutschkreutz & the Fridays Only Wien Sud - Ferzentmiklos

 1044 079    Villach - Wiener Neustadt  2045 Venezia - Wien Sud 322km
5047097)    Wiener Neustadt - Neudorfl  0552 Wiener Neustadt - Deutschkreutz 7km
5047501)(Gysev)
2143 071 at Neudorfl on the 0513 Deutschkreutz - Wiener Neustadt
2143 071#  Neudorfl - Wiener Neustadt  0513 Deutschkreutz - Wiener Neustadt 7km
2143 012#  Wiener Neustadt - Deutschkreutz  0641 Wiener Neustadt - Deutschkreutz 44km
2143012 at Deutchkreutz off the 0641 from Wiener Neustadt 
2143 012  Deutschkreutz -Wiener Neustadt  0736 Deutschkreutz - Wiener Neustadt 44km
New track done with a winner, only time for a fill in move to check if the Leobersdorf diesel turn was required - it was so taken as far as I could.
1142 705# Wiener Neustadt - Leobersdorf  0747 Payerbach-Reichenau - Wien Sud 15km
2043 017# Leobersdorf - Berndorf Stadt  0925 Leobersdorf - St.Polten 13km
5147 003  Berndorf Stadt - Leobersdorf  0918 St.Polten - Leobersdorf  13km
1042 015 Leobersdorf - Wien Sud  1035 Payerbach-Reichenau - Wien Sud 35km
Spot of lunch & a couple of bottles from the supermarket for the train.
2143 031# Wien Sud - Ferzentmiklos  1249 Wien Sud - Ferzentmiklos 103km
Another winning loco for new track, I had no validity in Hungary (or Forints for that matter) so kept my head down until Sopron.
V43 326#  Ferzentmiklos - Sopron  24km
Gysev V43 326 at Sopron
1014 001#  Sopron - Wien Sud  1539 Deutschkreutz - Wien Sud 76km
U bahn      Wien Sud - Heiligenstadt
1042 025#) Heiligenstadt - Absdorf Hippersdorf 1800 Wien FJ - Gmund/Krems 44km
4010 006)
4010 006  Absdorf Hippersdorf - Schwarzenau 1800 Wien FJ - Gmund 120km

 The "Hair Wash Unit" as I called them (unusually large sinks with a big tap made them ideal for this practise when out for a week or two doing overnights every night) was boring but normal traction on the Gmund commuter trains at the time.
I checked into the B&B - I think I had a beer in the room then caught up on my sleep.
Saturday 26/05/01

I was going to Gmund to cover the booked narrow gauge Dmu service trains this morning, if no vice out then the booked Saturday Steam turn to Gross Gerungs would at least allow me to do the line loco hauled before it closed the following week - so I would have done the track.

4010 006!    Schwarzenau - Gmund    0705 Wien FJ - Gmund  24km

No joy at the Vice Inn and 2095 012 buried deep inside the shed so no chance of my last one. 
Into town for a pub lunch then:

399.04#   Gmund - Gross Gerungs  1332 Gmund - Gross Gerungs 43km
399 04 on the 1332 Gmund to Gross Gerungs 26/05/01. No Health & Safety fears here
The kettle gets watered half way up, right next to a Holiday camp where you have time for a quick pint in their Bar.
399.04#    Gross Gerungs - Gmund  1615 Gmund - Gross Gerungs 43km
4010 010  Gmund - Schwarzenau 1840 Gmund - Wien FJ  24km
While waiting for the 1840 I noticed 2 empty narrow gauge units come in together, nothing on the timetable though - could one have failed?  A few beers in the pub outside Schwarzenau station - when I looked on Google maps today for the name it's been changed at some point to "Desperado's" does this mean Medhurst has stayed there?

 Sunday 27/05/01

Ever hopeful I went back to Gmund - could the kettle fail or a Unit jack? Low & behold a loco & stock on the train ex Wien today!

1142 698#  Schwarzenau - Gmund  0705 Wien FJ - Gmund  24km

Stewart Medhurst (who rates 2095's as highly as myself) was catching up on some Zzzz's on the 0705 also hoping a 2095 might produce. No joy there the kettle was in the platform (it's a morning departure on a Sunday so the Punters can all have dinner in Gross Gerungs / there are about 6 pubs around the town square), Stewart decided to take the black machine to Weitra to "do the 7km Weitra tourist walk". Sounds far too healthy to me. Sod it I give up nothing ever drops when I'm about - I decided to head back into Wien although little to get excited about on a Sunday afternoon.

