Thank-you and "Hi", KZfaq is a wonderful medium for seeing those places we are unlikely to visit in person, I am very grateful to have seen the places I have and it is rewarding to share some of those experiences with the KZfaq community.

Hi, I'm pleased you enjoyed the ride, it sounds as though you have a well traveled sofa.

Thank you, I'm pleased you enjoyed the ride.

Hi, I'm pleased you enjoyed the ride, I'm really missing being able to travel at the moment, hopefully it won't be too long before things return to something near normal.

Thank you, I'm pleased you enjoyed the ride.

Hi, I'm pleased you could join me for a virtual trip along one Europe's best known mountain railroads. Wishing you a fun packed New year. Tim.

Thank you, I'm pleased you enjoyed it, Austria is a beautiful country 😊

Thank you, I'm pleased you enjoyed the ride.

Es ist eine wunderbare Zugfahrt 😊.

Vielen Dank, es war schön, diese wundervolle Zugfahrt mit Ihnen teilen zu dürfen 😊.

Thank you, I'm pleased you enjoyed it.

Thank you Keith, I'm pleased you enjoyed the ride. Happy New Year to both yourself and June.

I'm pleased you enjoyed the ride 😊.

They don't make wonderful films like that anymore.

@@Timsvideochannel1 They don't make wonderful entertainers like Julie Andrews anymore, either.

Thank you 😊👌👍

Cheers, I'm pleased you enjoyed it. I wish some of the houses were holiday lets, I'd love to rent one for a week or two.

Vielen Dank, ich freue mich, dass Sie die Fahrt genossen haben 😉

Hi John, the world is a bizarre place, I spent much of yesterday taking photos of floods in the Arun valley near my home whilst you are experiencing drought and record high temperatures. I hope you get some rain soon to cool things down and get those fires under control.

It must have been nice to grow up in such a beautiful part of the country and watch the trains making their way along this highly scenic railway line.

Hi, I'm glad you enjoyed the ride, I love visiting Austria, there are plenty of wonderful rail rides, some on the national network, others are private or enthusiast operations and a warm welcome is almost guaranteed. Welcome on board, I hope you find more videos of interest.

Austria is indeed a gorgeous country...traveled through it while stationed in Germany (Nov '71 - Jul '74) and again in 1994 with my late brother, Tim, visited Hallstadt...WOW!!!

Thank you, I'm pleased you enjoyed it.

The Semmering Railway is beautiful, it must be spectacular after a fresh fall of snow.

@@Timsvideochannel1 It truly was spectacular. I wish I could post a picture or two here.

@@iainmacpherson4613 Hi, I started a Facebook Page a while back to share photos and shorter videos, for more information please click on this link - facebook.com/groups/2505405939486692/

Austria is a beautiful country with plenty of trains, Las Vegas has its attractions, a lot of people go there, it must be hard to swap such pretty countryside for a desert landscape.

I'd never heard "Fireball Mail", but I have now - kzfaq.info/get/bejne/g7aekpmV38Wrj6M.html&feature=emb_logo There are a lot of variations and "Yes" it suits this video.

Me too. - Heinz

Thank you, I'm pleased you enjoyed the ride.

Hi, it is a memorable journey and the driver get the best view. Soon most trains will be routed through the new tunnel currently under construction, although local trains will still use the old route. A lot has changed since your time in Germany, but one thing stays the same ... Austria's beautiful scenery.

Glad you enjoyed it

Er zijn in het verleden een aantal goede televisieseries geweest die het fortuin van de spoorwegen in de wereld bedekken. We hebben geluk hier in het Verenigd Koninkrijk, met een aantal zeer goede Railway Travel Programma's worden nu gescreend, zoals die gehost door Micheal Portillo en Chris Tarrant. De Semmering Railway heeft een speciale plaats Oostenrijkse geschiedenis, het was leuk om de lijn te bezoeken voordat de nieuwe basistunnel route opent. Gelukkig Nieuwjaar. Tim. There have been some good television series in the past covering the fortunes of the world's railways. We are lucky here in the UK, with a number of very good railway travel programs being screened now, such as those hosted by Micheal Portillo and Chris Tarrant. The Semmering Railway has a special place Austrian history, it was nice to visit the line before the new base tunnel route opens. Happy New Year. Tim.

