It was a pretty busy summer for me this year. I relocated to Vienna and moving took quite some efforts with merging all the belongings into one place. Luckily I finally settled in and now it is time for watching some trains this fall. One of my favorite lines in Austria is Semmering pass. Not only is this stretch of track famous for being the oldest train line crossing the Alps but it also features gorgeous scenery! Add fall colors as well as good weather and you have all a train spotter can wish for, especially as traffic resumed to decent levels after maintenance work has been conducted through Summer.

Eichberg Station

I started the day with taking a regional train from Vienna main station to Payerbach-Reichenau where there is a direct connection to the EMU that shuttles up and down the North-ramp to Semmering station, servicing all the stops inbetween. Getting  off at Eichberg which is the second stop after Küb, a passage under the tracks gets us on the “sunny side”. It does not take long and a pair of good old ÖBB class 1142 rumble through the station with a string of gondolas in tow.

We follow the dirt road from the station building along the line (Northwest) and come round the corner in order to have a nice view of the western switches of Eichberg, featuring a classical scheme with a middle passing track that was pretty common in Austria. 

Being located on the northern flank of the hill this spot is in the shades pretty much all the time. So unfortunately its hard to get good shots here, especially if it is a bright, sunny day. Anyways, I hit the shutter when another double headed freight train grinds uphill.

Apfel Wiese

Even as the area of Eichberg station provides plenty of action, I move on to the famous train watching spot at “Apfel Wiese” (Apple-Meadows) approx one mile down the track. Getting there is easy as we just follow the road through the forest along and up the hill in the general direction of the tracks. After passing some residences on the right, a small farm road takes us back down towards the trains. Soon the farm with the meadows in question appears. Going around the complex and down to the wooden fence gets me to the perfect spot overlooking a sweeping S-curve. Yes, I think this is private property but there are no signs or other means of restricting access. I did not encounter any locals but if so, use common sense and be polite. I guess its ok for to hang out there as long as one behaves in a decent way.

This location is best for taking pictures late in the morning through noon. At this particular location, one can hear trains approaching and even spot uphill trains down in the valley. It takes them approx. 10-15 minutes to show up at the Apfel Wiese. Although Mondays do not show that much activity on the line, traffic was decent and I got some nice shots (also see title picture).

Steinbauer Tunnel

Just a couple hundred feet behind the Apfel Wiese farm, the next scienec spot features the uphill portal of the Steinbauer Tunnel. I like this view even vegetation is about to overgrow the scene and catenary masts add to the difficulty of framing a nice shot. As the track are aligned in almost the same direction as at the “Apfel Wiese”, morning to noon is a good time for taking pictures here as well.

Interestingly, the general flow of traffic over the pass is still on the left hand side. I do not know if that is for getting a little bit better traction uphill or in order to reduce wear and tear in the tight turns. Well, there might be a reason and in doing so, ÖBB provides a great stage for its trains on this section of the line.

Moving on along the farm road, passing the so-called “Steinbauer Wiese” which provides a good opportunities for shots later in the day one reaches a little intersection next to a house on the top of the Steinbauer Tunnel. Maybe in one of the upcoming posts I will describe the route to the left (uphill), which gets us to other locations along the line towards Semmering. That day I choose to hike down to the Payerbach Station. But first I got into position on top of the western portal of the Tunnel. From there one can look straight down on the tracks which approach in a sweeping curve- beautifully embedded into dense forest. Not far in the distance a typical Semmering Bahn block tower building can be seen. This spot is best early in the morning so I hope to be back soon when light is more favorable for a really nice picture.

Payrbach-Reichenau

It is a 3 mile (4.8km) walk down to the station from where the local train to Vienna departs every hour. First the trail quite steeply winds down into the valley where paved roads take us to the little town of Payrbach. The trains navigate the approximately 300 ft in elevation in about the same distance but require a steady grade along the shoulder of the hill- finally traversing the valley on one of the magnificent viaducts the Semmeringbahn is famous for. While walking one can hear the trains roaming the tracks up in the mountains as well as across the little creek but hardly can be seen till we reach the station. Payrbach Reichenau station is an interesting place to hang out as well. ÖBB did a good job modernizing the facilities without changing the appearance too much. That might be also caused by the World Heritage status of the line. The station is also home to the terminus of the narrow gauge (760mm/2ft 6in – a real 0n30 prototype!) tourist railway – “Höllentalbahn Payrbach – Hirschwang”. The electrified line is operated on weekends during summer.Furthermore, some historic equipment is on display next to the station building. It seems some enthusisats took care of the pieces recently. Especially the ÖBB class 95 steam engine looks pretty fresh. These locomotives provided pusher service on the Semmering line till the end of the steam era.

Lessons learned

• The Semmering line is easy to be reached from Vienna by train (sure you can drive, but that is half the fun). Service is frequent but check for maintenance work eventually causing bus service
• Traffic is dense, especially during the middle of the week. One can expect frequent long distance passenger service (nowadays mostly Rail Jets from ÖBB and CD), the occasional local train (EMU) as well as quite some freight trains, often with helper engines”. Nevertheless, check for construction work on the line- it could dampen your Semmering line experience! 
• Bring provisions! There are no restaurants at this part of the hill. Payerbach features some places but be prepared for closed doors, especially in the off season! Also it is common to shut down business on certain days of the week- and they like to change those days now and then depending on business levels.
• Don’t trespass! Even as individuals don’t get arrested for trespassing, tracks are no place to be on! Especially on this line with its tunnels and tight curves trains approach without warning! On the other hand, consist miles away can be heard loud and clear by chance which adds to the confusion.
• Respect private property. Some foto spots can only be reached by walking on private land. Owners are usually fine with this as long as it is done in a respectful, non disturbing way. When possible stay on the trails, walk along perimeters of fields and not across,. Furthermore mind signs and accept if someone asks you to leave (which has never happened to me so far). Last but not least, don’t bother the cows!
• This is alpine terrain! No matter how easy it is to get there, be aware that this is a steep, mountainous area. Bring good footwear- ideally hiking boots, layered clothing as well as sun screen. Always have enough water with you as well as snacks.