Austria & Slovenia 01/06 to 09/06/2002 "Is Bog Trotting a national sport?"
A three pronged attack on Europes locos and beers this time. Myself (Poodle), Betty (David Icke - no not THAT David Icke - the other one!) & Howey (the Beer Monster - Howard Jolley). # = New Loco
Saturday 01/06/02
By now I was living in Bawtry, the EWS office had moved to Doncaster a few years before but I abstained and took a job with Railtrack in Rail House Manchester (to the right of Piccadilly station as you arrive on a train) as I just couldn't face training all those new starters in Donny when all our decent staff had refused to move there. Another couple of years in Nantwich (the promised land) was too good to flag - & I wasn't wrong - those first two years in Donny were reportedly Hell!
I had, however, re-joined the fold when a too-good-to-refuse offer was made for my services when Mr Gibbons got the top job there.
91018 Doncaster - Peterborough 0600 Newcastle - Kings X 80miles
EI-CSC Stansted - Freidrichshafen
218 437 Freidrichshafen Stadt - Lindau 1611 Ulm - Lindau 24km
4020 109 Lindau - Bregenz 1800 Lindau - St.Margrethen 10km
1044 208 Bregenz - Dornbirn 1838 Bregenz - Feldkirch 13km
With the burgeoning rise in brewpub culture in Austria this evening was designed around visiting brewpubs in both Dornbirn & Feldkirch.
1044 208 Dornbirn - Feldkirch 2045 Bregenz - Innsbruck 26km
1044 040# Feldkirch - Graz 2144 Zurich - Graz 732km
(Via Schwarzach St.Veit,Villach, Klagenfurt & Bruck)
Sunday 02/06/02
Our main reason for the overnight was to cover the Sunday Student train out of Murska Sabota - those 664's are LOUD!
1142 573# Graz - Leibnitz 0539 Wien Sud - Spiefeld Strasse 36km
1044 072 Leibnitz - Spielfeld Strasse 0738 Wien Sud - Ljubljana 11km
342 010 Spielfeld Strasse - Maribor 0738 Wien Sud - Ljubljana 16km
England had an early kick-off in their world cup game against Sweden & we had a couple of hours to kill but it started before opening time - surely somewhere would be open early for it (even though it was the first day of the tournament). An extensive tour of the town eventually found a pub with it on the TV!
We went straight for the front compo on this empty train - it's taken by someone with long hair who looks like a Crank, we will get the 2nd compo then. Who could it be - I decided to go and ask - only Jammy Dave Bugg! a name oft mentioned in many an ERG report.
664 111# Maribor - Ormoz 1425 Maribor - Murska Sabota 58km
One of the loudest runs ever ! 664 111 didn't sound like any 664 I've had since - more like a jet engine on Full Revs during take off!
664 111 at Ormoz, We leapt here as the station bar was open & to cover the other diagram
664 104# Ormoz - Murska Sabota 0814 Venice St.Lucia - Budapest 39km
664 111 Murska Sabota - Pragaersko 1717 Murska Sabota - Ljubljana 79km
The diesel was detached at Pragaersko, until just before our trip it used to go through to Ljubljana and we didn't know it had stopped going through, so a disappointment.
342 015# Pragaersko - Ljubljana 1717 Murska Sabota - Ljubljana 137km
It was a Sunday and the Kratochwill brewpub was of course closed. Hotel Central it is then.
Monday 03/06/02
We were aiming at covering the 2043 diagrams out of Klagenfurt today, the other two both needed the track as well, so we had booked a hotel in Wolfsberg to do the two brewpubs there.
342 015 Ljubljana - Jesenice 0555 Zagreb - Munchen 64km
1110 505# Jesenice - Villach 0555 Zagreb - Munchen 38km
1044 287# Villach - Klagenfurt 1022 Villach - Wien Sud 38km
2043 056 Klagenfurt - Wolfsberg 1203 Klagenfurt - Wolfsberg 76km
2043 056 at Wolfsberg off the 1203 from Klagenfurt
We leapt straight up the line to Wolfsberg, checked-in the hotel and had lunch & a couple of beers in the nearest brewpub before back out to cover the rush-hour diagrams.
2043 043 at Wolfsberg on the 1552 to Klagenfurt
2043 043# Wolfsberg - St.Michael ob Bleiburg 1552 Wolfsberg - Klagenfurt 40km
2043 058# St.Michael ob Bleiburg - St.Paul Bad 1627 Klagenfurt - Wolfsberg 23km
2043 058 at St.Paul Bad on the 1627 Klagenfurt - Wolfsberg
2043 011 St.Paul Bad - Bleiburg Stadt 1715 Wolfsberg - Klagenfurt 17km
2043 054# Bleiburg Stadt - Wolfsberg 1719 Klagenfurt - Wolfsberg 34km
I remember we were rather disappointed tonight as the beers in the brewpub we hadn't yet tried were not very good - no problem, we just drank more in the brewpub where the beers were good! As usual, we were the last to leave said establishment......
