Mountain railway
Encyclopedia
A mountain railway is a railway that ascends and descends a mountain slope that has a steep grade. Such railways can use a number of different technologies to overcome the steepness of the grade. Mountain railways commonly have a narrow gauge to allow for tight curve
s in the track and reduce tunnel size and structure gauge
, and hence construction cost and effort.
On steep grades the friction
between the wheels and the rails cannot apply sufficient adhesion
to the train's wheels so as to overcome gravity, and the train is in danger of sliding down the track. In practice this affects downhill braking capability before it affects uphill climbing ability, and some mountain railways at the lower end of the steepness spectrum rely on standard adhesion for propulsion, but use special track brake
s acting directly on the rails.
Where the line is too steep to rely on adhesion for climbing, a rack railway
may be used, in which a toothed cog
wheel engages with a toothed rack rail laid between the tracks. A now little used alternative to the rack and pinion railway is the Fell system
, in which traction and/or braking wheel are applied to a central rail under pressure.
Finally at the steepest end of the spectrum, a funicular railway
may be used. Here a cable
is used to haul counterbalanced trains up and down the track. The car itself is often custom built for the slope, with specially raked seating and steps rather than a sloped floor. Taken to its logical conclusion as the slope becomes vertical, a funicular
becomes an elevator
.
A mountain railway is a railway that ascends and descends a mountain slope that has a steep grade. Such railways can use a number of different technologies to overcome the steepness of the grade. Mountain railways commonly have a narrow gauge to allow for tight curve
s in the track and reduce tunnel size and structure gauge
, and hence construction cost and effort.
On steep grades the friction
between the wheels and the rails cannot apply sufficient adhesion
to the train's wheels so as to overcome gravity, and the train is in danger of sliding down the track. In practice this affects downhill braking capability before it affects uphill climbing ability, and some mountain railways at the lower end of the steepness spectrum rely on standard adhesion for propulsion, but use special track brake
s acting directly on the rails.
Where the line is too steep to rely on adhesion for climbing, a rack railway
may be used, in which a toothed cog
wheel engages with a toothed rack rail laid between the tracks. A now little used alternative to the rack and pinion railway is the Fell system
, in which traction and/or braking wheel are applied to a central rail under pressure.
Finally at the steepest end of the spectrum, a funicular railway
may be used. Here a cable
is used to haul counterbalanced trains up and down the track. The car itself is often custom built for the slope, with specially raked seating and steps rather than a sloped floor. Taken to its logical conclusion as the slope becomes vertical, a funicular
becomes an elevator
.
See also list of cog and rack railways
A mountain railway is a railway that ascends and descends a mountain slope that has a steep grade. Such railways can use a number of different technologies to overcome the steepness of the grade. Mountain railways commonly have a narrow gauge to allow for tight curve
s in the track and reduce tunnel size and structure gauge
, and hence construction cost and effort.
On steep grades the friction
between the wheels and the rails cannot apply sufficient adhesion
to the train's wheels so as to overcome gravity, and the train is in danger of sliding down the track. In practice this affects downhill braking capability before it affects uphill climbing ability, and some mountain railways at the lower end of the steepness spectrum rely on standard adhesion for propulsion, but use special track brake
s acting directly on the rails.
Where the line is too steep to rely on adhesion for climbing, a rack railway
may be used, in which a toothed cog
wheel engages with a toothed rack rail laid between the tracks. A now little used alternative to the rack and pinion railway is the Fell system
, in which traction and/or braking wheel are applied to a central rail under pressure.
Finally at the steepest end of the spectrum, a funicular railway
may be used. Here a cable
is used to haul counterbalanced trains up and down the track. The car itself is often custom built for the slope, with specially raked seating and steps rather than a sloped floor. Taken to its logical conclusion as the slope becomes vertical, a funicular
becomes an elevator
.
See also list of cog and rack railways
is featured in the book Mountain Engines, part of The Railway Series
by Rev.W.Awdry
.
Curve
In mathematics, a curve is, generally speaking, an object similar to a line but which is not required to be straight...
s in the track and reduce tunnel size and structure gauge
Structure gauge
The structure gauge, also called the minimum clearance outline, is the minimum height and width of tunnels and bridges as well as the minimum height and width of the doors that allow a rail siding access into a warehouse...
, and hence construction cost and effort.
On steep grades the friction
Friction
Friction is the force resisting the relative motion of solid surfaces, fluid layers, and/or material elements sliding against each other. There are several types of friction:...
between the wheels and the rails cannot apply sufficient adhesion
Rail adhesion
The term adhesion railway or adhesion traction describes the most common type of railway, where power is applied by driving some or all of the wheels of the locomotive. Thus, it relies on the friction between a steel wheel and a steel rail. Note that steam locomotives of old were driven only by...
to the train's wheels so as to overcome gravity, and the train is in danger of sliding down the track. In practice this affects downhill braking capability before it affects uphill climbing ability, and some mountain railways at the lower end of the steepness spectrum rely on standard adhesion for propulsion, but use special track brake
Track brake
Track brakes are a form of brakes unique to railborne vehicles. The braking force derives from the friction resulting from the application of wood or metal braking shoes directly to the tracks...
s acting directly on the rails.
