Budweis–Linz–Gmunden Horse-Drawn Railway

This switch over was not possible in the mountainous stretch between Linz and Budweis (České Budějovice) due to tight curvature radii and steep climbs.

The salt trade between the Salzkammergut, or rather Salzburg, and the inhabitants of the Bohemian basin can be traced back to the Bronze Age.

From there it was transported by water along the Traun and the Danube to Linz and Mauthausen, where it was loaded onto horse-drawn carts of the (mostly Bohemian) Salt Farmers (Salzbauern) and taken via Freistadt to the depot at České Budějovice.

To correct this shortcoming, the Bohemian Hydrotechnic Society (Bömische Hydrotechnische Gesellschaft) was founded in 1807, and the professor of higher mathematics in Prague, Franz Josef Ritter von Gerstner, was given the task of making more precise level calculations and presenting a solution for the route with cost estimates.

After many months, Gerstner came to the conclusion that a canal system would be uneconomical, even along the most reasonable route proposed by Josef Walcher.

After he had familiarised himself with the conditions at the site, he took an educational trip to Great Britain in order to learn more about the latest in canal and railway construction from the then leading industrial nation.

In 1824, he requested a concession for the construction and operation of a Holz- und Eisenbahn (Wood and Iron Railway) from České Budějovice to Mauthausen, which would be granted to him for a period of 50 years.

[4] Moreover, he had a 225m long test track erected in the Viennese Prater park, which attracted great interest from the public and the press.

[5] The groundbreaking ceremony took place at Netřebice (German: Netrowitz) on July 25, 1825, the same month as the opening of the first horse-drawn railway in France.

Besides overcoming technical difficulties and negotiating a height difference of 540 metres, they had to live with resistance from the local population who, for the most part, were directly or indirectly involved in transporting salt with horse-drawn carts and were concerned about their source of income.

Baudirektor (Construction Director) Ferdinand Mayr (1767-1832) presented a corresponding design to the state government, which would cost 285,000 guilders.

Zola drew up the Linz-Gmunden line at his own expense, however he didn't find any financial backers within two years and so the privilege expired.

In order to link the new line with the route to České Budějovice, tracks were laid on the wooden bridge over the Danube to Linz Hauptmauthaus in 1835.

The first scheduled service began in 1834 with special trains to Urfahr for the Easter market, which carried 2379 passengers.

The first test journeys in 1854 showed that the flat rails used up to that point were not able to carry the weight of steam locomotives and often broke.

Nevertheless, the Gmunden line was converted to a steam service using EEG - Marchtrenk bis Zizlau (de) locomotives.