The Semmering base tunnel is scheduled to go into operation in 2026. Until now I have no knowledge what they do with the montain railway. Maybe similar to Gotthardt tunnel where the montain line is still open to tourists? - Heinz

Hello Michael, Austria is a clean, tidy, well looked after country. The trains are regular and reliable even in winter due in no small part to the excellent condition of the infrastructure. Heinz mentions the base tunnel, now under construction, I will show work on the tunnel in a later video, the current railway will remain in use as it serves a number of towns, although it will be nowhere near as busy as it is today.

@@Timsvideochannel1 wenn sie den Betrieb auf der Semmeringbahn nach Eröffnung des Basistunnels einstellen würden, wäre der Unesco-Titel weg.

@@peterbey1929 Lokale, gefährliche Güter- und Regionalzüge werden weiterhin auf der alten Strecke verkehren, sie wird weiterhin ein UNESCO-Weltkulturerbe sein Local, hazardous freight and regional trains will continue to operate over the old route, it will continue to be a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Hallo, ich freue mich, dass Sie die Fahrt genossen haben, die Bahn ist immer noch sehr belebt, daher ist sie gut gepflegt, aber sie wird sich bald ändern, wenn der Semmering-Basistunnel eröffnet wird. Für weitere Informationen klicken Sie bitte auf diesen Link - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semmering_Base_Tunnel Hi, I'm pleased you enjoyed the ride, the railway is still very busy, hence why it is well maintained, but it will change soon when the Semmering Base Tunnel opens. For more information, please click on this link - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semmering_Base_Tunnel

Hi, the views from “Semmering Railway” are beautiful. I'm please you've enjoyed some of my other videos, your kind comment is appreciated.

@@Timsvideochannel1 Yeah, my favorites are the Cog Wheel Trains, particularly the Pikes Peak, even though the lady talked a tad too much😜 and the Switzerland trips are completely overwhelming with their never-ending beauty. I have it on my list to ride some of these trains when me and my wife visit Europe. And a lot of our trip is because of wonderful individuals like yourself who have taken their time to show individuals like myself what's out there. Funny thing, I spent about 6 years in Germany whilst serving in The United States Army, and I missed So much. Thank you, kind Sir

@@joydivisionisnotdead67 For a good choice of unique cog railways, nowhere beats Switzerland and Interlaken is probably the best place to stay for visiting them. When it comes to heritage railways there are a number of them around Europe, but the UK has the highest number in a relatively small area, I'd recommend North Wales for Narrow Gauge and the Midlands for Standard gauge, although there are plenty of them in both the North and the South, The Railway Museum at York is worth visiting. My next tour will likely be to Germany to visit their wonderful narrow gauge railways, although everything is dependent on the Covid situation improving. It must be really hard to plan a trip to Europe, with all the different languages and currencies or will you leave it to one of the many railway holiday companies to do the leg work? so that you can sit back and enjoy the experience. Take care. Tim.

@@Timsvideochannel1 Thanks for all the helpful info. My advantage over other visitors to Europe is that I lived there for so long that I'm not intimidated by the different languages and cultures. I know quite a few countries like the back of my hand, so I'll be fine with that part. Now, the Swiss cogs are a different story. I will seek a tour company for the planning of that. I won't be in a rush; I plan on being in Europe for at least 6 months. That way, me and my wife can enjoy everything even more. She has never been anywhere except Mexico(her country) and the US, so I will be her tour guide. I sure do appreciate all your help, Tim. You possess a quality that I enjoy finding in people, and that is a pleasant disposition. Keep those gorgeous trips coming, my friend😁

@@joydivisionisnotdead67 Having spent a lot of time in Europe, the knowledge you have gained will certainly make planning your visit easier and 6 months is plenty of time, you won't have to rush around too much. I'm sure your wife will enjoy all the history and culture, especially the old buildings and architecture such as the castles dotted all over Europe. Most reputable tour companies offer excellent ground only rail tours around Switzerland at a reasonable price. I'm looking forward to travel opportunities opening up soon as Covid restrictions are eased, it's been a long time since I last participated in a rail-tour. Good luck with your grand tour, I'm sure it will be awesome. Take care and stay safe. Tim.

Hi, I'm glad you enjoyed this view of the Semmering line, the new base tunnel is nearing completion now, it won't be long before most trains are diverted away from the original route, although local trains will still serve the line and there is even talk of regular museum trains operating over the line. You were unlucky to be on a train that broke down, but fortunate that there was a locomotive to rescue you.

Hallo, ich freue mich, dass dir das Video gefallen hat 😊

@@Timsvideochannel1 Auf jeden Fall, und Abonniert sind Sie auch😃👍💪🍀

@@dereuregioman Vielen Dank für das Abonnieren, ich hoffe, Sie finden weitere Videos zu sehen.