Where the line is too steep to rely on adhesion for climbing, a rack railway
Rack railway
A rack-and-pinion 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...
may be used, in which a toothed cog
Gear
A gear is a rotating machine part having cut teeth, or cogs, which mesh with another toothed part in order to transmit torque. Two or more gears working in tandem are called a transmission and can produce a mechanical advantage through a gear ratio and thus may be considered a simple machine....
wheel engages with a toothed rack rail laid between the tracks. A now little used alternative to the rack and pinion railway is the Fell system
Fell mountain railway system
The Fell system uses a raised centre rail between the two running rails on steeply-graded railway lines to provide extra traction and braking, or braking alone. Trains are propelled by wheels or braked by shoes pressed horizontally onto the centre rail, as well as by means of the normal running...
, in which traction and/or braking wheel are applied to a central rail under pressure.
Finally at the steepest end of the spectrum, a funicular railway
Funicular
A funicular, also known as an inclined plane or cliff railway, is a cable railway in which a cable attached to a pair of tram-like vehicles on rails moves them up and down a steep slope; the ascending and descending vehicles counterbalance each other.-Operation:The basic principle of funicular...
may be used. Here a cable
Wire rope
thumb|Steel wire rope Wire rope is a type of rope which consists of several strands of metal wire laid into a helix. Initially wrought iron wires were used, but today steel is the main material used for wire ropes....
is used to haul counterbalanced trains up and down the track. The car itself is often custom built for the slope, with specially raked seating and steps rather than a sloped floor. Taken to its logical conclusion as the slope becomes vertical, a funicular
Funicular
A funicular, also known as an inclined plane or cliff railway, is a cable railway in which a cable attached to a pair of tram-like vehicles on rails moves them up and down a steep slope; the ascending and descending vehicles counterbalance each other.-Operation:The basic principle of funicular...
becomes an elevator
Elevator
An elevator is a type of vertical transport equipment that efficiently moves people or goods between floors of a building, vessel or other structures...
.
List of mountain railways
See also list of cog and rack railwaysAustralia
- Glenreagh Mountain RailwayGlenreagh Mountain RailwayGlenreagh Mountain Railway, known as the GMR, was established in 1989 as a heritage tourist railway at Glenreagh, near Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia...
- Mt Morgan Rack RailwayMount Morgan, QueenslandMount Morgan is a town located in central Queensland, Australia. It is situated on the Dee River, 38 kilometres south of the city of Rockhampton, and is 680 kilometres north of the state capital, Brisbane. The Burnett Highway passes through the town...
- abandoned in 1955. - Skitube Alpine RailwaySkitube Alpine RailwayThe Skitube Alpine Railway is an , standard gauge track electric rack railway in the Kosciuszko National Park in New South Wales, Australia. It provides access to the snowfields at Blue Cow Mountain and the Perisher Valley.- History :...
- West Coast Wilderness RailwayWest Coast Wilderness RailwayThe West Coast Wilderness Railway, Tasmania is a reconstruction of the Mount Lyell Mining and Railway Company railway between Queenstown and Regatta Point...
Austria
- Achensee Railway
- Arlberg RailwayArlberg RailwayThe Arlberg railway, which connects the Austrian cities Innsbruck and Bludenz, is Austria's only east-west mountain railway. The 135.7 km line is referred as Europe's most difficult mountain railway since it is threatened by avalanches, mudslides, rockfalls or floods...
- Mariazell Railway
- Pöstlingberg Railway
- Semmering RailwaySemmering RailwayThe Semmering railway, Austria, which starts at Gloggnitz and leads over the Semmering to Mürzzuschlag was the first mountain railway in Europe built with a standard gauge track. It is commonly referred to as the world's first true mountain railway, given the very difficult terrain and the...
- A world Heritage Site - Schafberg Railway
- Schneeberg Railway
Bolivia
- Ferrocarril de Antofagasta a BoliviaFerrocarril de Antofagasta a BoliviaThe Ferrocarril de Antofagasta a Bolivia is a private railway operating in the northern provinces of Chile. It is notable in that it was one of the earliest railways built to the gauge of , with a route that climbed from sea level to over , while handling goods traffic totaling near 2 million tons...
