Now for something totally different – a Christmas present.

Okay, the video in the link below needs a bit of introduction. It is a ride on the Vienna Local Railway (Wiener Lokalbahn or WLB) in Vienna, Austria. The line runs from downtown Vienna to the suburb of Baden. (The line is also commonly called the Badnerbahn.)

Within the city limits the WLB has trackage rights on the Vienna streetcar system (and uses streetcar-like rolling stock, only a bit heavier), but, further out, it operates on its own dedicated right of way – and even serves some freight customers with diesel switchers. Yes, it is interconnected with Austrian national railroad system (ÖBB) and the Vienna transit system (duh!).

This operation has been around since the early 20th century. The video is slightly over an hour, but well worth watching.


https://youtu.be/973X755Ejlg

No, I did not make this video. I’m just providing the link.

The video starts at the line’s turning loop in downtown Vienna, near the Opera. The first half hour or so is running through street traffic – I would not want to be an operator on this line – and then goes into some of the streetcar tunnels where tracks have been located underground on congested streets.

You don’t see the train you are one, but a similar train from the WLB comes by in the opposite direction at 04:55. The blue and ivory sets you see are from the WLB. All other streetcar traffic within Vienna – the red, white, and black streetcars – are Vienna streetcars of various generations.

One point particularly worth noting: Out on the dedicated line, which is shared with freight trains, the turnouts have moveable point frogs! This is a feature typically found only on high-speed and heavy-haul lines. But, as the wheel flanges on the passenger equipment are optimized for running on streetcar tracks (shallow flanges), using regular frogs would provide somewhat of a rough ride.

When the train gets close to Baden, it again switches to street running.

Speeds are up to about 30 mph on streetcar tracks – when traffic permits – and about 50 mph on the dedicated right of way.

Also worth noting: Within the Vienna city limits, the WLB is part of the unified fare district, meaning the people with valid streetcar tickets can also ride the WLB within that zone. So, the WLB trains stop at regular streetcar stops.

There’s also a cab view video of the line going in the opposite direction, but I figure one hour is enough for most people.

In Austria there are at least half a dozen commuter operations that would meet the definition of “interurban,” depending on how you define the concept. The WLB is just one of them. All of these operations have some street running but also have their dedicated rights of way – and are interconnected with the national railroad system.

Enjoy. Yes, I can try to answer any questions people may have.

-- Ernest