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Semmering railway

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The Semmering railway ( German : Semmeringbahn ) in Austria , which starts at Gloggnitz and leads over the Semmering to Mürzzuschlag , was the first mountain railway in Europe built with a standard gauge track. It is commonly referred to as the world's first true mountain railway, given the very difficult terrain and the considerable altitude difference that was mastered during its construction. It is still fully functional as a part of the Southern Railway which is operated by the Austrian Federal Railways .

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38-459: The Semmering railway was constructed between 1848 and 1854 by some 20,000 workers under the project's designer and director Carl von Ghega born in Venice as Carlo Ghega in an Albanian family. The construction features 14 tunnels (among them the 1,431 m summit tunnel), 16 viaducts (several two-storey) and over 100 stone arch bridges and 11 small iron bridges. The stations and the buildings for

76-425: A dual representation of St. Benedict and his sister, St. Scholastica . St. Benedict is the patron saint of Western Europe and the father of western monasticism . The directive for monastic life, Rule of St Benedict , initiated by St. Benedict in the sixth century is still valid today. Together with his sister, Benedict also founded an order of nuns who would follow the same instructions. The coin shows him holding

114-618: A maximum axle loading of 14 tonnes (13.8 long tons; 15.4 short tons), with a boiler pressure not exceeding 8.5  kgf/cm (830  kPa ; 121  psi ). There were four entrants, Bavaria , built by Maffei ; Neustadt built by Wiener Neustädter Lokomotivfabrik ; Seraing built by Société anonyme John Cockerill in Belgium; and Vindobona built by the Locomotive Factory of Wien-Gloggnitzer Bahn in Vienna . All four locomotives fulfilled

152-567: A nurse comforts a sick man in accordance with Christ's admonition. The reverse depicts one of the best-known parables of the New Testament , the story of the Good Samaritan . In this parable, Christ compares three differing responses to a stranger that has been attacked and robbed. The coin shows the Good Samaritan with the wounded man on his horse as he takes him for medical attention. On

190-503: A significant centre for minting coins. This is the first time a coin die has been reproduced on an Austrian coin, giving a distinctive character to this extraordinary issue. In the silver ring is also written 700 Jahre Stadt Hall in Tirol , meaning "700 Years of City of Hall in Tyrol". Market value: €200.00 The obverse of the coin shows a modern instance of Christian charity. A nun working as

228-501: Is a title, translated approximately as 'Sir' (denoting a knight ), not a first or middle name. There is no equivalent female form. Euro gold and silver commemorative coins (Austria)#2004 coinage Euro gold and silver commemorative coins are special euro coins minted and issued by member states of the Eurozone . They are minted mainly in gold and silver, although other precious metals are also used on rare occasions. Austria

266-535: The Bombardier Talent (ÖBB Class 4024) and Siemens Desiro ML (ÖBB Class 4744) are used. On April 25, 2012, ground was broken for the construction of the 27.3 km Semmering base tunnel. This tunnel will bypass 41 km of the Semmeringbahn. The tunnel is expected to open in 2030, with a total cost of €3.9b. The Semmering alpine railway has been the main motive for many collector coins and medals. One of

304-677: The Semmeringbahn was begun in 1848 and completed in 1854. In 1856, the Borovnica viaduct , one of the most imposing railroad bridges of the era, was built upon the plans by von Ghega as part of the Austrian Southern Railway from Vienna to Trieste. Carl von Ghega was next assigned to the building of a railway in Transylvania , but he could not see this project to its end because of his death in Vienna from tuberculosis . According to