- Ferrocarril de Arica a La Paz, AricaAricaArica is a city in northern Chile. "Arica" may also refer to:Places* Arica and Parinacota Region, Chile* Arica Airport , Chile* Arica, Amazonas, town in Colombia* Rio Aricá-açu, tributary of the Cuiabá River south of Cuiabá, BrazilOther...
–La PazLa PazNuestra Señora de La Paz is the administrative capital of Bolivia, as well as the departmental capital of the La Paz Department, and the second largest city in the country after Santa Cruz de la Sierra... - Rio Mulatos-Potosí lineRio Mulatos-Potosí lineThe Rio Mulatos-Potosí line is a railway line in Bolivia, containing Cóndor station, the world's ninth highest railway station . It was the world's second until the completion of the Tanggula railway station on the Qingzang railway in the Tanggula Mountains, Tibet....
Canada
- BC Rail, crosses the Pacific Coast RangePacific Coast RangesThe Pacific Coast Ranges and the Pacific Mountain System are the series of mountain ranges that stretch along the West Coast of North America from Alaska south to Northern and Central Mexico...
of the Coast MountainsCoast MountainsThe Coast Mountains are a major mountain range, in the Pacific Coast Ranges, of western North America, extending from southwestern Yukon through the Alaska Panhandle and virtually all of the Coast of British Columbia. They are so-named because of their proximity to the sea coast, and are often...
(GaribaldiGaribaldi RangesThe Garibaldi Ranges are the next-to-southwesternmost subdivision of the Pacific Ranges of the Coast Mountains; only the North Shore Mountains are farther south. They lie between the valley formed by the pass between the Cheakamus River and Green River on the west and the valley of the Lillooet...
& Lillooet RangesLillooet RangesThe Lillooet Ranges are the southeasternmost subdivision of the Pacific Ranges of the Coast Mountains of British Columbia. They are located between the drainage of the Lillooet River and Harrison Lake on the west and the canyon of the Fraser River on the east, and by the lowland coastal valley of...
)
Chile
- Ferrocarill Arica La Paz, AricaArica, ChileArica is a commune and a port city with a population of 185,269 in the Arica Province of northern Chile's Arica and Parinacota Region, located only south of the border with Peru. The city is the capital of both the Arica Province and the Arica and Parinacota Region...
–La PazLa PazNuestra Señora de La Paz is the administrative capital of Bolivia, as well as the departmental capital of the La Paz Department, and the second largest city in the country after Santa Cruz de la Sierra... - Ferrocarril de Antofagasta a BoliviaFerrocarril de Antofagasta a BoliviaThe Ferrocarril de Antofagasta a Bolivia is a private railway operating in the northern provinces of Chile. It is notable in that it was one of the earliest railways built to the gauge of , with a route that climbed from sea level to over , while handling goods traffic totaling near 2 million tons...
- El Ferrocarril Trasandino Los Andes - Mendoza, Los AndesLos Andes, ChileLos Andes, founded in July 31, 1791 as Santa Rosa de Los Andes, is a Chilean city and commune located in the province of the same name, in Valparaíso Region...
- MendozaMendoza, ArgentinaMendoza is the capital city of Mendoza Province, in Argentina. It is located in the northern-central part of the province, in a region of foothills and high plains, on the eastern side of the Andes. As of the , Mendoza's population was 110,993...
. The rebuild will be adhesion only.
France
- Artouste (Petit train d')Petit train d'ArtousteThe Petit train d'Artouste is a narrow gauge tourist railway situated in the French Pyrenees close to the Spanish border and some south of the town of Pau...
- La Rhune (Petit train de)Petit train de la RhuneThe Petit train de la Rhune is a metre gauge rack railway in France at the western end of the Pyrenees. It links the Col de Saint-Ignace, some to the east of Saint-Jean-de-Luz, to the summit of the La Rhune mountain...
- Mont Blanc TramwayMont Blanc TramwayThe Mont Blanc Tramway or Tramway du Mont-Blanc is a mountain railway line in the Haute-Savoie department of France.The spectacular views of Mont Blanc provided by the tramway make it very popular with tourists...
- Montenvers RailwayMontenvers RailwayThe Montenvers Railway or Chemin de fer du Montenvers is a rack railway line in the Haute-Savoie region of France. The line runs from a connection with the SNCF, in Chamonix, to the Hotel de Montenvers station, at the Mer de Glace, at an altitude of ....
- Saint Gervais-Vallorcine (Ligne de)
Germany
- Berchtesgaden Mountain Railway
- Drachenfels RailwayDrachenfels RailwayThe Drachenfels Railway or Drachenfelsbahn is a rack railway line in the North Rhine-Westphalia region of Germany. The line runs from Königswinter to the summit of the Drachenfels mountain at an altitude of ....
