A scene at the marvellous Strasshof Railway Museum, near Vienna in Austria. This shows ÖBB steam locomotive 55.5708, built in 1887 at Wiener Neustadt as kkStB 73.79. It was renumbered to 55.5708, in 1938. The loco stayed in service until 1964. It now awaits restoration. Sadly, this lovely loco has stood on this same spot for at least the last twenty years deteriorating, along with a large number of other locos. The museum is not a nationally funded organisation, so projects like this must wait for time and money. I have to say that given the number of locos awaiting restoration there and the small staff available, I fear that restoration may never come. Perhaps the best hope is that it may be restored as a static exhibit sometime, but I don't hold out much hope.
