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Around 1990 my wife and I made a number of journeys to Austria in the sleeping cars of Train 225, the Oostende - Wien Express, which is sadly no longer an option. It was a feature of this train that fresh bread rolls would be provided for breakfast, and these would be loaded on to the train during its early-morning call at Schärding, the first stop in Austria. That trivial fact was all I knew about Schärding until 2005, when it came to our attention that the branch lines in that area might still be a place to find short trains hauled by diesel locomotives, similar to the kind of thing I try to portray on my model railway.
Further research revealed that the town itself was an attractive place with many well-kept old buildings, including the so-called 'Silberzeile' of baroque frontages in the main square, seen in my picture. So off we went, travelling by air this time, arriving on 9 December 2005 for a few days' stay.
We'd like to thank all the people of the Innviertel, especially the railway staff, and the fine people at the marvellous Hotel Gugerbauer in Schärding who made us so welcome. Thanks also to Heinrich Seitner for his excellent report 'Das Rieder Kreuz' on the railways of the area on the Digitale Eisenbahn Fotoarchiv. As Mr Seitner says, little about these lines has been published on the web.
Innviertel locomotive Safari, December 2005. Above, the town square of Schärding.
Here's Schärding station, with 5047 046-4, one of the railcars which are common on Austrian non-electrified branches. The station has a very traditional Austrian track layout, combined with a very well-built and well-kept modern station building.
Here, on 14 December passengers head for Track 2 to board main line local train E 5913 08:07 Passau to Linz, formed of a 'City Shuttle' push-pull set powered by electric locomotive 1142 682-2.
The same misty morning, A Germany-bound mixed freight passes, hauled by a German loco. This train included that staple of model railway manufacturers, a wagon loaded with wagon wheelsets.
Although we saw no passenger trains worked by my favourite type of loco, the 2043 diesel-hydraulic, one did appear at Schärding each morning to deal with the local freight traffic. This is 2043 012-0 in the sidings at Schärding on 12 December.Threatened with extinction for some years now, it seems this class is making a small comeback.
Schärding is a great place for railfans to watch operations; much freight loading and shunting takes place right opposite the platform, and if not much is happening there is always the station buffet! This bogie wagon has just been loaded with timber using a grab-fitted lorry, which has departed leaving the gentleman pictured here with the task of fastening the load using the straps which travel rolled-up on the side of the wagon. This involves partially unrolling each strap and then hurling it with as much force as can be mustered in the hope of clearing the load and getting it to the other side of the wagon ready to be fastened.
This is the station building at Antiesenhofen befween Schärding and Ried: what a nice model it would make.
So off we went in a 5047, working train R.3472 11:49, Schärding to Attnang -Puchheim, changing at Ried im Innkreis (above) - the 'Clapham Junction' of the area, where trains converge to make connections.
Pasengers board R.5973 11:51 Simbach - Neumarkt (right) and we head for the Braunau-bound train R.5970, 12:11 from Neumakt on the far track; the unit on the left will start from here at 12:35 as R.3473 to Schärding.
Sadly we saw no sign of any loco-hauled trains on the Schärding - Attnang-Puchheim branch, but we had great hopes of the Neumarkt-Kalham to Braunau am Inn line, which intersects it at Ried im Innkreis.
At the station of Mining we wait to cross a train towards Ried, and Eureka! It's R.5975 12:55 Braunau - Neumarkt with 2016 093-3 in charge.
Resisting the temptation to jump off and hurry across the platform, we contented ourselves with a couple of pictures.
At Braunau, time for a very quick look around the town. Braunau is not a terminus: the line continues beyond the station, through the endge of the town and across a long steel truss bridge over the Inn river to the Bavarian town of Simbach am Inn, and beyond to Mühldorf and München with services operated by the Deutsche Bundesbahn.
We returned to the station to find R.5991, the 13:55 to Neumarkt-Kalham, waiting with a 2016 at the head in track 2 (background) while 2016 070-1 (foreground) backed on to two coaches in track 1 to form the 14:02 to Steindorf bei Strasswalchen, on the Westbahn main line not far from Salzburg, Braunau's other line. Both trains were well-loaded, mostly with school students.
We made our way to the Neumarkt train for the return journey to Ried in Innkreis.
Alighting at Ried we encountered 2016 093-3 on its way back to Braunau with R.5974 14:11 Neumarkt to Braunau and Simbach.
A quick trip across the icy platforms to take a picture of the train we'd ridden, with 2016 073-5. The Neumarkt - Simbach train waits on the left.
Ried im Innkreis station features a tootbridge carrying a public right-of-way across the layout. Here's the general view from the bridge, with much freight traffic in evidence. In the distance a red speck....
... Yes, another 2016 doing a spot of shunting in the goods depot. Oil tankers are the principal traffic.
After a stroll round the town and a visit to a fine Cafe-Konitorei, we returned to the station for our railcar back to Schärding, in time to note another loco-hauled working, R.5990, 16:35 Neumarkt to Braunau, making its call.
Finally a look at the main line north from Schärding to the border and Passau. These two pictures, taken by my wife Joanna on Sunday 11 December, are at a level crossing on the recommended walk along the Inn and back to Schärding. This is a Class 1016 electric hauling Eurocity EC 25, Dortmund to Budapest ...
And this Class 1044 is at the head of E.5914, the 08:00 Wien - Passau 'Erlebniszug Donau'. Although a normal advertised service train, the consist of this train includes two coaches restored to original green livery, and on the rear a blue Wagons-Lits restaurant car.
Across the border - not that there are any border guards or other formalities - Passau station: 1142 658-2 has just arrived with its City Shuttle set as R.5912, 09:17 Linz - Passau.
The DB still uses some locos on local trains. This is RB.32164, 11:13 to Regensburg, with ex-East German loco 143 275-6 on the rear ready to depart.
The Silberzeile by night - and a farewell (for now) to the Innviertel.
Created December 2005. Update April 2011.