Cheers, I'm pleased you enjoyed it. Sunny skies are a mixed blessing, great for showing off beautiful scenery, a devil for reflecting in the camera lens and showing dirt on the window.

@@Timsvideochannel1 You make a good point about the pro's and con's of sunny skies in videos but I still LOVE to see the sunshine when possible, even with the glare and dirty window issues (if any). Keep up the FINE work in your videos, Tim, and I look forward to seeing more.

@@DougCeleste Cheers Doug, I am grounded at the moment, can't wait to start travelling again. The unexpected break has given me a chance to edit and upload my 2019 tour of New Zealand including a lot of material from earlier visits. Editing these videos is very time consuming, although it is also enjoyable to re-live some these amazing trips.

@@Timsvideochannel1 Thanks for your reply, Tim. I will really look forward to your NZ videos. I was in Australia in 2002 but never got to NZ. Is it my imagination or are the railroad tracks maintained much better in Europe than the USA? Those trains seem to be riding on VERY smooth and quiet tracks. Also, have there been any language issues when you are on the trains in Austria, Germany and other countries in Europe?

@@DougCeleste Hi Doug, this is one of my favourite New Zealand train rides, filmed in 2019 - kzfaq.info/get/bejne/b5aWdrphmtGmYHk.html The Tracks on European main lines are generally kept in very good order. The film was taken with a GoPro 7 camera incorporating their "Hypersmooth" software, a massive improvement on earlier models that suffered from the jello effect. The result of using this and later GoPro's is that even rough rides, appear to be reasonably smooth. Language can be a problem, on this occasion I was travelling with group led by a multi lingual tour guide. Many Europeans speak English, they will never admit it, but it is the unofficial second language throughout Europe. China is the only place where I have been really beaten by language, I was trying to get some food and ended up getting a Yoga lesson from a bunch of older ladies who couldn't believe I wasn't capable of lifting my leg above my head, fortunately, laughter is a universal language.

Hello, I'm pleased you enjoyed it, I hope you are keeping safe and well in Argentina :-)

Hi, GoPro cameras are a bit expensive, but they are getting cheaper to compete with the growing competition, they will never be as good as a full size camera, but drivers don't allow anything in the cab that can't be set up and removed in less than a minute. The railjet trains are good, sadly the windows don't open and it is hard to take good photos through the glass. I am working on another video showing the route, taken from an old ex Vienna suburban unit with opening windows, making it much easier to see some of the viaducts. You are right about not being able to fully appreciate the infrastructure from the train. The viaducts look far more impressive from the side. I'll upload the alternative view of the line in the next couple of days.

Hi, thank you for the extra information, it made interesting reading. I've heard that the original line might be used to run occasional heritage trains after the Koralmbahn opens to traffic.

@@Timsvideochannel1 The Semmering Base Tunnel is under construction and is expected to enter operational service during 2030. Undergoing construction of the last sector (4.3 km out of 27 km) has to handle the complex geology in the area. Due to karst water inrush, the comprehensive utilization of multi-technical methods is required. Currently, the Vienna-Graz and the Vienna-Klagenfurt journeys on the Railjet services are 2h35m and 3h55m. The railway layout makes it difficult for services from and to Vienna. New lines and tunnels will enable journeys from Vienna to Graz and Klagenfurt of two and three hours respectively. In combination with the 27 km-long Semmering Base Tunnel the 127 km-long Koralm Railway will remove bottlenecks in the Austrian railway infrastructure.

@@heinerle456 Hi, thanks again for the extra information, I visited a viewing tower at Mürzzuschlag, constructed to give members of the public a good view of the works site. Its good to see this investment in the infrastructure, although passengers will miss the wonderful views seen from the original route, I'm sure they'll appreciate the faster journey time. This video shows the view from the viewing tower - kzfaq.info/get/bejne/h6qZlbODttmscqc.html

De lampen hebben een traditionele uitstraling.

Gosh, 1956 was a long time ago, also the year I was born. Austria is still a lovely country, if you do visit, I'm sure you will find it a rewarding experience. Best wishes. Tim.

