| Austria's second city and the capital of the province of Styria lies on the main Sudbahn linking Vienna to the port of Trieste. In Imperial times when the line was built, all of this line lay within Austria, but post 1918 borders changed, and now the main line south beyond Spielfeld-Strass lies in present day Slovenia.
A standard gauge line branches west from Graz and runs for some 40 kilometers. Originally built to serve coal mines around Köflach and Voitsberg, the line has developed and retained substantial passenger traffic. In the 1970s much of the extensive freight working was still steam hauled, and the loco roster had all been obtained second hand from the State Railway. The mainstay of the fleet were the 152 class utility or Kriegloks which had been built by the Deutsche Reichsbahn, but around Graz shed could be found survivors of the Austrian designed class 56 2-cylinder compound 2-8-0 locos dating from 1914-18, and rotting away amongst the junk was a class 30 two cylinder compound 2-6-2T dating from 1900. The depot in Graz needed a bit of finding at the end of a tram route, but visitors were welcome and could wander around freely as soon as the ususal insurance disclaimer had been signed. The GKB still has two steam locos on its books, one a veteran 0-6-0 built in 1860, and the other is 56-3115 which is illustrated in this collection. |
Active steam on the GKB in 1976 consisted mainly of the surviving class 152 light 2-10-0 locos which had been acquired from the state railway system. These were the survivors of an enormous class of utility or Kriegloks built by the Deutsche Reichsbahn during the second world war and which saw use in virtually every occupied country as well as in Germany. 152-1365 was being prepared for its next duty at Graz on 23 August 1976 900x568 GKB_152-1365_23-8-76.jpg |
The tub tender of GKB 2-10-0 number 152-309 has been fitted with a cab for the use of the guard on fitted freight trains, and in this shot the guard is occupying the cab as the loco heads tender first towards Graz at the Strassgang road crossing with a mixed freight on 22 August 1972 900x561 GKB_152-309_22-8-72.jpg |
Austrian Railways classified its Kriegsloks as class 52 with plate frames or class 152 with bar frames. It was this latter type which survived on the GKB into the 1970s. 152-3109 seen at Graz on 23 August 1976 had been built in Germany in 1943 by the Jung loco works 864x900 GKB_152-3109_a_23-8-76.jpg |
|
This view of 152-3109 shows the tub tender which was the mark of the Kriegslok design. In Germany many of these tenders were re-used and coupled to class 50 or in some cases class 38 locos when the original class 52s were scrapped. The class 52 had a relatively short life in Germany but became a standard class in Austria surviving until the end of steam operation in the 1970s 900x572 GKB_152-3109_b_23-8-76.jpg |
A general view of the yard at Graz showing 152-3109 again together with some of the diesel power which was then beginning to infiltrate onto the line 900x579 GKB_152-3109_c_23-8-76.jpg |
Front end detail of 152-3109 at Graz on 23 August 1976. The class 52/152 were directly derived from the class 50 light 2-10-0 locos, but built to utility standards. With thier light axle loading they could be used on virtually any line throughout Europe. 900x577 GKB_152-3109_d_23-8-76.jpg |
|
The area immediately around Graz consists of a flat wide valley surrounded by mountains. 2-10-0 152-469 lays a smokescreen across the landscape in this view showing the train heading out of Graz on 22 August 1972 900x588 GKB_152-469_22-8-72.jpg |
It always pays to explore round back of obscure buildings at loco depots. Graz was no exception and I found this survivor of a class 30 2-6-2T dumped amidst the junk on 23 August 1976. These were two cylinder compound locos built for the state railways in 1900, this being the survivor of two examples subsequently sold to the GKB 900x572 GKB_30-114_23-8-76.jpg |
This example of a former Austrian State railways class 56 2-8-0 was intact and appeared to be coaled up ready for further service in this view taken at Graz depot on 23 August 1976. These locos were built between 1914 and 1918 and were two cylinder compound locos, this particular example having received a spark arrester chimney. This loco has been preserved on the railway 900x572 GKB_56-3115_23-8-76.jpg |
|
This example of class 56, 56-3249 was dumped out of use at Graz on 23 August 1976 and would see no further use. In the background can be seen the remains of one of GKB's three class 50s, 50-685, which had lost its boiler, but the frames, wheels, motion and large Wagner smoke deflectors were still in place 900x579 GKB_56-3249_23-8-76.jpg |
Another dumped class 56, 56-3297, at Graz on 23 August 1976. The class 56's were not pretty machines, but the long survival of these first world war veterans into the 1970s is a tribute to sound basic design 900x579 GKB_56-3297_23-8-76.jpg |
