Driving the Hobbylok on the Zillertalbahn

For many years every June, I would sign up to drive the Hobbylok on the Zillertalbahn in Austria as a birthday present to myself.

Hobbylok No. 6 was built by Krauss Munchen in 1916 and was acquired from Bohler steelworks in 1972 in Kapfenberg and was used for driving lessons for the public as part of the ZB’s tourist steam operations.

The original route of the Hobbyzug (train) was from Mayrhofen to Fügen-Hart and return.

As the timber traffic to Fügen-Hart increased over the years, the Hobbyzug was cut back to Kaltenbach-Stumm.

The Hobbyzug was advertised as ‘Lust Auf Abenteuer’ which roughly translates into are you ‘Ready for Adventure’ which in the early days was just that.

The Hobbyzug was slipped into the normal daily timetable and left Mayrhofen every Friday morning at 10.40am.

It stopped at every station to pick up any passengers who wanted to ride the train.  It arrived at Fügen-Hart at 11.55am.

It was a bit daunting to know that you were driving a train with the general public aboard. Passengers were meant to have a ticket unless you were with the driver but I was never convinced that any tickets were actually issued.  I do remember seeing a nun on one of my trains who looked like an extra from the Sound of Music.

Departure from Fügen-Hart was at 12.03pm arriving back at Mayrhofen at 13.27pm.  Occasionally, if there was enough interest, the Hobbyzug would do a short run to Zell am Ziller in the afternoon returning to Mayrhofen just after 2pm.

Once the loco was ‘put to bed’ in the engine shed at Mayrhofen I would join the crew for a few beers at a local kneipe (pub).  Hot work driving a steam engine.

In all my time driving the Hobbylok I never signed a disclaimer nor was I asked if I could drive a steam engine, which, fortunately, I could.

Before the introduction of double track on many parts of the Zillertalbahn and whilst the Hobbyzug was treated as a regular train, priority was always given to the more regular service trains.  This meant a lot of complicated shunting back and forth to clear the mainline for the regular trains which was great fun but was not helped by the fact that all instructions were given to me in German.  I quickly learned that bremse meant brake, abfart meant to go and halt meant stop!

I remember that on one trip back to Mayrhofen because we were ahead of schedule I was allowed to stop the Hobbyzug on the Zillerbrucke for a photoshoot.  That was the one and only time that this happened.

After each trip every Hobbylok driver was presented with an official certificate confirming that he or she had driven the Hobbylok and on what stretch of the Zillertalbahn.

My most memorable trip driving the Hobbylok took place on my birthday on 14 June, 2013.

I was patiently waiting at Kaltenbach-Stumm to take the Hobbyzug back up to Mayrhofen but unknown to me there was a problem with the locomotive.  After a considerable delay the Hobbylok and coaches finally limped into Kaltenbach-Stumm.  As I stepped forward to climb on the footplate, I was told that the loco had developed a leaking boiler and needed to go down to Jenbach for immediate repairs as it was to be the ZB’s star attraction at their ‘Open Day’ the following day.  My heart sunk at the thought of missing out on driving the loco but I soon perked up when I was asked if I wanted to drive the ailing and potentially dangerous loco (we had to stop several times to take on water) down to Jenbach.  I jumped at the chance and got the loco safely down to Jenbach and handed it over to the maintenance crew who were waiting for us.

Two things that was memorable for me on that trip was that the train driver and ZB control trusted me enough (although I was not an employee of the ZB) to deliver the loco safely to Jenbach and also that the ZB presented me with a certificate confirming that I had driven the loco from Kaltenbach-Stumm to Jenbach which was very rare.

Unfortunately, the Hobbylok could not be repaired in time for the ‘Open Day’ so a diesel shunter took its place.

Sadly, the ZB cancelled the Hobbyzug due to rising costs and on 11 September, 2015 the Hobbyzug was taken to Jenbach for the last time.

Since its last run in 2016 the Hobbylok has been put on display but it is not the same as seeing it with its coaches running up and down the Ziller Valley whistling away, especially when you are the Lok Fuhrer (engine driver).

To see pictures of the Hobbyzug please visit my Flickr site under the album 'Zillertalbahn'.

4 4. The Hobbyzug poses for pictures on the Zillerbrucke outside Zell am Ziller, 26 June, 2009.

5. The Hobbylok arrives at Kaltenbach-Stumm with leaking boiler on 14 June, 2013.

6. The Hobbylok arrives at Fügen-Hart on its way down to Jenbach, 14 June, 2013.

7. The Hobbylok is seen approaching Jenbach on 14 June, 2013 with the author driving.

8. The Hobbylok makes it safely to Jenbach, 14 June, 2013.

9. The Hobbylok being worked on in the engine shed at Jenbach, 15 June, 2013.

10. The Hobbyzug stock giving free rides at ZB's ‘Open Day’ on 15 June, 2013. D12 replaced the Hobbylok which had failed the previous day.

11. Zillertalbahn's Hobbyzug is seen at Jenbach on the last day of working, 11 September, 2015. (Stephen Ford.)

12. ZB Leiter-Wagen at Jenbach, 14 June, 2013.

13. The author receives one of his many driving certificates at Mayrhofen, 7 September, 2007.

14. The Zillertalbahn Certificate presented to the author at Jenbach on 14 June, 2013.