Austria Triple 110 mins DVD

Contains: (a) Achensee Antics, an extremely good film showing a day’s operations on this unique Riggenbach Achenseebahn rack railway which runs from Jenbach in the Austrian Tirol. What makes the Achenseebahn unique is that the locomotives push the train up-hill on the rack for two thirds of the line’s length, then run round the train and pull it, by adhesion only, to the Achensee. The whole operation, and the scenery is well covered here. Minimal commentary and all location sound. (b) Two Valleys in Austria - this film shows operations on two of Austria’s 760 mm gauge lines, the famed and thriving commercial Zillertalbahn and the shorter, preserved, Steyrtalbahn. The Zillertalbahn has certainly changed since I was there in the mid 1970s, now sporting dmu sets and ‘push-pull’ diesel trains, but it is the regular steam hauled trains that star here; even they have changed, now consisting of up to twelve coaches, but what hasn’t changed is the magnificent scenery. The operations shown on the Steyrtalbahn are all steam, and are shot over the 17kms of preserved line. If you like the unusual, you will like this great programme on Austria narrow gauge.