Hello Heinz, this is a railway I had wanted to experience for a long time, I'd read a lot about it and its designer "Carl von Ghega", his aim was to blend the railway into the scenery, something he achieved, using the rocks extracted from the tunnels to build line-side structures, bridges and stations. Wikipedia gives a very good account of the railway - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semmering_railway This railway lived up to my expectations. Hotels and railways have been linked almost since the first line was laid, Britain's own Great Western Railway built grand hotels to cater for holiday makers in the new seaside resorts in Devon and Cornwall. The Canadian Pacific Railway was well known for its luxurious hotels. It must have been wonderful to escape from the heavily polluted cities into the fresh mountain air of Switzerland. Taking a holiday in a hotel is as much a special experience today as it was in the past, its nice to be pampered for a few days. Take care. Tim.

Our train used both tracks for parts of the journey. Is there a reason for using the right hand track? maybe something to do with repair work or connecting to the new tunnel?

Hi, I'm not familiar enough with Austrian signals to give an accurate answer, although I drew the same conclusion as yourself. I looked this up, it might help - mysite.du.edu/~jcalvert/railway/germaust.htm#Aust It does show repeater signals and explains their function.

For the signals I may point you to www.styria-mobile.at/home/Austro-SwissRailwaySignalling/index.html - it's not 100% up to date, but all signals seen in the video are explained there.

Hi, if you get the chance, I'm sure you'll enjoy a trip over the Semmering line. I believe trains in Austria normally run on the right, this map might help - external-preview.redd.it/6h_Q0bZjVo5c_zYWfgekBNIf0lQQqz5-xOTRmLqupq8.png?auto=webp&s=9c4c2bde65be1dd7cc74a45ed59330256b411f1b As far as I'm aware the old route is to be retained for local trains and hazardous freight, I did hear suggestions that the line could be used by heritage trains, I hope that is so. Trains run wrong line to enable engineering work and at some stations there is a preferred platform for trains to call at, occasionally a passenger train can overtake a slower freight train. I got a real surprise at Dawlish (England) when I was filming a stopping train accelerating away from a station stop when an express travelling in the same direction overtook it, bi-directional signalling can lead to some interesting train movements.

Hi, I visited the museum at Mürzzuschlag were there is a viewing tower from which work on the tunnel can be observed - the views can be seen towards the end of this video - kzfaq.info/get/bejne/h6qZlbODttmscqc.html One of the guides at the museum said that when the tunnel is open they were hoping to run museum trains over the old route. Thank you for the extra information. Cheers. Tim.

It is noticeable how tidy the line-side is in many European country's, no bits of old track left everywhere or spent ballast dumped in the undergrowth along the track side. Many railways are not fenced in, people can be trusted not to walk in front of trains, with no fenced in line-side there is less overgrown wasteland attracting the attention of fly tippers. Britain can learn a lot from European railways, they are better at keeping costs down and railways running. Another thing that has disappeared from Britain's railways is allotments beside the tracks. I'm pleased you enjoyed the video.

@@Timsvideochannel1 "Another thing that has disappeared from Britain's railways is allotments beside the tracks." What do you mean by "allotments"?

@@mikelastname1220 Hi, allotments are used to grow vegetables, railways workers were allowed to cultivate the track-side land where it was safe to do so.

@@Timsvideochannel1 Wow! Thanks for telling me!!!

I hadn't noticed that, trains can actually dip their headlights, I learn something new everyday.

Hello Chuck, I'm pleased you enjoyed the video. Let us hope for good weather in the New Year. Stay warm. Tim 😉

Hello Tim, Happy New Year. Stay warm into your Hose. Chuck

I'm pleased you enjoyed the ride, I'll try to include more information in future videos, although it can be a bit time consuming to do the research.

@@Timsvideochannel1 I do research for film projects so I know how long it can take, but it can be most rewarding. Thanks for replying.

the german Wikipadia page on the semmering railway has a schematic of the line, with all tunnels and bridges including their location - it's easy to match that to the kilometer signs along the track. de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semmeringbahn#Streckenf%C3%BChrung_und_technische_Eckdaten

Hi, I'm pleased you enjoyed the ride. The Semmering railway is 41 km (25.5 mi) for more information, please click on this link - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semmering_railway

私はより多くの情報を見つけるためにインターネットを調べました。列車はノーズサスペンショントラクションモーターで駆動されているのではないかと思います。この記事は役立つかもしれません - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%96BB_Class_4020

Hi, the mud hole surprises me, Austrian railways are generally maintained to a very high standard, I'm sure it would have been dealt with very quickly. These halts are not very busy, there is usually a little shelter, either on the platform or at the station entrance.