Tuesday 04/06/02
2143 056 between Graz & Gleisdorf
Wednesday 05/06/02
We were all feeling a bit under the weather over breakfast, the thought of the 2 hour rail-replacement coach journey wasn't a good one (freight had long took precedence over passenger on the Wolfsberg to Zwelteg section)
OBB bus Wolfsberg - Zwelteg 0905 Wolfsberg - Zwelteg
1044 259# Zwelteg - Bruck a.d. Mur 0822 Villach - Wien Sud 58km
1142 684 Bruck a.d. Mur - Graz 1010 Murschlagg - Spielfeld Strasse 54km
A lunchtime session in the Glockl Brau brewpub (with food), a highlight here is the barrels are on show & every time a new one is put on you can witness the untapping ceremony. Very touristique!
2143 056# Graz - Gleisdorf 1442 Graz - Fehring 29km
2143056 at Gleisdorf on the 1442 Graz - Fehring
2143 026 Gleisdorf - Graz 1438 Szentgotthard - Graz 29km
Our main new track aim of the day was the branch to Bad Radkersburg with 2143 haulage.
1044 065# Graz - Spielfeld Strasse 1643 Graz - Bad Radkersburg 47km
2143 061# Spielfeld Strasse - Bad Radkersburg 1643 Graz - Bad Radkersburg 31km
5047 038 Bad Radkersburg - Spielfeld Strasse 1838 B.Rad - Spielfeld S. 31km
1142 538# Spielfeld Strasse - Graz 1924 Spielfeld Strasse - Graz 47km
1142 551# Graz - Bruck a.d. Mur 2020 Graz - Bruck a.d. Mur 54km
1044 079 Bruck a.d. Mur - Villach 1929 Wien Sud - Roma 212km
A couple of pints in the kneipe/sports bar in the subway at Villach Hbf - it looks dodgy but I've never had any trouble in there (& its open all night).
An overnight to get us in position for a day on the totally hellfire narrow gauge Mariazellerbahn!
1044 057# Villach - Wiener Neustadt 2046 Venezia St.Lucia - Wien Sud 322km
1116 041# Wiener Neustadt - Leobersdorf 0444 Murzzuschlag - Wien Sud 15km
2043 040# Leobersdorf - St.Polten 0619 Leobersdorf - St.Polten 78km
Betty was not impressed by the 2043 on a formerly solid 2143 route (lamenting the lack of thrash) but a winner is a winner & I had done the route many times. At least it was better than going all the way via Vienna!
1099 010 St.Polten - Rabenstein 0825 St.P - Mariazell 25km
1099 013 Rabenstein - St.Polten 0745 Mariazell - St.Polten 25km
The 1223 had become a solid 2095 diagram and normally a mega thrash throughout - but Betty's luck followed us & we got the 2095 probably in the worst nick of the lot at this time - 006! it was a bit of a stagger.....
2095 006 St.Polten - Laubenbachmuhle 1223 St.Polten - Laubenbachmuhle 49km
2095 006 at Laubenbachmuhle off the 1223 from St.Polten
1099 011 Laubenbachmuhle - Rabenstein 1322 Mariazell - St.Polten 24km
A very relaxed lunch & Beer break.
1099 013 Rabenstein - Frankenfels 1525 St.Polten - Mariazell 18km
1099 010 Frankenfels - St.Polten 1549 Mariazell - St.Polten 43km
5047 038 St.Polten - Krems 1912 St.Polten - Krems 31km
I have stayed in Krems twice & wondered why both times! It's rammed with Wine Bars selling the areas famous products from the local vineyards but poor for the beer drinker - we spent the evening in the Hofbrau (Munchen) pub.
Thursday 06/06/02
A run along the Donau from Krems to St.Valentin was always pleasant, even if lacking in thrash!
2043 061# Krems - St.Valentin 0820 Wien FJBf - St.Valentin 120km
2043 034 waits its next turn somewhere on the Krems - St.Valentin route.
101 087 St.Valentin - Linz 1120 Wien West - Salzburg 24km
A tram to Linz Urfahr station where we met Trog & the 3 Brazel brothers for a trip to the brewery in Schlagl. New track from halfway up - yes I'd always leapt for the one back in before!
2043 048 Linz Urfahr - Schlagl 1400 Linz Urfahr - Aigen-Schlagl 57km
Lunch in the Stiftsbrauerei Schlagl , a rather grand affair. Then time to cane in the last kilometre of the route!
2043 045# Schlagl - Aigen-Schlagl 1630 Linz Urfahr - Aigen-Schlagl 1km
2043 045 Aigen-Schlagl - Linz Urfahr 1821 Aigen-Schlagl - Linz Urfahr 58km
We then spent the evening doing a couple of Linz brewpubs.
Friday 07/06/02
The roadshow were staying together today, starting with a visit to the narrow gauge at Waidhofen.
1016 048# Linz - St.Valentin 0600 Salzburg - Wien West 24km
That was until we rolled into St.Valentin & the stopper to Amstetten was diesel-hauled (vice electric) - new track under the wires all the way for me. No-one else leapt but I'd done a lot more in Austria than most & I couldn't flag it.