(Drachenfelsbahn) - Harz Railway (Harzbahn)
- Rübeland RailwayRübeland RailwayThe Rübeland Railway is a railway link from Blankenburg via Rübeland and Königshütte to Tanne in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. It was built by the Halberstadt-Blankenburg Railway between 1880 and 1886. The route length is 30.6 kilometres, the height difference over 300 metres...
(Rübelandbahn) - Harz Narrow Gauge Railways (Harzer Schmalspurbahnen)
- Harz Railway (Harzquerbahn)
- Brocken Railway (Brockenbahn)
- Selke Valley Railway(Selketalbahn)
- Rübeland Railway
- Murg Valley RailwayMurg Valley RailwayThe Murg Valley Railway is a 58 kilometre long railway line in the northern part of the Black Forest in Germany, that links Rastatt and Freudenstadt. It was opened in stages from 1868 to 1928 being built outwards from both Rastatt and Freudenstadt. The route through the narrow Murg Valley required...
(Murgtalbahn) - Schwarza Valley Railway (Schwarzatalbahn)
- Wendelstein Railway (Wendelsteinbahn)
- Bavarian Zugspitze RailwayBavarian Zugspitze RailwayThe Bavarian Zugspitze Railway is one of four rack railways still working in Germany, along with the Wendelstein Railway, the Drachenfels Railway and the Stuttgart Rack Railway...
(Bayerische Zugspitzbahn)
India
- Darjeeling Himalayan RailwayDarjeeling Himalayan RailwayThe Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, nicknamed the "Toy Train", is a narrow gauge railway from New Jalpaiguri to Darjeeling in West Bengal, run by the Indian Railways....
- A world Heritage Site - Nilgiri Mountain RailwayNilgiri Mountain RailwayThe Nilgiri Mountain Railway is a railway in Tamil Nadu, India, built by the British in 1908, and was initially operated by the Madras Railway Company. The railway still relies on its fleet of steam locomotives. NMR comes under the jurisdiction of the newly formed Salem Division...
- A world Heritage Site - Kalka-Shimla RailwayKalka-Shimla RailwayThe Kalka–Shimla Railway is a narrow gauge railway in North-West India travelling along a mostly mountainous route from Kalka to Shimla. It is known for breathtaking views of the hills and surrounding villages.- History :...
- A world Heritage Site - Matheran Hill RailwayMatheran Hill RailwayMatheran Hill Railway is a heritage railway in Maharashtra, India. It was built between 1901 and 1907 by Abdul Hussein Adamjee Peerbhoy, financed by his father, Sir Adamjee Peerbhoy of the Adamjee Group at the cost of Rs.16,00,000...
- Kangra Valley RailwayKangra Valley RailwayThe Kangra Valley Railway lies in the sub-Himalayan region and covers a distance of . from Pathankot to Jogindernagar. The Kangra valley railway comes under the Firozpur division of Northern Railway...
Peru
- Empresa nacional de ferrocarriles del PeruEmpresa nacional de ferrocarriles del PeruThe Empresa Nacional de Ferrocarriles del Perú is a public company which ensures the management and the commercial use of the railway network of Peru....
- Ferrocarril Central AndinoFerrocarril Central AndinoFerrocarril Central Andino is the consortium which operates the Ferrovías Central railway in Peru linking the Pacific port of Callao and the capital Lima with Huancayo and Cerro de Pasco...
(Standard gaugeStandard gaugeThe standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
) - Ferrocarril Huancayo - Huancavelica, (built to narrow gauge )
- Ferrocarril del sur de Peru ArequipaArequipaArequipa is the capital city of the Arequipa Region in southern Peru. With a population of 836,859 it is the second most populous city of the country...
- PunoPunoPuno is a city in southeastern Peru, located on the shore of Lake Titicaca. It is the capital city of the Puno Region and the Puno Province with a population of approximately 100,000. The city was established in 1668 by viceroy Pedro Antonio Fernández de Castro as capital of the province of...
, (Standard gaugeStandard gaugeThe standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
) - Cusco - Machu Picchu, Cusco - Machu PicchuMachu PicchuMachu Picchu is a pre-Columbian 15th-century Inca site located above sea level. It is situated on a mountain ridge above the Urubamba Valley in Peru, which is northwest of Cusco and through which the Urubamba River flows. Most archaeologists believe that Machu Picchu was built as an estate for...
( gauge)
Romania
- PloieștiPloiestiPloiești is the county seat of Prahova County and lies in the historical region of Wallachia in Romania. The city is located north of Bucharest....
- BraşovBrasovBrașov is a city in Romania and the capital of Brașov County.According to the last Romanian census, from 2002, there were 284,596 people living within the city of Brașov, making it the 8th most populated city in Romania....
railway - BraşovBrasovBrașov is a city in Romania and the capital of Brașov County.According to the last Romanian census, from 2002, there were 284,596 people living within the city of Brașov, making it the 8th most populated city in Romania....
