The Zillertalbahn in the Austrian Tyrol links Jenbach in the Inn valley with the ski resort of Mayrhofen which is situated at the point where the flat valley floor ends. It is a diesel hauled narrow gauge line but during the summer one train a day is steam hauled. The fare is reasonable for the trip and takes just over an hour and a half. Some of that time is taken up by being overtaken by the regular diesel hauled service.

Jenback is about 30km east of Innsbruck and the railway is about two minutes from the Jenbach motorway junction. There is a long term car park for train passengers. The train departs at 10:30am so a holiday "lie in" is not a good idea.

The loco for our trip was No. 5 - a one hundred year old 0-6-2 tank engine




The diesels of the Zillertalbahn are not attractive to my eyes being very square with large flat surfaces.


but someone in the company has clearly managed to exploit these surfaces as advertising billboards...




The route out of Jenbach heads east alongside the mainline for a short distance. There are transfer sidings here for the standard gauge stake wagons which get loaded onto narrow gauge sleds to take wood to a sawmill in the Zillertal and return with finished timber. It then swings south over the Inn and soon heads into the Zillertal itself. The lush green vegetation betrays the amount of rain there has been.



The line heads fairly directly down the valley passing pretty villages and farms along the way





The station building at Zell-am-Ziller has been painted in a particularly bright colour


As the train heads south through Zell-am-Ziller station it passes a gym which has a large picture window looking west over the railway towards the mountains. Inside you can see a bank of tread mills facing out. Despite the wonderful walking country outside they are not empty...

The village of Mayrhofen seems to be dominated by the tourist industry. There are many walking paths some of which can be completed in a couple of hours or so. This view of Mayrhofen was taken outside the Weisshaus which is about 80 minutes walk up forest tracks. The railway station is in the lower left of the picture.


We got back to the village in time for the return steam train back to Jenbach but were tempted to miss it by the lure of kaffee and kuchen in the large konditorei on the main street.

This short video gives a flavour of the trip. We travelled in an open wagon with a bench seat. It was a bit cold and everyone got at least one serious spec in an eye but the views were unimpeded by any glass.



It is possible to buy models of some of the Zillertalbahn's locos and rolling stock from Lilliput in HOe if your pockets are deep enough.

David