Der Panoramawagen B4ip 43 würde an der WLLR in Wales verkauft. Nachricht von facebook:
📣Austrian Observation Carriage to run on the Llanfair Line⭐
Visitors to the picturesque Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway in 2026 will have a new way to admire the scenery of the Banwy Valley during their train trip on the Mid-Wales line. The Railway has just agreed the purchase of a high-windowed observation carriage from the Zillertalbahn in Austria.
Carriage B4-43 ‘Glaswagen', which is expected to enter service in Wales during 2026, is of 1950s vintage and was built originally to allow visitors to admire the alpine surroundings of Tyrol on the Austrian line. It is now surplus to the Zillertalbahn’s requirements, so the W&LLR has agreed to acquire the vehicle to supplement its existing carriage fleet and provide visitors with an alternative way to enjoy the Mid-Wales scenery alongside our distinctive open balcony carriages.
The W&LLR and Zillertalbahn have enjoyed a close relationship since the Austrian line donated four of its balcony carriages in 1968 – these vehicles remain a unique aspect of the Welsh line’s visitor experience to this day. The Llanfair Line also operated a historic steam locomotive, ‘Zillertal’, on hire from the Zillertalbahn between 2019 and 2024.
The ‘Glaswagen’ is like the other Austrian carriages mechanically well-suited to W&LLR operations, with compatible braking systems, but will require coupling modifications and ‘fitness to run’ inspections before entering service. In the medium-term it is hoped that the vehicle will provide a good platform for an interior upgrade to enable it to play a role in the line’s existing popular on-train catering services.
The carriage is due to make the journey from Austria to Wales during the autumn. Commenting on the acquisition, W&LLR General Manager, James Brett said that it would allow visitors to enjoy the hills and valleys of the rural line with a different experience to its existing carriages.
“It is also a great opportunity to acquire a historic vehicle which will complement our current fleet, giving us more operating capacity and flexibility as we continue to enhance and diversify our visitor offering – we would like to thank the Zillertalbahn for offering us the opportunity to purchase this carriage and their transport partners, the Pressnitztalbahn, who are bringing it to Welshpool for us,” James added.
Zillertalbahn CEO, Andreas Lackner described the transfer of the special carriage to Wales as another milestone in the long partnership between the Zillertalbahn and the W&LLR. “With this vehicle now surplus to our requirements, we are glad it has found a home where passengers can continue to enjoy its panoramic travel experience,” he added.
Notes to editors: The Zillertalbahn is a 760mm gauge railway running along the valley of the river Ziller (Zillertal) in Tyrol, Austria. The 32-kilometre (20-mile) line starts in Jenbach and terminates in Mayrhofen. It operates passenger train services using modern diesel locomotives and railcars as well as a seasonal steam passenger service employing heritage rolling stock.
The Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway is a 2ft 6in (762mm) gauge railway first opened in 1903, closed by British Railways in 1956 and reopened by volunteer enthusiasts in 1963. The line operates a heritage passenger service from Welshpool to Llanfair Caereinion, an eight-mile journey through the pastoral scenery of Mid-Wales.
