What is a rack railway?

Question

What is a rack railway?

Answer 1

As stated above they use a mechanical system to provide traction.  Most UK railways are on level ground or very gradual incline.  In mountainous areas this is not possible.  To use a conventional drive via wheels would result in wheel spin and the train would not be able to get up the hill. (Similar to cars in on an icy road)  Hence need for a different drive system.

Answer 2

It's a mountain railway that uses cogs to get its engines up steep gradients. There are many such in Switzerland.

Answer 3

Often seen in the alps and mountainous areas, the train runs on rails but has an additional wheel that runs on an extra toothed track positioned between the rails to add extra grip when tackling extreme slopes.

Answer 4

Rack and pinon,,,,is a railway that the loco or driving unit moves along by means of a spinning cog that meshes with teeth set into the track,,

Answer 5

A cog railway, rack-and-pinion railway or rack railway is a railway with a toothed rack rail, usually between the running rails. The trains are fitted with one or more cog wheels or pinions that mesh with this rack rail. This allows the trains to operate on steep gradients.

Most rack railways are mountain railways, although a few are transit railways or tramways built to overcome a steep gradient in an urban environment.

Answer 6

Railway yard ... All the trains go for Repair/Maintainance.

Answer 7

Ordinary railway lines usually look as though they are laid on level ground. In reality most stretches of railway track have a slight gradient, so that during a journey of any reasonable length, a train will be running up and down a number of very gradual slopes. However, there is definite limit to the degree of steepness a train can manage going up hills before its wheels start to skid on the tracks. In mountainous areas especially, it is not always possible to avoid gradients which a normal train simply could not climb, even by carrying the track through deep cuttings and tunnels. To overcome this difficulty rack railways have been built. Locomotives intended to run over such sections of track have a toothed, or cog, wheel fitted between the normal running wheels. This connects with a third rail, also toothed, fitted to the track itself. This is the rack rail. When the locomotive runs along the track, its cog wheel engages the rack rail and so holds the train to the track with no risk of skidding.

Some rack railway lines pass through mountainous regions. Such as Alps. Others have been built to carry passengers to the actual summits of mountains, such as Snowdon in North Wales, and Mount Washington and Pike’s Peak inn the United States.

Answer 8

A cog railway, rack-and-pinion railway or rack railway is a railway with a toothed rack rail, usually between the running rails. The trains are fitted with one or more cog wheels or pinions that mesh with this rack rail. This allows the trains to operate on steep gradients.