Mariazell Museum Tramway

[Belperpete]

The Mariazell Museum Tramway mainly seems to be open weekends, and my trips in previous years on the Mariazellerbahn have been on days when the tramway wasn't running. However, this year I arranged it for a day when they were open.

Previously, when I had visited Mariazell, I had spotted the track and overhead wires of the tramway running from Mariazell station to the tramway's terminus at Mariazell Promenadenweg, and the triangle shortly before. I had assumed that, being a tramway museum, the overhead wires would go all the way to the other end of the line at Erlaufsee, but apparently not. So we had a steam train to get us to Erlaufsee and back. Anyone know why they haven't electrified the whole route? How far is it electrified?

Also, I spotted what appeared to be overhead poles extending from the far end of the triangle and continuing down through the opposite side of the valley. Is this used by the mueum tramway, or are they poles never recovered after the line from St Polten was cut back to end at Mariazell (I understand the line once continued a long way beyond Mariazell).

For anyone who has never ridden on the Museum Tramway, I would thoroughly recommend it. The steam loco has some quite fearsome gradients to contend with, and the lake at Erlaufsee is a beautiful spot, with a cafe on the lakeside. Certainly more entertaining than Mariazell town, which just seems to be designed to part tourists with their money.

Currently Mariazell station is closed for rebuilding, so the Mariazellerbahn have opened a temporary ersatz station on the outskirts of town (quite a long way from the main station, which in turn is a tidy walk from the town centre). Your ticket on the Mariazellerbahn is valid on the local bus to get you between the ersatz station and the town. However, the museum tramway have a station on the opposite side of the road, and have come to some financial arrangement with the Mariazellerbahn that they will also carry people to and from town. So just show your Mariazellerbahn ticket and you get carried for free on the tramway to or from Promenadenweg. Even better, if you want to make the round trip to Erlaufsee, show your Mariazellerbahn ticket to cover the bit between Promenadenweg and the erstaz station, and you get the round trip at reduced rate!

 

[gysev]

Previously, when I had visited Mariazell, I had spotted the track and overhead wires of the tramway running from Mariazell station to the tramway's terminus at Mariazell Promenadenweg, and the triangle shortly before. I had assumed that, being a tramway museum, the overhead wires would go all the way to the other end of the line at Erlaufsee, but apparently not. So we had a steam train to get us to Erlaufsee and back. Anyone know why they haven't electrified the whole route? How far is it electrified?

Also, I spotted what appeared to be overhead poles extending from the far end of the triangle and continuing down through the opposite side of the valley. Is this used by the mueum tramway, or are they poles never recovered after the line from St Polten was cut back to end at Mariazell (I understand the line once continued a long way beyond Mariazell).

The overhead wire only goes about 300 m towards Erlaufsee, I have no idea why they never electrified it.

The new section between the station and the triangle uses the trackbed of the the former line to Gusswerk (7 km, closed in 1988). the poles you saw are a remnant of this line.

 

[Belperpete]

Any idea how far the track is still in place toward Gusswerk? When we reversed on the triangle, the track and overhead wire seemed to carry on around the corner.

The old trackbed fell quite steeply out of Mariazell station. As part of the station rebuilding works, the headhunt on that trackbed has been raised, so that it is now level, which makes obvious quite how steeply the tramway running parallel to it is dropping.

When I travelled on the Mariazellerbahn last year, I noted that the branch to Mank seemed to still be in place, and looking in remarkably good condition, despite it being a number of years now since it was last used by passenger trains at least. I was fortunate to have taken a trip along it on what must have been one of its last years.

 

[30907]

There's a feature in a recent Today's Railways Europe (October?).

 

[Austriantrain]

When I travelled on the Mariazellerbahn last year, I noted that the branch to Mank seemed to still be in place, and looking in remarkably good condition, despite it being a number of years now since it was last used by passenger trains at least. I was fortunate to have taken a trip along it on what must have been one of its last years.

There is occasional heritage operation on the first 5 km towards Mank.

See here (in German), although trips in 2025 seem not to be published yet.

 

[Belperpete]

There is occasional heritage operation on the first 5 km towards Mank.

See here (in German), although trips in 2025 seem not to be published yet.

I think you forgot to add the link?