Portrait of Carl von Ghega

The Documents on the Semmering Railway.

Drawing of Carl Ritter von Ghegas at age 48 by Joseph Kriehuber. The drawing also bears Ghega's motto: "The railways make distances disappear. Material interests are enhanced. Civilization is uplifted and spreads in the process." Hand-written and signed by Ghega.

The Documents on the Semmering Railway from the Imperial & Royal Historical Museum of Austrian Railways from 1844-1910 contain engineers’ notebooks, sketches, drawings, watercolors, lithographs, and steel engravings. They bear witness to the way in which this major construction site evolved in the mountain wilderness and how the railway line’s stunning viaducts and tunnels were built using the engineering resources available at the time. The archival material also bears an important testimony to the importance attached to technical innovations in the 19th century as well as the growing awareness that technical projects require meticulous documentation.