1046 001#  Gmund - Vitis   1040 Gmund - Wien FJ 15km

I thought I'd better text Medhurst that I'd left the area on a winner (one of those strange 1046's) but he was straight on the phone to tell me to get off - it's the last chance you will get for the Gmund narrow gauge! Ok then......
1046 001 at Vitis on the 1040 Gmund - Wien Fjbf 
1042 008 at Vitis

1042 008#  Vitis - Gmund   0905 Wien FJ - Gmund 15km

I viewed the next narrow gauge departure - another Unit - then into town to kill 3 or 4 hours until the next booked train. I'd had a drink on Friday in the posh hotel Goldener Stern (it's now picked up the word Romantic in it's title!) and noticed they do a Sunday Roast 1200 today, much like we do in the UK. Of course this was a posh version but good food nonetheless & all washed down with about 5 half litres of Weissbier.
I walked back to the station and noticed the barriers were down on the narrow gauge side (anything to/from the depot has to cross this road) then 2095 007 shot across! When the barriers went up I saw to my amazement the 2095 was attaching to the two coach "vice Unit set".
2095 007 in the yard at Gmund picking up the stock prior to working to Gross Gerungs vice DMU

What a result, the stock backed into the platform all we needed was a Guard - it turns out that the Ticket Office clerk from the main station doubles up as a Guard if vice is required so no more tickets being sold today!
I also had the problem of letting Medhurst know, no mobile signal here - would he be in one of Weitra's 2 brewpubs (not far from the station) or on his walk somewhere? We pulled into Weitra, no sign of him as I took a photo so I feared the worse - but then he legged it across the Ballast and jumped onboard (no platforms here)!
2095 007 at Weitra on the 1st loco hauled working (vice Dmu)

2095 007  Gmund - Gross Gerungs  1530 Gmund - Gross Gerungs  43km

2095 007 at Gross Gerungs
2095 007 Gross Gerungs - Gmund  1713 Gmund - Gross Gerungs 43km

2095 007 after arrival at Gmund with a service from Gross Gerungs (vice DMU)

 My Lords! The traincrew informed us the Vice would definitely produce again in the morning, turns out one of the units I'd viewed the day before was knackered, Stewart contacted Andy Reid who changed his move to leap up on the 0705 on Monday & join in the fun.
In celebratory mood I even forked out for a night in the Goldener Stern, much to the consternation of the Landlord who said he would run out of Weissbier before his next order arrived at this rate! I did have a few......

Monday 28/05/01

There was only one thing to do early on a weekday morning when in Gmund - the 0640 to Waidhofen an der Thaya school-ex with a 2143! Not only that the 1st narrow gauge departure was not until 0927.

1042 514#  Gmund - Gopfritz  0536 Gmund - Wien FJ 41km
1046 001    Gopfritz - Schwarzenau  0618 Sigmundsherburg - Gmund 16km
2143 042    Schwarzenau - Waidhofen a.d.Thaya 0640 Gmund - Waidhofen a.d.Thaya 10km
A few photos then the good thing about this working - it went back as a passenger to Schwarzenau even though there would be no-one on it unless a Crank had shown up!
2143 042 at Waidhofen a.d. Thaya on the 0839 to Schwarzenau
2143 042 Waidhofen a.d.Thaya - Schwarzenau 0839 Waidhofen a.d.T - Schwarzenau 10km
Always a good run back, heads out of the window as they were invariably loud these Gmund 2143's.
Jumped on the 0705 & Andy Reid was onboard - then straight onto the 0927 narrow gauge departure with Vice Unit as expected. They won't be selling many tickets at Gmund station again today!
Journeys end for 2143 042 at Schwarzenau off the 0839 from Waidhofen a.d. Thaya
4010 006!  Schwarzenau - Gmund  0705 Wien FJ - Gmund 24km
2095 007   Gmund - Gross Gerungs  0927 Gmund - Gross Gerungs 43km
2095 007   Gross Gerungs - Gmund  1115 Gross Gerungs - Gmund 43km
2095 007   Gmund - Landschlag  1335 Gmund - Gross Gerungs 36km

Off at Landschlag, a reasonably sized village, looking for a beer to toast my good fortune (the others stayed on for the kliks!). No problem with getting a couple of pints - little was I to know that when Novog took over the running of the line, in a preserved capacity, it would take me another ten visits covering the weekend 2095 turn (every other week alternating with Steam) before finally nailing 
2095 012 and clearing the class!
2095 007  Landschlag - Gmund  1500 Gmund - Gross Gerungs 36km
2095 007 at Wietra (vice unit) on the 1500 from Gross Gerungs
1042 001#  Gmund - Heiligenstadt  1840 Gmund - Wien FJ 164km
U Bahn       Heiligenstadt - Wien West               
101 139#    Wien West - Salzburg  2325 Wien West - Innsbruck 317km

Tuesday 29/05/01


1016 024#  Salzburg - St.Polten  2325 Innsbruck - Wien West 257km
2043 017    St.Polten - Krems  0633 St.Polten - Krems 31km
1142 621#  Krems -  Heiligenstadt  0730 Krems - Wien FJ 76km
U bahn       Heiligenstadt - Wien Nord
6030 204   Wien Nord -  Flughafen Wien  0903 Wien Nord - FW Schwechat 21km

Total KM = 2454                                  Daily Average = 409km

Total Moves = 39                                Average per move = 63 km

A short but very productive trip, I'd been meaning to do the Fridays Only to Ferzentmiklos for ages & with a timetable change the following week I daren't risk leaving it any longer. I had no right to expect anything hauled on the Gmund Narrow gauge but unbelievably 007 worked every train booked to run on the line over the 2 days - and it was out again on Tuesday. It just goes to show that sometimes 
deck-chairing CAN pay off - hats off to Medhurst for persuading me to double back to Gmund "just in case"!

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