342-1705: The obverse is the great organ in the Golden Hall in Vienna's Musikverein , the concert hall of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. The face value in euros, the weight, alloy purity and year of issue are also inscribed on this side of the coin. Since 1 February 2008, the coin has also been minted in silver. The design of the silver coin is identical to that of the gold coin, except for its face value of 1.50 euros. Year: 2004    Mintage: 15 coins Year: 2006    Mintage: 82,174 Year: 2005    Mintage: 158,564 Year: 2004    Mintage: 176,319 Year: 2003    Mintage: 179,881 Year: 2002    Mintage: 164,105 Year: 2006    Mintage: 20,085 Year: 2005    Mintage: 21,049 Year: 2004    Mintage: 24,269 Year: 2003    Mintage: 26,848 Year: 2002    Mintage: 40,922 Year: 2006    Mintage: 29,609 Year: 2005    Mintage: 32,817 Year: 2004    Mintage: 32,449 Year: 2003    Mintage: 34,019 Year: 2002    Mintage: 40,807 Year: 2006    Mintage: 39,892 Year: 2005    Mintage: 62,071 Year: 2004    Mintage: 67,994 Year: 2003    Mintage: 59,654 Year: 2002    Mintage: 75,789 Market value: €200.00 The coin shows

380-677: The Emperor's Pavilion at the Vienna Zoo, surrounded by a diversity of animals. The dates "1752–2002", referring to the anniversary and the issue date of the coin, can be seen, as well as the text 250 Jahre Tiergarten Schönbrunn —the 250th anniversary of the Schönbrunn Zoo . The obverse of the coin shows the "Swiss Gate" in the Hofburg Palace in Vienna. Ferdinand enlarged the Hofburg and renovated it in

418-541: The Eurozone. The following table shows the number of coins minted per year. In the first section, the coins are grouped by the metal used, while in the second section they are grouped by their face value. A design of musical instruments representing the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra , as well as the text Wiener Philharmoniker ("Vienna Philharmonic"), can be seen on the reverse of the coin. The subject of

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456-423: The Eurozone. This means that the commemorative coins made of gold and silver cannot be used as money in other countries. Furthermore, as their bullion value generally exceeds their face value, these coins are not intended to be used as means of payment at all—although this remains possible where they are also legal tender. For this reason, they are usually named Collectors' coins . Such coins usually commemorate

494-518: The Holy Rule while St. Scholastica holds a dove. The reverse of the coin shows a monk at a writing desk working on a manuscript. It represents the work of the monks in the Middle Ages copying books by hand, so preserving a large storehouse of knowledge. Circulation UNC Frosted Proof 130,000 20,000 50,000 ? €19.95 €99.95 On the obverse of the coin there is a view of the castle to

532-654: The Lower Belvedere in the background. This palace is currently the Museum of Baroque Art in Vienna, and contains much of Donner's work. The reverse features the Providentia Fountain (written in the coin as Provendentia Brunnen ) in central Vienna, a work by the same sculptor. In the center of the coin, the allegorical figure of Providentia is displayed with a medallion of the Roman god Janus , who had two faces. Surrounding

570-696: The Renaissance style. Ferdinand's coat-of-arms and titles can be observed at the top of the gate. The two soldiers flanking the gate are a reminder of the unsettled times of 1529, during the Siege of Vienna . The reverse of the coin shows a portrait of Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand I , brother of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V and father of the Austrian line of the Habsburg dynasty. Circulation UNC Frosted Proof 130,000 20,000 50,000 ? €32.50 €39.95 The obverse of

608-518: The Semmering Railway between November 1853 and May 1854. They proved capable of 19 kilometres per hour (12 mph) uphill on gradients of 1 in 40 (2.5%). An Engerth locomotive was featured on an Austrian stamp commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Semmering Railway in 2004. The Engerth locomotive also appeared on a 25 Euro coin issued by Austria in 2004. Currently, the Semmering railway uses

646-406: The Semmering railway offered contributed significantly to the original opening of the Semmering region for tourism. Numerous hotels and mansions are witnesses of this epoch. This enormous upswing to the turn of the century and the re-evaluation of the region as a winter sports area in the first third of the 20th Century were interrupted first by World War I and then by the changed recreational needs of

684-469: The UNESCO World Heritage sites. A competition was held in 1851 to decide which locomotives would be bought for operation on the Semmering Railway. One stretch of the line had gradients of 1 in 40 (2.5%) and curves with a minimum radius of 190 metres (210 yd) and a maximum radius of 285 metres (312 yd). A speed of 11.5 kilometres per hour (7.1 mph) was required to be maintained and