- SibiuSibiuSibiu is a city in Transylvania, Romania with a population of 154,548. Located some 282 km north-west of Bucharest, the city straddles the Cibin River, a tributary of the river Olt...
- AradArad, RomaniaArad is the capital city of Arad County, in western Romania, in the Crişana region, on the river Mureş.An important industrial center and transportation hub, Arad is also the seat of a Romanian Orthodox archbishop and features two universities, a Romanian Orthodox theological seminary, a training...
railway - Râmnicu VâlceaRâmnicu VâlceaRâmnicu Vâlcea is the capital city of Vâlcea County, Romania .-Geography and climate:Râmnicu Vâlcea is situated in the central-south area of Romania...
- SibiuSibiuSibiu is a city in Transylvania, Romania with a population of 154,548. Located some 282 km north-west of Bucharest, the city straddles the Cibin River, a tributary of the river Olt...
railway - Târgu JiuTârgu JiuTârgu Jiu is the capital of Gorj County, Oltenia, Romania. It is situated on the Southern Sub-Carpathians, on the banks of the river Jiu. Eight villages are administered by the city: Bârseşti, Drăgoeni, Iezureni, Polata, Preajba Mare, Româneşti, Slobozia and Ursaţi.-History:The city takes its name...
- SimeriaSimeriaSimeria is a town in Hunedoara County with a population of just under 14,000, and an important railway junction with hump yard. Six villages are administered by the town: Bârcea Mare, Cărpiniş, Simeria Veche, Sântandrei, Şăuleşti and Uroi....
railway - Drobeta Turnu Severin - CaransebeşCaransebesCaransebeş is a city in Caraş-Severin County, part of the Banat region in southwestern Romania. It is located at the confluence of the river Timiş with the river Sebeş, the latter coming from the Ţarcu Mountains. To the west, it is in direct contact with the Banat hills...
railway - OraviţaOravitaOravița is a town in southwestern Romania, in Caraș-Severin County, with a population of 15,524 in 2000. Its theatre is a fully functional scaled down version of the Burgtheater in Vienna...
- AninaAninaAnina is a town in southwestern Romania, in Caraş-Severin County, with a population of 10,886 in 2000. The town administers one village, Steierdorf.In 2002, the oldest modern human remains in Europe were discovered in a cave near Anina...
railway - Cluj Napoca - OradeaOradeaOradea is the capital city of Bihor County, in the Crișana region of north-western Romania. The city has a population of 204,477, according to the 2009 estimates. The wider Oradea metropolitan area has a total population of 245,832.-Geography:...
railway - BraşovBrasovBrașov is a city in Romania and the capital of Brașov County.According to the last Romanian census, from 2002, there were 284,596 people living within the city of Brașov, making it the 8th most populated city in Romania....
- Miercurea Ciuc - Deda railway, and Braşov - Întorsura BuzăuluiÎntorsura BuzauluiÎntorsura Buzăului Buzău 's Turn) is a town in Covasna County, Transylvania, Romania. It administers three villages: Brădet, Floroaia and Scrădoasa.- Population :... - SalvaSalvaSalva may refer to:*Common sage*Salva , from Italy*Salva, Bistriţa-Năsăud, a commune in Romania*Şəlvə, Khojali, Azerbaijan*Şəlvə, Lachin, Azerbaijan*Bartolomé Salvá-Vidal, Spanish tennis player...
- Sighetul Marmatiei railway - AdjudAdjudAdjud is a city in Vrancea County, Moldavia, Romania. It has a population of 17,585 inhabitants . It lies at a railway junction which has a classification yard and a passenger station...
- SiculeniSiculeniSiculeni is a commune in Harghita County, Romania. It lies in the Székely Land, an ethno-cultural region in eastern Transylvania. It is composed of a single village, Siculeni. The Siculicidium took place here.-Demographics:...
railway - SuceavaSuceavaSuceava is the Suceava County seat in Bukovina, Moldavia region, in north-eastern Romania. The city was the capital of the Principality of Moldavia from 1388 to 1565.-History:...
- Ilva MicăIlva MicaIlva Mică is a commune in Bistriţa-Năsăud County, Romania. It is composed of a single village, Ilva Mică....
railway, and VamaVamaVama may refer to several places in Romania:* Vama, a commune in Satu Mare County* Vama, a commune in Suceava County* Vama, a village in Popeşti Commune, Iaşi County...
- MoldovitaMoldovitaThe Moldovița Monastery is a Romanian Orthodox monastery situated in the commune of Vatra Moldoviței, Suceava County, Moldavia, Romania. The Monastery of Moldovița was built in 1532 by Petru Rareș, who was Stefan the Great's illegitimate son... - AradArad, RomaniaArad is the capital city of Arad County, in western Romania, in the Crişana region, on the river Mureş.An important industrial center and transportation hub, Arad is also the seat of a Romanian Orthodox archbishop and features two universities, a Romanian Orthodox theological seminary, a training...