2043 061 St.Valentin - Amstetten 0830 St.Valentin - Amstetten 40km
1041 007 on a short freight possibly at Amstetten?
Then I went about catching up with the others, the weather had deteriorated somewhat!
4030 216 Amstetten - Waidhofen 1026 Amstetten - Waidhofen 23km
5090 017 Waidhofen - Grosshollenstein 1123 Waidhofen - Grosshollenstein 25km
It was a lovely line in the sunshine - pretty appalling in weather like this though, too wet to even try the local shop for beer supplies
2095 009 Grosshollenstein - Waidhofen 1146 Lunz am Zee - Waidhofen 25km
4030 216 Waidhofen - Amstetten 1256 Kleinreifling - Amstetten 23km
1044 014# Amstetten - St.Polten 1210 Salzburg - Wien West 66km
The roadshow (except myself) all required the track from Krems to Sigmundsherberg loco hauled & that was our aim, no longer a through service but the same loco & stock worked through.
2043 038# St.Polten - Krems 1540 St.Polten - Krems 31km
2043 038 Krems - Sigmundsherberg 1640 Krems - Sigmundsherberg 55km
1042 014 Sigmundsherberg - Schwarzenau 1652 Wien FJBf - Gmund 51km
5047 017 Schwarzenau - Zwettl stadt 1849 Schwarzenau - Zwettl 23km
We were all staying in Zwettl, several pubs dotted around the town square including the Tap of the Zwettler brewery. A fine drinking team effort - everyone tried plenty of beers (just to make sure they were alright).
Saturday 08/06/02
Today was the main aim of the whole trip and the reason we were staying in such a remote area - required track Gmund to Litschau - Novog, who now ran the route, finally putting a loco hauled turn out.
5047 017 Zwettl Stadt - Schwarzenau 0827 Zwettl - Schwarzenau 23km
1042 015 Schwarzenau - Gmund 0705 Wien FJBf - Gmund 24km
2095 014 Gmund - Litschau 0930 Gmund - Litschau 25km
Apart from myself popping outside to see if any local pubs were open, no-one else got off the inward service at Litschau, much to the dismay of the towns Mayor & Brass band who were there to welcome everyone! No need to alight as their was plenty of beer available on the train!
2095 014 Litschau - Gmund 1115 Litschau - Gmund 25km
Unit Gmund - Hotzelsdorf Geras 1240 Gmund - Wien FJBf 65km
Some of us decided to bail here & leap to Drosendorf.
It's not often the roadshow were put off going for a beer, however the bus stop here was outside a VERY strange looking hotel - right out of the Adams Family saga! - but half an hour was too long for me to stand at a windy bus stop so I opted for a pint - Trog decided to join me. We were more than happy to get back outside after!
Bus Hotzelsdorf Geras - Drosendorf
At some point on the bus journey Medhurst announced he was bailing "for a photo" and would then be on the inwards service to Drosendorf, see you there.
We legged it through the VERY narrow town gates to "The Fallen Lamb" pub for a couple of pints then back to the station for the "Reblaus Express" - with nary a Medhurst to be found!
At last Medhurst appeared - off the next bus service! He was also rather bespattered with mud!
The sorry tale was that he got in position for his favoured photo, snapped the train, but had failed to take into account the sodden nature of the field he was in (after yesterdays downpours) and missed the train at the shack!
2050 017# Drosendorf - Retz 1600 Drosendorf - Retz 41km
Medhurst was then totally finished when the Guard said "was that you taking a photo earlier?" - "we thought you were trying to catch the train - if you had waved we would have stopped & picked you up from the field!"
1142 692# Retz - Wien Sud 1724 Retz - Wien Sud 98km
The Brazel brothers were trailblazers for the fast developing beer scene in Austria, we re-united with them & sampled beers in several of Vienna's Brewpubs.
1044 116# Wien West - Bludenz 2215 Wien West - Bludenz 708km
(1044 112# Banker Landeck - St.Anton 27km)
Sunday 09/06/02
1044 261# Bludenz - Langen am Arlberg 0640 Bregenz - Wien West 25km
1044 073 Langen am Arlberg - Bregenz 85km
11196# Bregenz - Lindau 0732 Zurich - Munchen 10km
218 163# Lindau - Freidrichshafen Stadt 1004 Lindau - Ulm 24km
218 214 Freidrichshafen Stadt - Bermatingen Ahausen 1137 Freidrichshafen Hafen - Radolfzell 10km
218 168 Bermatingen Ahausen - Freidrichshafen 1115 Radolfzell - Freidrichshafen Hafen 10km
Final day today, rounded off nicely with lunch and beers in a local brewpub before the flight home.
Total KM = 3669 Total Moves = 71
Daily Average = 459km Average per Move = 52km
A very sociable and enjoyable trip, perhaps not as many winners as usual but we covered all that we had planned and had some good drink-ups along the way!
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