Original translation not so good is. 8-(


Here's a better translation of the original German Wikipedia article:


Field Railway Geriatric Center of the Vienna Woods


The field railway of the Geriatric Center of the Vienna Woods was
built in the 13th Vienna district of Hiezing in 1904; it was shut
down at the end of 2011 as the last surving operating field railway
in Austria.

[Field railway is a general term applied to narrow gauge industrial
railroads built to simple standards.]

A manually operated field railway was chosen to provide the old people's
care center in Lainz (region of Vienna) with transportation for laundry,
food and fuel. In 1904, the contract for construction went to firm of
Lehmann & Leyer of Breitensee (town in Austria). The line of 4,000 meters
(4 km or about 2.5 miles) with a gauge of 500 mm ((about 20 inches) with
a substructure of steel ties and profile rails was completed in three months.

In 1925 a further contract went to the construction company of Langfelder &
Sohns to replace all turntables with switches and to replace all the crossings
with a connecting line of the Vienna streetcar system with phoenix rails.

[Phoenix rails are rails that consist not only of the main rail but also a
secondary piece that maintains the flangeway when rails are set into pavement.]

Furthermore, four battery locomotives were purchased from the firm AEG [large
German electric firm, similar to General Electric in the U.S.] that remained,
in modified form, in operation into the present day. Rolling stock was
supplemented with food transport cars equipped with handbrakes acting on both
axles.

In 1966 a diesel locomotive, JW 15 factory serial number 1430/1966 was purchased
from Jenbacher Werke. [Jenbacher, located in the town of Jenbach, near Innstruck
Austria, also manufactured standard gauge road and switching locomotives, as well
as DMUs for Austrian railways and industries.]

The diesel served for snow-clearing, backup for the battery locomotives, as well
as for work trains. Towards the end of its life, the railway served solely for the
transport of food, taking place two to three times a day. At noon, two trains
carried lunch; at other times only a single train operated.

Operations ceased Nov. 27, 2011. Because the tracks are partly covered by
historic preservation regulations, they will remain in place. However, the
engine shed will be demolished.


Hope that helps. The original title of this thread of the railroad operating in
2012 is wrong as the line was shut down at the end of 2011.

-- Ernest (who was born in Vienna, Austria, and who still speaks and reads German)