Trains and trams in Vienna

A couple of weeks back I was in Vienna on a rare work trip. It was nice to see loco-hauled passenger trains used from the airport, although it ran as a push-pull unit, rather like the old Gatwick Express I guess. 

The train passed a large railway yard. Not clear from this image I spotted this was a "hump" sorting yard, although the hump was partly obscured by trees as the train passed. I've read about hump sorting yards being introduced in Britain in the 1950s, but I don't think they lasted long as wagon load freight died out in the 1970s, and I've never seen one. 

The yard was vast, the gantries over the sidings are numbered to identify the tracks. It's like a full-size fiddle yard. 

These wagons brought new meaning to a "train of skips". 

I also spotted this traverser. It clearly moves perpendicular to the sidings, but is not recessed into the ground but running on rails at the same level of the track. It looks like it has ramps at either end to scoop stock off the rails onto its deck - rather like a Peco loco lift. 

I managed a couple of hours to explore the city, so I took a tram from the hotel to the centre. The one I rode like most was a modern, articulated type, as seen in many European cities. However, I did spot a few older style trams, clearly still in regular use. This looks like a 2-car unit with a trailer. 

I also spotted what looked like an even older tram sporting adverts for a tram museum. Sadly I didn't have the time to seek out the museum, and I don't know it the tram was in service or giving rides (there appear to be passengers on board), but great to see it running on the normal tram routes. 

The city is very nice, an impressive church and old buildings in the centre surrounded by very grand buildings housing museums, opera houses, and government buildings (including parliament). I'm glad I got a chance for a look round, maybe one day I'll have time for a longer visit.