The Gmunden Tramway is part of the tram-train-system Traunsee Tram, that opened in 2018 and is located in Upper Austria, Austria. The Traunsee Tram connects the shortest and oldest tram system in Austria with the Traunseebahn.[3] It is operated by Stern & Hafferl,[3] which was founded in 1893. The tramway was opened on 13 August 1894. It is 2.3 km long.[3] The line's maximum gradient of 9.6% makes it one of the world's steepest surviving adhesion-only tram lines.[4][5]

Traunsee Tram
Route map
Tramlink train of the Traunsee Tram
Overview
OwnerÖBB
Line number965 01
LocaleGmunden, Austria
Termini
Stations9 [note 1]
Service
TypeTram-train
Route number161
Operator(s)Stern & Hafferl
History
Opened13 August 1894
Technical
Line length3.090 km (1.920 mi) [note 2]
Number of tracksSingle track with Passing loops, Double track
Track gauge1,000 mm (3 ft 3+38 in)
Minimum radius40 m (131 ft 3 in)
Electrification600 V DC Overhead lines
Maximum incline100 ‰
Route map

km
0,00
Bahnhof Gmunden
tram depot planned
479
Salzkammergutbahn to Attnang-Puchheim
0,35
Grüner Wald
closed 2014
480
B 145 Salzkammergutstraße
483
0,60
Keramik
since 2005
485
0,70
Kraftstation
closed 2005
484
0,70
484
0,80
Remise until 2005
1,00
Rosenkranz/OKA-Siedlung
477
1,36
Tennisplatz
458
1,60
Kuferzeile
430
1,77
Parkstraße
closed
2,05
Bezirkshauptmannschaft
Traunsee
424
2,22
Korso
closed
2,26
double track segment since 2018
2,32
Franz-Josef-Platz
423
2,32
Terminus 1975-2014
423
2,42
Postgebäude
closed 1975
2,54
Rathausplatz
closed 1975 - 2018
424
2,54
Terminus until 1975
424
Trauntor
Traun gate (10 m)
425
Traun
2,84
Klosterplatz
since 2014
2,84
Transition to Traunseebahn
428
Track switch
Gmunden Seebahnhof
closed 2014
424
3,09
Gmunden Seebahnhof
since 2014
427
end of double track
Vehicles in the tram depot

History

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The works, directed by the engineers Josef Stern and Franz Hafferl, began on 25 February 1894. It took five months to build the entire tramway, one depot, one power plant and two buildings for employees. The original route ran from the railway station (named Rudolfsbahnhof at that time) to "Rathausplatz" (i.e. Town Hall Square). In 1975 the route was shortened to Franz-Josef-Platz.[6] There were several renovations in the late 1990s and the following decade, including the renewal of "Keramik" station and of the Tennisplatz – Franz-Josef-Platz route.[7] In February 2013, the municipal council of Gmunden decided to link the tram to the Traunseebahn and this opened in 2018.

Traunsee Tram

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The tram-train system opened in 2018. The former route to Rathausplatz has been reactivated and a new route links to the new terminus of the Traunseebahn at Klosterplatz. The tram-train has its terminus in Vorchdorf.[8][9][10] In Gmunden the tramway route runs entirely in the town, from the railway station to the central Franz-Josef-Platz on the Traunsee lake. It includes eight stations, with two closed and one replaced.[11] A planned extension to the Seebahnhof, terminal station of the Traunsee Railway Gmunden-Vorchdorf has been partially built. This includes three stations and uses the route "Franz-Josef-Platz" - "Rathausplatz". The reopening of Postgebäude is not planned.[1][2]

The line is unusual in that all platforms are on one side of this single track line. In view of this, the cars that run on it only have doors on one side but have driving positions at both ends.


Rolling stock

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No. Image Origin Year
built
Length Weight V max Output Remarks
8   Lohner/Kiepe 1961 13.4 m 16.0 t 60 km/h 200 kW Fitted with full pantograph; rebuilt in 1978 for one-man operation; otherwise in original condition
9   Ex-Vestische Straßenbahnen GmbH (No. 347), built by Duewag/Kiepe 1952 14.3 m 17.0 t 70 km/h 200 kW Entered service on the Gmunden tramway in 1977;[3] fitted with full pantograph and magnetic track brakes, doors on the off side sealed
10   Ex-Vestische Straßenbahnen GmbH (No. 341), built by Duewag/Kiepe 1952 14.3 m 17.0 t 70 km/h 200 kW Entered service on the Gmunden tramway in 1983;[3] fitted with full pantograph and magnetic track brakes, doors on the off side sealed
5   Grazer Waggonfabrik/SSW 1911 9.1 m 11.0 t 30 km/h 52 kW
100   Ex-Pöstlingbergbahn car IV; built by Grazer Waggonfabrik 1898 6.8 m 8.8 t 14 km/h 40.8 kW Open-sided; fitted with a bow collector. Acquired from the Pöstlingbergbahn (Linz) in 1995[3]

List of all earlier trams, built between 1893 and 1907:

No. Year of construction Origin Output Weight Length
1 1894 Rohrbacher/AEG 2*13 kW 6.6 t 8 m
2 1894 Rohrbacher/AEG 2*13 kW 6.6 t 8 m
3 1894 Rohrbacher/AEG 2*13 kW 6.6 t 8 m
4 (I) 1895 Rohrbacher/AEG 2*13 kW 6.6 t 8 m
4 (II) 1913 Ganz & Co 2*40,5 kW 13 t 9.53 m
5 1911 Siemens/Grazer W. 2*26 kW 11.0 t 9.08 m
6 1907 Siemens/Grazer W. 2*25,5 kW 10.3 t 8.7 m
7 1907 Siemens/Grazer W. 2*25,5 kW 10.3 t 8.7 m

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ 11 stations in the future extension. Adding 3 closed stations (one in the line to Rathausplatz) the total is of 14
  2. ^ 2.315 km (1.438 mi) before the extension at 1.9.2018.

References

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  1. ^ a b Extension under construction: Gmunden Tramway map (Stern & Hafferl website) Archived 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ a b "UrbanRail.Net > Europe > Austria > Gmunden Tram – Straßenbahn". www.urbanrail.net.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Buckley, Richard (2000). Tramways and Light Railways of Switzerland and Austria (2nd edition), p. 129. Gloucester, UK: Light Rail Transit Association. ISBN 0-948106-27-1.
  4. ^ Taplin, Michael; and Russell, Michael (2002). Trams in Western Europe, p. 8. Harrow Weald, Middlesex (UK): Capital Transport Publishing. ISBN 1-85414-265-8.
  5. ^ Gmunden - Salt, Spa & Stadregiotram Locomotives International issue 109 August 2017 pages 10-20
  6. ^ (in German) Historical overview of Gmunden Tramway (Stern & Hafferl website) Archived 11 September 2013 at archive.today
  7. ^ (in German) History of Gmunden Tramway Archived 15 March 2014 at the Wayback Machine (10 pages)
  8. ^ "Traunseetram".
  9. ^ (in German) "Gmunden lässt Straßenbahn bis Vorchdorf fahren" (Gmunden can take tram to Vorchdorf). Article on the Oberösterreichische Nachrichten
  10. ^ (in German) StadtRegioTram Gmunden-Vorchdorf Project Archived 15 March 2014 at the Wayback Machine
  11. ^ "Gmunden Tramway station: images and infos (Verein Pro Gmundner Straßenbahn)". stern.at. Archived from the original on 14 April 2014.
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