- IneuIneuIneu is a town in Arad County, western Transylvania, Romania. It is situated at a distance of 57 km from the county capital Arad, it occupies a 116,6 square km surface at the contact point of Crișul Alb Basin and Crișurilor Plateau. Ineu is the main entrance gate into the Zărand Land...
- BradBradBrad is a masculine given name, that may be a short form of Bradford or Bradley. Brad may refer to:-People:*Brad Borne , American animator*Brad Altman , American producer... - BuzăuBuzauThe city of Buzău is the county seat of Buzău County, Romania, in the historical region of Wallachia. It lies near the right bank of the Buzău River, between the south-eastern curvature of the Carpathian Mountains and the lowlands of Bărăgan Plain.The city's name dates back to 376 AD when the name...
- Nehoiaşu.
Switzerland
- Appenzeller Bahnen,
- Bergbahn Lauterbrunnen-MürrenBergbahn Lauterbrunnen-MürrenThe Bergbahn Lauterbrunnen-Mürren is a mountain railway in the Bernese Oberland area of Switzerland, which connects the villages of Lauterbrunnen and Mürren. The enterprise consists of a connected aerial cableway, also known as the Grütschalpbahn, and a adhesion worked railway.-Operations:The...
- Bergbahn Rheineck-Walzenhausen,
- Bern-Lötschberg-Simplon railwayBern-Lötschberg-Simplon railwayThe Bern-Lötschberg-Simplon railway, known since the merger of the "old" BLS with the Bern-Neuenburg-Bahn , the Gürbetal-Bern-Schwarzenburg-Bahn and the Simmentalbahn in 1997 as the BLS Lötschbergbahn, is a Swiss railway company. It is the largest standard gauge network on the Swiss Railway...
- Berner Oberland Bahn
- Brienz Rothorn BahnBrienz Rothorn BahnThe Brienz Rothorn Bahn is an gauge tourist rack railway in Switzerland, which climbs from Brienz, at the eastern end of Lake Brienz, to the summit of the Brienzer Rothorn mountain...
- Chemin de fer Aigle-LeysinAigle - LeysinThe Aigle–Leysin Railway, abbreviated AL, French Chemins de fer Aigle–Leysin, was the earliest of the narrow gauge line in the Chablais area of south west Switzerland...
, , , - Chemin de fer Aigle-Ollon-Monthey-Champéry, ,
- Chemin de fer Aigle-Sépey-DiableretsAigle-Sépey-DiableretsRailways came to the Chablais area of Vaud and Valais in 1857 when the Lausanne - Simplon railway opened its line through Aigle. This was to act as the catalyst for other projects in the late 19th century which were designed to link the valley floor with communities in the mountains. The first...
, , - Chemin de fer Bex-Villars-BretayeChemin de fer Bex-Villars-BretayeThe Bex–Villars–Bretaye Railway, abbreviated BVB, French Chemin de fer Bex-Villars-Bretaye, is a metre gauge railway line operating between the towns in its title, situated in the Chablais region of south west Switzerland...
, , - Chemins de fer electriques VeveysansChemins de fer électriques VeveysansThe Chemins de fer électriques Veveysans built and operated narrow gauge lines from Vevey to Blonay, Chamby, Châtel-St-Denis and Les Pléiades. The first section to see service, that from Vevey to Chamby, was opened on 1 October 1902. Next section was the branch line from St-Légier to...
, - Chemin de fer Montreux-Glion-Rochers-de-NayeChemin de fer Montreux-Glion-Rochers-de-NayeThe Chemin de fer Montreux - Glion - Rochers-de-Naye is an electrically operated rack and pinion railway in Switzerland, with a track gauge of , which links the places mentioned in its title.-History:...
- Chemin de fer Nyon-St-Cergue-Morez
- Emmental-Burgdorf-Thun-Bahn,
- GornergratbahnGornergratbahnThe Gornergratbahn is a nine-kilometre metre-gauge mountain rack railway, with Abt rack system. It leads from Zermatt, Switzerland , up to the Gornergrat...
- GotthardbahnGotthardbahnGotthardbahn was the name of a private Swiss railway company which operated the railway line from Immensee to Chiasso . Nowadays this term usually does not refer to that company, but to the railway line itself...
- JungfraubahnJungfraubahnThe Jungfraubahn is an gauge rack railway electrified at 3-phase 1,125 volts 50 Hertz, which runs 9 kilometres from Kleine Scheidegg to the highest railway station in Europe at Jungfraujoch...
