Bernhard Marchi

The Achenseebahn is one of the oldest steam cog-wheel-rack railway in the world. The engines are more than 114 years old.

I was thinking for a long time which technique to use to catch up on the 100-year-old drawings (blueprints originals) and how to archive them. These old drawings also provide measurements and details which are needed for repairs. To get these from the old drawings is quite an amount of work. You have to imagine that 100 years ago drawings were designed in a different way than nowadays. An informational structure was often missing. On one drawing you can find a lot of information but just the detail you need at the moment, are on another sheet.

First I was thinking about storing all information on microfilm, but that would mean that further processing is not possible. A friend of mine told me about the compact and very usable PowerCADD. All drawings were newly drawn and dimensioned in PowerCADD.

Our steam-cogwheel-engines are the oldest ones in Europe which only use steam-power. There are three engines, built in Floridsdorf close to Vienna, which have been operating since 1889 without any problems.

The railway track is 6,8 km long and is going from the 3- gage station of Jenbach to the southern shore of the Achenlake, 971 metres above sea level. 3,5 km of these 6,8 km track work with the Riggenbach-system.

At this system a gear wheel is driven by steam over a cross head. It runs in a rack and pinion so that it's possible to drive at a maximum gradient of 160%.

Then the steam-cogwheel-engine drives on from the highest point in Eben to the southern shore of the lake using normal adhesion drive. From there a boat connection to is possible. In the other direction there are connections from Jenbach to the Austrian Railways and the famous "Zillertalbahn", a narrow gage railway to the Ziller valley.

Bernhard Marchi

Bernhard Marchi

Bernhard Marchi is an engineer, manager of the railway and CEO of the stock corporation in Bahnhof, Austria. He attended the HTL, the college for mechanical engineering in Stubai in the Tyrol. He worked in the fields of hydroplant construction, plant construction and installation technique for some years before he became manager of the Achenseebahn at the age of 32. On behalf of the share holders and the communities of Eben, Jenbach and Achenkirch, he was responsible for the smooth running of the old steam cogwheel railway. It was no easy task, because all the machines, equipment and tracks were 100 years old and in a bad condition. A ten-year long battle of renewal, restoration and improvement began. Bernhard Marchi, Bahnhofstraße 1-3 - A-6200 Jenbach Tel: 05244-62243 Fax: 05244-62243-5 Email: marchi.achenseebahn@netway.at

For infomation about the Achenseebahn, please visit their website at www.achenseebahn.at

Drawings by Bernhard Marchi

Boiler     Chassis     Eccentric & Crankshaft     Cylinder     Cogwheel & Valve