In the era of the Cold War, Gmund in Lower Austria was a border station between the western world and eastern Europe. Nowadays both Austria and the Czech Republic are members of the European Union. Back in the seventies a solitary Czechoslovak State Railways train would trundle occasionally across the border from Ceské Velenice with a lightweight train of two four wheeled coaches carrying more border guards than passengers like as not. Immaculate post war 2-10-0 556-0506 waits at Gmund for connections from Vienna before making its short journey back home on 19 August 1976

Austrian Railways inherited a number of former Deutsche Reichsbahn E18 class 1Do1 electric locomotives, and 1018-101 was built by AEG in Berlin in 1939. The lcoc was still going strong and had been repainted in the new red livery when seen at Attnang-Puchheim at the head of a local train on 24 August 1977. Compare this image to that of DB 118-036 to be found in the collection covering diesel and electric traction in Germany

The 1020 class were a Deutsche Reichsbahn design for heavy freight work which first appeared as class E94 in 1940. 47 of the class were operated by the ÖBB including 3 built as late as 1954. This one, 1020-14, was built by Krauss-Maffei in 1944, and was seen at Innsbrück on 5 September 1968. Both the Austrian 1020 class and the identical DB class 194 had long service lives on both systems lasting well into the 1970s and beyond

The 1042-5 class were the top link locos on the system in the 1970s. The first examples appeared in 1968 and delivery proceeded right into the 1970s. 1042-643 had paused at Attnang-Puchheim on 24 August 1977 with an international train composed of DB stock

The 1042-5 class were also the principal motive power on the Semmering route south from Vienna. 1042-666 makes a brief pause at Semmering on 22 August 1976 with an express northbound to the capital city

The 1044 class appeared in the late 1970s as successors to the 1042 class, and started to appear on longer distance and international work towards the end of the decade. This is one of the first to appear, 1044-04, seen at Jenbach on the Inn valley main line on 24 August 1978

This broadside view of 1045-08 seen at Attnang-Puchheim on 24 August 1977 emphasises the "box on wheels" appearance of these early electric locos. This loco was built in 1929 and was still operational some 48 years later

The electric shunting locos used at a number of locations on station pilot duties were also veterans in every sense of the word. 1061-01 was the first of a class on 5 built in 1926 all of which were still in use 50 years later. On 27 August 1976 it had received the new red livery and was employed on its regular duty at Innsbrück

Another view of 1061-01 seen at Innsbrück on 27 August 1976

The 1080 class were amongst the oldest surviving first generation electric locos. They were rod drive ten coupled locos with three motors dating from 1924/25. 1080-13 was on a trip freight at Garsten south of Linz on 24 August 1977

Another member of the rod drive 1080 class was 1080-19 seen at Attnang-Puchheim on 24 August 1977

The 1110 class comprised 30 locos built between 1956 and 1961 with the Co-Co wheel arrangement. All were rebuilt and renumbered in the 1110-500 series in the 1970s. 1110-502 was at Jenbach on a westbound freight on 22 August 1978

The 1141 class were a smaller medium power version of the 1110 class and 30 were built between 1955 and 1957. By the mid-1990s Austrian Railways had introduced a seven digit fleet number scheme with the additional edp control digit added. 1141-025 was at Attnang-Puchheim on 11 August 1994, with a train of bogie coaches which by then had been reapinted into the much brighter red and white livery

1141-19 was seen at Garsten heading south on the line from Linz to Hieflau on 18 August 1976

Passenger trains on the Attnang-Puchheim to Stainach-Irnding line were mainly in the hands of the venerable 1045 and 1145 class dating from 1927 to 1931. This is 1145-02 at Gmunden on 18 August 1976

The venerable 1145 class survived to be repainted into the new red livery, as witnessed by this view of 1145-08 seen at Attnang-Puchheim on 24 August 1977 in the bay platform preparing to depart with a local train for Bad Ischl and Stainach-Irnding

Some of the 1145 class also worked around Innsbrück, including 1145-16 seen here south of the station on a rolling stock movement on 5 September 1968

The 1161 class were a slightly later development of the eight-coupled electric shunting loco. 1161-14 was still in the old green livery when seen at Innsbrück on 27 August 1976

Austria's 1089 and 1189 classes were perhaps less well known than similar locos in Switzerland, but they were remarkable survivors from the very first years of main line electrification. With their 1C+C1 wheel arrangement and primitive rod drive they were "Crocodiles" in every sense of the word. By the mid-1970s all were based at Attnang-Puchheim and were used primarily on the secondary route to Stainach-Irnding via Bad Ischl, which at that time still carried considerable freight traffic. 1189-05, built in 1927, was paused at Gmunden on a northbound freight waiting to cross a southbound train on 18 August 1976

The 1245 were the last of the pre-war Bo-Bo locos for secondary duties but with their 1840 kw rating were considerably more powerful than their older cousins. 41 were built between 1934 and 1940, and 1245-523 seen at Selzthal on 17 August 1979 was one 20 built at Floridsdorf in 1938

The 1670 class were mostly to be seen in the west of the country, and in this view 1679-22 is approaching Bludenz in the Vorarlberg province on 25 August 1978

The 1670 class were designed for main line passenger work and had three bogies with the unusual 1A-Bo-A1 wheel arrangement. 1670-27, built in 1929 was piloting more modern Bo-Bo 1110-519 with a train formed of very mixed rolling stock approaching Innsbrück on 27 August 1976

Typical motive power on non-electrified routes were the diesel locomotives of class 2043 and 2143, broadly equivalent in power output to a British type 2. The locos had hydraulic transmission. 2043-045 departs Linz Urfahr on 11 August 1994 with a local train serving on of the detached brances north of the city

Gmund was also the centre of the Waldviertelbahn narrow guage network which had two branches which meandered through the rolling countryside around the Czech border. Operation was mixed between steam and diesel, and in this case a train hauled by B-B diesel 2095-12 was being prepared for departure on 19 August 1976