Thomas The Train Wooden

Riding the steam train – on the Schafburgbahn at St Wolfgang- video

It’s a while since I read Thomas the Tank Engine as a bed-time story to my kids, but if I was making the Schafburgbahn steam train into a character from that book, I’d say it was a cheerful little engine with a few stories to tell. Who wouldn’t be put in a good mood by chugging up the mountain with fabulous views of the surrounding mountains and Lake Wolfgang below?

St Wolfgang in Austria is a charming and picturesque little town about an hour from Salzburg, set beside the lake of Wolfgangsee. Since the Austrian Emperor Franz Josef spent his summers at Bad Ischl by the lake, it’s been a favourite spot for the great and good to come to relax by the sparkling water and enjoy the mountain views. Several people mentioned to us this little mountian railway as a fun thing to do, so we walked around the lake from our lovely Hotel Im Weisses Rössl and bought our tickets at the small base station.

I hope you enjoy the video below about our ride on the SchafburgBahn steam train

The steam railway, which opened in 1893, is the steepest cog wheel railway in Austria and I could just picture the scene a hundred years ago with all those ladies in full skirts and stout walking boots setting off for a day up the mountain. The gates opened and it was all aboard. Luckily, as it was springtime, the train was not overcrowded and we were all able to get a window seat. It was difficult to judge which side of the carriage would get the best views but it turned out that it didn’t really matter, as from either direction on different parts of the ascent there were clear views down to the valley.

The journey took around 40 minutes, through forest at first, and then gaps in the trees gave a glimpse of the mountain views. The landscape with pure Alpine with pretty wooden houses and wild spring flowers on the slopes. The track is single guage and not long before the top there’s a small stop at where we passed the other train on the line waiting to come down where the drivers had a chat before we set off again. Finally we reached the station at the top, at a height of 1793M above sea level with views down to Wolfgangsee and some the other lakes nearby.

Now there was a stop of around 20 minutes before the train would return down the track and as we had a plane to catch later in the day, we unfortunately didn’t have time to stay for any longer. We walked a little way up the hill and had a coffee on the wooden terrace of the cafe and mountain hut Schutzhütte Himmelspforte, overlooking the station. There is also a larger Hotel Schafbergspitze which has been open almost as long as the railway. I was familiar with these high mountain huts as I’d stayed in a couple while walking part of the Tour de Mont Blanc Trail in France with my friend Julia, and they provide basic accommodation for walkers as well as a hot evening meal. We had a fantastic few days walking in scenery just like this, stopping at night in the huts and feeling that we were on top of the world and never wanting to go back down to the valley.

Thomas And Friends Wooden Railway - Water Tower Figure 8 Set ...

This is by far the best deal I've seen on a Thomas set. The water tower retails alone for $24.00 and the bridge for $18! My son is absolutely wild about Thomas and the water tower and bridge are the two things he plays with the most. I am thrilled that they have combined them into a set along with track, and plan to give this as a gift to my nephew. The water tower contains liquid that appears to "drain" when you lower the spout (this alone is worth hours of entertainment for a toddler). The bridge has 3 parts and is very easy for young hands to assemble. It's reasonably stable, although the top piece is not held in place with anything other than gravity and can be knocked over accidentally. There is plenty of room underneath for trains and track. Some cheaper sets have bridges that are so low that the trains don't fit underneath. Thomas brand track is excellent quality and features indented "ties," unlike less expensive versions. However, it's fully compatible with Brio, Imaginarium, and several generic brands on the market. This set also includes a Thomas train and cargo car to start your Thomas collection (Watch out! It's addicting). These would retail for about $10 apiece if you bought them separately. If your child already has a Thomas train, don't worry. To a 2 or 3 year old, two identical trains are more fun than one. A simple figure-8 track layout is best for young children who are being introduced to wooden train sets for the first time. You can also rearrange the pieces to make a loop or simple circle. I highly recommend this set as a first train set for any boy or girl age 2 and up! A great companion is Thomas Wacky Track, which allows for a wider range of curve diameters, and reduces the frustration level of beginning engineers. Introduce a young engineer to Thomas and Friends, or add to a Thomas fan's collection with this 25-piece wooden train set. The unique water tower gives Thomas and his hard-working Friends a place to relax and re-fill their water supply. Set includes a stone bridge, water tower and cargo car along with Thomas, Sir Tophatt and more. Measures 16"L x 5"W x 9"H.

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