- Matterhorn-Gotthard-BahnMatterhorn-Gotthard-BahnThe Matterhorn-Gotthard-Bahn is a narrow gauge railway in Switzerland. The track width is . It was created in 2003 through an amalgamation of Furka-Oberalp-Bahn and BVZ Zermatt-Bahn . The name comes from the Matterhorn and St...
(formerly Brig-Visp-Zermatt-Bahn, Furka-Oberalp-BahnFurka-Oberalp-BahnThe Furka–Oberalp-Bahn is a narrow gauge mountain railway in Switzerland with a gauge of . It runs in the Graubünden, Uri and Canton of Valais. Since January 1, 2003 it is part of the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn when it merged with the BVZ Zermatt-Bahn....
) - Monte Generoso RailwayMonte Generoso RailwayThe Monte Generoso Railway or Ferrovia Monte Generoso is a mountain railway line in the Italian speaking canton of Ticino, in south-east Switzerland. The line runs from Capolago, on Lake Lugano, to a terminus near the summit of Monte Generoso. The summit offers extensive views over the Lombardy...
- Montreux-Oberland-Bahn
- Pilatus RailwayPilatus RailwayThe Pilatus Railway or Pilatusbahn is a mountain railway in Switzerland and is the steepest rack railway in the world, with a maximum gradient of 48%. The line runs from Alpnachstad, on Lake Lucerne, to a terminus near the summit of Mount Pilatus at an altitude of...
- Rhaetian RailwayRhBThe Rhaetian Railway is a Swiss transport company, owning the largest network of all the private railways in Switzerland. The company operates most of the railways in the Swiss canton of Graubünden as the Swiss federal railway company SBB-CFF-FFS extend only a few kilometres over the cantonal...
- Rigi-BahnenRigi-BahnenRigi Railways is a group of railways on Mount Rigi, located between two of the arms of Lake Lucerne, in Switzerland. They include two standard gauge rack railways, the Vitznau-Rigi Bahn and the Arth-Rigi Bahn , along with the Luftseilbahn Weggis-Rigi Kaltbad cable car.-Vitznau – Rigi Railway...
(Arth-Rigi-Bahn, Vitznau-Rigi-Bahn) - Rorschach-Heiden-BahnRorschach-Heiden-BahnRorschach-Heiden-Bahn is a railway line and former railway company in Switzerland. It is a standard gauge mountain rack railway, using the Riggenbach rack system and is part of Appenzeller Bahnen. The route links Rorschach with Heiden.- External links :*...
- Schynige Platte Railway
- Transports de Martigny et RégionsTransports de Martigny et RégionsThe Transports de Martigny et Régions company in the Valais canton of Switzerland operates bus and coach services and two electric railway lines:* Martigny–Châtelard Railway , narrow gauge, with the Mont-Blanc Express...
(Martigny–Châtelard and Martigny–Orsières railways) - Trogenerbahn,
- Uetlibergbahn,
A mountain railway is a railway that ascends and descends a mountain slope that has a steep grade. Such railways can use a number of different technologies to overcome the steepness of the grade. Mountain railways commonly have a narrow gauge to allow for tight curve
Curve
In mathematics, a curve is, generally speaking, an object similar to a line but which is not required to be straight...
s in the track and reduce tunnel size and structure gauge
Structure gauge
The structure gauge, also called the minimum clearance outline, is the minimum height and width of tunnels and bridges as well as the minimum height and width of the doors that allow a rail siding access into a warehouse...
, and hence construction cost and effort.
On steep grades the friction
Friction
Friction is the force resisting the relative motion of solid surfaces, fluid layers, and/or material elements sliding against each other. There are several types of friction:...
between the wheels and the rails cannot apply sufficient adhesion
Rail adhesion
The term adhesion railway or adhesion traction describes the most common type of railway, where power is applied by driving some or all of the wheels of the locomotive. Thus, it relies on the friction between a steel wheel and a steel rail. Note that steam locomotives of old were driven only by...
to the train's wheels so as to overcome gravity, and the train is in danger of sliding down the track. In practice this affects downhill braking capability before it affects uphill climbing ability, and some mountain railways at the lower end of the steepness spectrum rely on standard adhesion for propulsion, but use special track brake
Track brake
Track brakes are a form of brakes unique to railborne vehicles. The braking force derives from the friction resulting from the application of wood or metal braking shoes directly to the tracks...
s acting directly on the rails.
Where the line is too steep to rely on adhesion for climbing, a rack railway
Rack railway
A rack-and-pinion 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...
may be used, in which a toothed cog
Gear
A gear is a rotating machine part having cut teeth, or cogs, which mesh with another toothed part in order to transmit torque. Two or more gears working in tandem are called a transmission and can produce a mechanical advantage through a gear ratio and thus may be considered a simple machine....
wheel engages with a toothed rack rail laid between the tracks. A now little used alternative to the rack and pinion railway is the Fell system
Fell mountain railway system
The Fell system uses a raised centre rail between the two running rails on steeply-graded railway lines to provide extra traction and braking, or braking alone. Trains are propelled by wheels or braked by shoes pressed horizontally onto the centre rail, as well as by means of the normal running...