722-744: The anniversaries of historical events. They can also draw attention to current events of special importance. Austria mints more than ten of these coins on average per year, in gold, silver and niobium , with face values ranging from €1.50 to €100 (though, as an exceptional case, 15 coins with face value €100,000 were minted in 2004). As of 3 July 2008, eighty variations of Austrian commemorative coins have been minted: eleven in 2002, twelve in 2003, fourteen in 2004, thirteen in 2005, thirteen in 2006, nine in 2007 and eleven to date in 2008. These special high-value commemorative coins are not to be confused with €2 commemorative coins , which are coins designated for circulation and have legal-tender status in all countries of

760-519: The authors of Encyclopedia of North American Railroads – page 493, Carl Ritter von Ghega was "An ethnic Italian". According to the source Dictionary of American Family Names - page 31, Ghegan is an Italian surname. According to the source Export: Austrian Architecture in Europe - page 14, ”Despite his family's Italian descent he was raised as an Austrian and grew up speaking three languages (German, Italian, Slovenian)”. Regarding personal names: Ritter

798-498: The building of the road over Cortina d'Ampezzo to Toblach . From 1836 to 1840 he was a construction supervisor for the railway track from Brno to Břeclav , the so-called Emperor Ferdinand North Railway . During this time, in 1836 and 37 he studied also the railways in England and other European countries. In 1842, entrusted with the entire planning of the future state railway, he made a study trip to North America. After his return to

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836-412: The coin shows a frontal view of the castle. Built by Hans Ulrich von Eggenberg , the castle demonstrates several astronomical themes: four gigantic towers represent the four elements, 365 windows represent the days of the year, and 24 reception rooms represent the hours of a day. The construction was begun in 1625 and completed in 1642 (after Hans Ulrich's death). The reverse of the coin has a portrait of

874-459: The coin, the text Barmherziger Samariter ("Merciful Samaritan") can be read. Circulation UNC Frosted Proof 130,000 20,000 50,000 ? €17.50 €29.95 This coin is issued honouring the castle of Schloss Hof, situated on Marchfeld (the plains to the east of Vienna) on the border of today's Slovakia and Hungary. The obverse shows a view of the castle from the terraced garden side. The reverse depicts two gardeners in outfits typical of

912-515: The conditions of the trial, but did not prove reliable in practice. The Semmering Trials led to a number of developments in locomotive design: Fairlie's Patent of 1863, the Meyer locomotive and the Mallet locomotive . The Engerth design articulated the tender with the main locomotive frame, allowing some of the weight of the fuel and water to be carried on the driving wheels to improve adhesion . Because

950-603: The distinctive two-tier bridges) on the other. 47°38′35″N 15°49′52″E  /  47.643°N 15.831°E  / 47.643; 15.831 Carl von Ghega Karl Ritter von Ghega or Karl von Ghega (10 January 1802 – 14 March 1860) was an Albanian nobleman and the designer of the Semmering Railway from Gloggnitz to Mürzzuschlag . During his time, he was the most prominent of Austrian railway engineers and architects. Born in Venice as Carlo Ghega to an ethnic Albanian family. His father, Anton Ghega,

988-555: The fountain there are other symbolic figures representing the tributary rivers of the Danube ; Providentia is enthroned high above the figure of an old man representing the Enns River . The obverse of the coin shows a satellite mapping the town of Hall. The reverse shows the Guldiner silver coin. However, the design is negative, representing a coin die , as a reference to Hall's history as

1026-416: The most famous and recent ones is the 150 Years Semmering Alpine Railway Coin . The obverse shows two locomotives : a historical and a modern one. The reverse of the coin shows a typical Semmering view. An Engerth steam locomotive just emerged from a tunnel crossing one of the distinctive viaducts. The 1967 Austrian schilling note features the engineer on one side, and a Semmering scene (including one of

