The typical view of the IRR(International Rheinregulierung) for many people, is that of diesel electric locos hauling passenger trains which run over part of the railway during the summer months. Both diesel and steam locos are now used, although these trips only normally cover a small part of this once extensive system.

The railway crosses public roads in several places and once had a total trackage of 90km when in use to transport stone. Elfi here is seen on one of the special passenger services.

At the other end of the line at Koblach, there is a quarry which until a few years ago supplied stone for the continuing river bank works, where the Rhine flows into the Bodensee. As well as transporting stone in skips and wooden tippers, wooden flat wagons were used to transport large rocks, which are taken to the far end of the line, and unloaded by a crane and grab.

The overhead wire stops a couple of kilometers before the end of the line, and the locos continue with diesel power. On each side of the Rhine there are tipplers which are used to deposit the stone into waiting lorries, which then take the stone farther out onto the extended banks of the Rhine.

The railway crosses the Rhine in two places. The first bridge is just a couple of kilometers from the quarry, and once on the western bank, the railway is in Switzerland. Further north, there is a combined road/rail bridge, which takes the railway back into Austria. However, at this point, the railway extends north along both banks of the river, but when visited in May 2000, the construction work was only being carried out on the western bank.

The railway has three Motor Rails, named Miki, Susi(seen here), and Juno. In May 2000 when these photos were taken, Susi (built in 1960) was the shunter at the quarry.

Miki was found in the shed as reserve loco. Juno was kept elsewhere, possibly at Lustenau or Widnau.

Once the long stone trains were loaded, one of the Motor Rails then pushed the rakes of wagons over the main road, where one of the diesel electric locos would then take over.

The three types of wagons in use can be seen in this overhead view of the quarry, with the timber tipping wagons and flat wagons lined up in the quarry, and a rake of skips in the loop on the other side of the road.