The history of the liliputbahn

Like their standard-sized counterparts, the liliput trains originated in England. This explains the rather strange width of their rails; in English, non metric system, those 381mm are exactly 15 inches. Wealthy landowners around 1880 used trains of this size to transport goods over their sprawling estates. These narrow gauge railways, however, were of rather rustical exterior. On the continent, Krauss & Co enterprises Munich built the first typical 'liliput' locomotive for the Moroccan Sultan in 1887. It was an extremely simple and low weight machine, at just over a tonne, providing about 5 hp.

In the early 20th century, Martens developed and built locomotives with a B- coupling for exhibitions. One of them (named 'The Bug') was even sold to the famous Romney Hythe & Dymchurch Railway.

History of Martens' Unit Type

The currently used locomotive type for Liliput trains was first built in 1923. Chief engineer Martens developed it to look like the German express locomotives of the time, though at a scale of 1 : 3.33 .

Initially, three of them were built and shown at the transport exhibition of 1925 in Munich. After further exhibitions, the Leipzig company Erich Brangsch (later named VEB Baumechanik Engelsdorf) bought up the entire exhibited stock. In the wake of their great success, in 1928, Krauss & Co enterprises delivered a further 5 locomotives. Two of these came to the Viennese Prater. These are the only original trains that were not subsequently moved. 12 other examples of the unified Martens type (the last three of them built only in 1950) frequently changed their location. A further liliput locomotive was given away as an extra freebie when the Indian government ordered a large consignment of ordinary locomotives from Krauss & Co in the 1950s. It has been touring the Bal Bahran park in Delhi ever since.

The Viennese Liliputbahn

The Viennese train was set up for the occasion of a singing festival in the Prater, on the 100th anniversary of Franz Schubert's death. Having previous experience, Brangsch enterprises secured the contract for delivery. It was on the first of May 1928, that the very first visitors could ride the two kilometre long train route. At the time, the liliputbahn went only as far as the Rotunde, a name the station retains although the building burned down in 1937.

Public interest for the train initially fell short of the owners expectations. In the subsequent economic crisis, a third locomotive intended for the Prater was used for exhibitions instead. It was hoped that extending the tracks to the stadium in 1933 would increase visitor frequency.
It wasn't until 1938, that interest in the liliputbahn bloomed. A third locomotive was ordered, and began its rounds in 1942.