The pearl of Southern Burgenland
Forest railroad Güssing - Neuberg, the forgotten forest railroad
170 years ago, the first railroad ran in what is now Burgenland. 60 years later, Neuberg (district of Güssing) was also connected to the long gone rail network. The local chronicler Karl Knor has now set out on a search for traces.The first railroad in what is now Burgenland ran between Wiener Neustadt and Ödenburg. Sixty years later, more than 100 years ago, the narrow-gauge railroad ran between the former Güssing station, which is now a private home, and Neuberg.
The 14-kilometer-long forest railroad ran through the Stremtal valley and branched off in the Sankt Michael area towards Neuberg. The area was densely wooded at that time. Neuberg was surrounded by large deciduous forests.
Communities were skeptical: The first inspection of the route took place in 1911, Karl Knor, the local chronicler of Neuberg, told. "The communities were not necessarily pleased that a railroad line was to be built here. They were afraid that the local carters would no longer do business, or they wanted to have a rail link to Stegersbach and saw this as a threat," said Knor.
In April 1912, permission was granted to build the railroad. It was financed by the Hungarian coal mining company.
Mine timber for the mining industry: The construction of the railroad progressed rapidly. Operations were already started in 1913. The Neuberger Forest Railway was used mainly to transport timber for the mining industry. "The wagons were pulled by an RH 220 steam locomotive. Frame cars were used - it was a narrow-gauge railroad." The gauge of the railroad was 760 millimeters.
The advantage of the narrow-gauge railroad was on the one hand the cheaper financing. On the other hand, the narrow-gauge railroad did not require a fortified substructure. This made it easy to remove the rails and open up new access routes - always to the beating places where work was being done in the forest, Knor said.
Reports of fatal accidents: The former railroad tracks in the Neuberger Forest are now used as forest roads. The chronicle also reports about a fatal accident on the track. On December 11, 1912, an axle broke during the transport of long logs in the direction of Güssing in the area between Neuberg and Sankt Michael. "A day laborer was killed, his name was Jandrasits," Knor recounted.
Grass and undergrowth - the end of the railroad: With the connection of Burgenland to Austria in 1921, the end of the Güssing - Neuberg forest railroad was also sealed. The tracks were dismantled and grass and undergrowth grew over the route.
Published on 17.06.2017 on burgenland.orf.at/tv/stories/2849491/
There is a book by Karl Knor from Neuberg, which can be purchased in Neuberg at Raiffeisenbank, Gasthaus Novakovits/Zsifkovits, Cafe Pub "Tankstö" and Kaufhaus Bauer and in St. Michael at the post partner Kulovics.
Bahnhof Güssing
Foto privat, bzw. Karl Knor
Karl Knor
Foto privat, bzw. Karl Knor
1912 wurde der Bau der Schmalspurbahn bewilligt.
Foto privat, bzw. Karl Knor
Der Bau der Bahn ging zügig voran, sodass schon 1913 der Betrieb aufgenommen werden konnte.
Foto um 1928. Die BBÖ stellte ab 1921 vier ständige und vier Sonderarbeiter sowie einen "Bahnrichter", eine Art Vorarbeiter, mit Sitz in Güssing an. Die Oberbauarbeiter: Heinrich Rotmeyer (Bahnrichter), Stefan Keszey, Georg Keszey, Josef Keszey, Peter Goger, Josef Neuhold, Alois Billowitsch, Karl Oswald und Johann Weber. Hinten (in Uniform): Gustav Müller (Fahrdienstleiter); rechts: Josef Schmied.
Auf der Schmalspurbahn wurde Grubenholz für den Bergbau transportiert.
Foto privat, bzw. Karl Knor
Ein Tagelöhner namens Jandrasits kam bei einem Unfall zu Tode.
Foto um 1932. Die Lokalbahnstrecke Güssing-Körmend wurde bis 30.10.1926 durch die MAV betrieben, ab 31.10.1926 übernahm die BBÖ die Führung. V.l.n.r.: Ferdinand Wurglics (Bahnvorstand); dessen Sohn, Ivan Wurglics; N. Petöfi (ung. Zugsführer); N. Horvath (ung. Bremser); auf dem Fahrrad: Oberbauarbeiter Georg Keszey; im Führerhaus der Lok: N. Smatmáry (ung. Lokführer); daneben der ung. Heizer.Disclaimer
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