In 1882, Emperor Franz Joseph issued the licence for the first permanent electric railway, which ferried excursionists from Mödling outside Vienna to the Brühl valley. By the end of the 19th century a number of local lines and tramways had converted to electric power. The excellent performance of electric engines on steep inclines led to the conversion of the Arlberg Railway in the west of the country to electric power in the 1920s and to the development of suitable locomotives, such as the type 1189. Nicknamed the “Crocodile” due to its green colour and unusual appearance, the 1189 features on the coin’s obverse hard at work on the line, which is considered a masterpiece of Austrian railway engineering.

Engraver: Thomas Pesendorfer

The coin’s reverse shows a train crossing the Trisanna bridge next to Wiesberg castle, one of the Arlberg Railway’s most beautiful sections.

Wiesberg Castle (German: Schloss Wiesberg) stands above the Trisanna River, where the Paznaun Valley leads into the Stanzer Valley. Near the castle in 1809 several hundred local militia defended the area against Bavarian and French troops. From the end of the 14th century until 1411, the castle was owned by the Rottenberger family. From 1770 until 1840, the castle was owned by the Dukes of Wolkenstein. Today Schloss Wiesberg is a privately held property and is not open to the public. The castle can be seen from the Silvretta-Hochalpenstraße. This road is usually closed in winter.

Engraver: Herbert Wähner