1064-406: The population. Therefore, this unique culture landscape could be preserved with little change. A trip on the Semmering railway, which is in full use 160 years after its building, still impresses the traveller as a special experience by its varied landscape, the typical style of its mansions and the characteristic sequence of viaducts and tunnels. In 1998 the Semmering railway was added to the list of

1102-450: The resulting challenges. Also, new technologies were employed for the Engerth locomotives because the types in general use at this time could not handle the extreme gradients and turning radii. Even while being built, the Semmering railway was perceived as an effort of "landscape gardening", i.e. it attempted a harmonious combination of technology and nature. The unique travel experience which

1140-575: The scholar and astronomer Johannes Kepler , a contemporary personally acquainted with von Eggenberg and most probably an influence on the design of the castle. In the foreground is Kepler's masterpiece, the model Mysterium Cosmographicum . The obverse of the coin shows the Grand Staircase in the town palace of Prince Eugene of Savoy , currently the Austrian Ministry of Finance. Gods and demi-gods hold its elevations, while Hercules stands at

1178-482: The south of Innsbruck with its Renaissance-style precincts forming the central design. The inscription Republik Österreich can be seen at the top of the coin, while the face value of 10 euros and the issue date can be seen at the bottom. On the reverse there is a representation of three court musicians crossing the Spanish Hall, based on a picture from 1569. 500,000 100,000 Circulation UNC The reverse shows

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1216-516: The state railway he began with the planning of the railway line to the south, from Mürzzuschlag to Graz and Trieste . The crossing of the Semmering was not believed possible, but as early as 1844 he submitted a plan for the crossing of the Semmering, with locomotives without an extra rail for gear wheels. Before the building was fully decided, he began to enforce the construction of locomotives which could overcome such upward gradients. Construction of

1254-536: The supervisors were often built directly from the waste rock dug out when making the tunnels. Across an overall track length of 41 km the Semmering railway overcomes an altitude difference of 460 m; on 60% of its length the gradient is 2.0-2.5% (equivalent to a 1-meter difference in altitude on a 40 m route distance) and 16% exhibit a curvature radius of only 190 m. This was an entirely new technical dimension of railway construction, and new instruments and methods of surveying had to be developed to handle

1292-434: The tender was articulated, rather than directly attached to the frame, the locomotive could traverse relatively sharp curves, while still enjoying the advantage of the additional adhesive weight gain. The original design also included an indirect drive from the main driving wheels to the wheels under the tender. This arrangement proved too complex to maintain and was dropped from the design. Sixteen locomotives were supplied to

1330-518: The turn of the stairs. The reverse of the coin displays a portrait of Prince Eugene, reminiscent of his equestrian statue in the grounds of the Hofburg Palace in Vienna. A typical Baroque arrangement of cannon, flags and captured standards decorates the background. Market value: €300.00 The obverse bears a portrait of one of the greatest Baroque sculptors, Georg Rafael Donner , with the Palace of

1368-416: The well-known Siemens ES64U2 locomotives for this route as the main workhorse of the ÖBB. Starting with 1963 it also uses ÖBB class 1142 locomotives, now used as banking engines on the line, and also the ÖBB Class 1144 since 1977 as banking engines and also freight/passenger engines. In 1971 this is where a SJ Rc locomotive conducted trials that put the basis of the ÖBB Class 1043 . For local trains

1406-520: Was an officer in the Austrian navy in the government service. He studied in Padua , where he took the examination for doctor of mathematics at the age of 18. He was attached to the Imperial board of Public Buildings when the railway movement commencing throughout Europe attracted his attention. He began his engineering career with road and hydraulic engineering in Venice . Among other things he contributed to

1444-545: Was one of the first twelve countries in the Eurozone to introduce the euro (€) , on 1 January 2002. Since then, the Austrian Mint has been minting both normal issues of Austrian euro coins (which are intended for circulation) and commemorative euro coins in gold and silver. These commemorative coins are legal tender only in Austria, unlike the normal issues of the Austrian euro coins, which are legal tender in every country of

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