@@Timsvideochannel1 ,the mudhole surprised me too. it must be the first i've ever seen on a european video. there might be a spring directly below the track. over here in australia, we've got heaps, especially in victoria. it is caused by lack of maintenance. in fact, the most important railway line in the country (melb to syd) has the most mudholes in the country. every so often a train uncouples because of them.

@@vsvnrg3263 Hi, mudholes do appear on European railways, but they are dealt with almost as soon as the drivers and track inspectors report them. European trains generally travel at reasonable speed and an unchecked mud-hole would be disastrous. I haven't seen many Driver's Eye Views of Australian railways, although the Queensland railway tracks looked to be maintained to a very high standard, it was only at the extremities where low traffic and speeds are reflected in the budget available for track maintenance.

@@Timsvideochannel1 ,the mudholes on australia's most important track only get minimum repairs and only as a result of australia's premium current affairs show called four corners doing a report on the problem with train drivers faces and voices obscured. if the railway line was built of asphalt it would get as much maintenance as required. but then it would be called a freeway and not a railway line.

@@vsvnrg3263 It is a shame rail gets priority over roads in Oz, here in the UK were are now paying a high price for the railways that closed. The replacement busses stuck in traffic jams on crowded roads isn't working and the cost of re-instating the lines is astronomic. Short term savings have led to a long term nightmare, I hope Oz learns from the UK's mistakes.

Hi, both tracks are signalled for bi-directional running, I believe there was some maintenance work taking place on the other track.

@@Timsvideochannel1 okay, thank you

@@Timsvideochannel1 okay, thank you Tim !

Some of the railway buildings looked abandoned, they are in such a beautiful part of the country, it makes sense for them to be made available for rent if the railway no longer needs them for its own staff, although access to some of them might prove challenging. Thanks for the translation.

​@@Timsvideochannel1 basically all of them that are decently accessible are inhabited.

@@stephanweinberger They would would make a wonderful place for someone like myself to rent for a holiday.

That was a real groan provoking joke, but I'm glad you enjoyed the ride.

@@Timsvideochannel1 Well, you're getting used to my jokes, Tim! That's REALLY time to worry! LOL Happy New Year!(Just saw typo errors....had to correct them! BLAST those keyboard gremlins!)

@@neilforbes416 reminds me of the blue mountains west of sydney

@@youtubeviewer7030 "Blue Mountains"? Awwwww! Sounds like they need cheering up! LOL

@@neilforbes416 but on a serious side its does

"Yes" the views from the train window are truly beautiful.

Hi, you are right about the houses, you will notice they are built from the same rock as the viaducts and tunnel entrances, I believe most of the building materials were excavated from the tunnels. As time has passed, the reasons most of these houses were built have passed into history as modern technology has taken over. Many of the houses are occupied by non railway workers, some have fallen into disrepair. There are no boundary fences along much of the route except in towns or to keep farm animals off the track, I don't know how much land the railway owns either side of the tracks, maybe someone who does know will read this and leave a reply.

@@Timsvideochannel1 typically the railways only own a few meters to the side of the track. Sometimes you can see boundary stones or red-white-red boundary poles near the tracks. The houses were built for linesmen/signalmen (and their families).

@@stephanweinberger Thanks for the information, mainland Europe differs from the UK, in that all railways are fenced in here, making the boundary clear.

I believe some of those that can be accessed without the need to cross railway land are used for housing, as for the rest I'd be interested to know what their future is, they's make great Airbnb holiday lets.

Bem-vindos à bela Áustria.

Привет, они были первоначально предусмотрены для железнодорожников. Сегодня большинство из них не требуется, как технология берет на себя. Hi, they were originally provided for railway workers. Today most are not required as technology takes over.

@@Timsvideochannel1 спасибо. У Вас замечательный канал. Oksana from Kyrgyzstan

@@user-cv1bb5fw6h Спасибо 😊

pretty sure it was a weekend, on workdays there are *much* more trains on the line, including freight. Though some of those may have been re-reouted because of the construction work in Mürzzuschlag (where the new base tunnel will begin).

I was lucky to travel on this train. It had opening windows, ideal for taking video and photos. It not so easy in modern air conditioned units.

@@Timsvideochannel1 Yeah they only use 4024/4124 now

Austria is very beautiful and the people look after their country, Thailand is also beautiful with its amazing coast-line and white sandy beaches, it is a shame that a small minority of people do not respect nature, maybe things will improve in future.

The ever changing seasons and weather ensures this route never becomes boring.

Ich hoffe, Sie haben es genossen, diese wunderbare historische Eisenbahn zu fahren.

Oh dear, that's a shame 😢