time, the acting director of the State Railway Office, Engineer Eduard Engelmann jr., brought forth the suggestion that the Mariazell Railway be electrified using single-phase alternating current. This suggestion was said to be revolutionary. There had never been a railway line of such length meant to handle mainline traffic that had been electrically operated. The only electric traction at this time was to be found on tramways and light, local railways, which used only direct current (DC) throughout. Only the tram-like Stubaitalbahn in Tyrol, built in 1904, was using alternating current (AC). Despite great opposition, Engelmann managed to implement his vision. So, the Mariazell Railway was electrified between 1907 and 1911, making use of the mountainous region's vast hydroelectric resources. Once electrification began in 1911, 16 E series locomotives (still used today as ÖBB 1099) were delivered between 1911 and 1914. Thereafter, steam trains disappeared from the main line after only five years. All the steam railcars were sold, and most of the steam locomotives remained on the still unelectrified branch line. A few were sent to the Waldviertler Schmalspurbahnen. By implementing their intentions, many concepts were realized for which there had been no precedent. The experience garnered from the electrification proved to be the benchmark for later projects of the same kind. Unlike tramway electrification, the wires were hung using massive wire gantries and steel masts. Also, the design of the locomotives with two separate powered bogies is still seen in designs today. The power stations, necessary for the electrical supply, were built under the most difficult conditions in the mountainous landscape. They were also used to supply the region with electricity, thereby laying the groundwork for the Lower Austrian state energy company NEWAG, now known as EVN. From the First World War until 1945 During the First World War, quite a number of steam locomotives and a great number of wagons were temporarily confiscated for wartime duty, among them the locomotives Mh.1 to Mh.5. The last one was returned from Sarajevo in 1920. The branch line from Ober-Grafendorf to Ruprechtshofen, after building had been interrupted by the war, was extended to Gresten in 1927 but not electrified. All other expansion projects, even though some were still being discussed even after 1945, were never realized. With the extension of the branchline to Gresten came new P and Uh series steam locomotives (ÖBB 199 and 498, respectively). In 1922, the