Old Railway Tracks Near Anai Valley Stock Photography

A rack rail, also known as a cog rail or cog rail, is a type of rail that uses cog rails, usually between track rails, to aid traction and provide extra support for a train climbing steep slopes. Rack rails have teeth or gears along their length, which engage with the appropriate gears on the locomotive or carriage, allowing it to climb steep hills and mountains that would not be possible by traditional railroads. Rack rails are typically used in mountainous areas where regular trains would not be able to climb steep grades.