, in which traction and/or braking wheel are applied to a central rail under pressure.
Finally at the steepest end of the spectrum, a funicular railway
Funicular
A funicular, also known as an inclined plane or cliff railway, is a cable railway in which a cable attached to a pair of tram-like vehicles on rails moves them up and down a steep slope; the ascending and descending vehicles counterbalance each other.-Operation:The basic principle of funicular...
may be used. Here a cable
Wire rope
thumb|Steel wire rope Wire rope is a type of rope which consists of several strands of metal wire laid into a helix. Initially wrought iron wires were used, but today steel is the main material used for wire ropes....
is used to haul counterbalanced trains up and down the track. The car itself is often custom built for the slope, with specially raked seating and steps rather than a sloped floor. Taken to its logical conclusion as the slope becomes vertical, a funicular
Funicular
A funicular, also known as an inclined plane or cliff railway, is a cable railway in which a cable attached to a pair of tram-like vehicles on rails moves them up and down a steep slope; the ascending and descending vehicles counterbalance each other.-Operation:The basic principle of funicular...
becomes an elevator
Elevator
An elevator is a type of vertical transport equipment that efficiently moves people or goods between floors of a building, vessel or other structures...
.
List of mountain railways
See also list of cog and rack railways
Australia
- Glenreagh Mountain RailwayGlenreagh Mountain RailwayGlenreagh Mountain Railway, known as the GMR, was established in 1989 as a heritage tourist railway at Glenreagh, near Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia...
- Mt Morgan Rack RailwayMount Morgan, QueenslandMount Morgan is a town located in central Queensland, Australia. It is situated on the Dee River, 38 kilometres south of the city of Rockhampton, and is 680 kilometres north of the state capital, Brisbane. The Burnett Highway passes through the town...
- abandoned in 1955. - Skitube Alpine RailwaySkitube Alpine RailwayThe Skitube Alpine Railway is an , standard gauge track electric rack railway in the Kosciuszko National Park in New South Wales, Australia. It provides access to the snowfields at Blue Cow Mountain and the Perisher Valley.- History :...
- West Coast Wilderness RailwayWest Coast Wilderness RailwayThe West Coast Wilderness Railway, Tasmania is a reconstruction of the Mount Lyell Mining and Railway Company railway between Queenstown and Regatta Point...
Austria
- Achensee Railway
- Arlberg RailwayArlberg RailwayThe Arlberg railway, which connects the Austrian cities Innsbruck and Bludenz, is Austria's only east-west mountain railway. The 135.7 km line is referred as Europe's most difficult mountain railway since it is threatened by avalanches, mudslides, rockfalls or floods...
- Mariazell Railway
- Pöstlingberg Railway
- Semmering RailwaySemmering RailwayThe Semmering railway, Austria, which starts at Gloggnitz and leads over the Semmering to Mürzzuschlag was the first mountain railway in Europe built with a standard gauge track. It is commonly referred to as the world's first true mountain railway, given the very difficult terrain and the...
- A world Heritage Site - Schafberg Railway
- Schneeberg Railway
Bolivia
- Ferrocarril de Antofagasta a BoliviaFerrocarril de Antofagasta a BoliviaThe Ferrocarril de Antofagasta a Bolivia is a private railway operating in the northern provinces of Chile. It is notable in that it was one of the earliest railways built to the gauge of , with a route that climbed from sea level to over , while handling goods traffic totaling near 2 million tons...
- Ferrocarril de Arica a La Paz, AricaAricaArica is a city in northern Chile. "Arica" may also refer to:Places* Arica and Parinacota Region, Chile* Arica Airport , Chile* Arica, Amazonas, town in Colombia* Rio Aricá-açu, tributary of the Cuiabá River south of Cuiabá, BrazilOther...
–La PazLa PazNuestra Señora de La Paz is the administrative capital of Bolivia, as well as the departmental capital of the La Paz Department, and the second largest city in the country after Santa Cruz de la Sierra... - Rio Mulatos-Potosí lineRio Mulatos-Potosí lineThe Rio Mulatos-Potosí line is a railway line in Bolivia, containing Cóndor station, the world's ninth highest railway station . It was the world's second until the completion of the Tanggula railway station on the Qingzang railway in the Tanggula Mountains, Tibet....
Canada
- BC Rail, crosses the Pacific Coast RangePacific Coast RangesThe Pacific Coast Ranges and the Pacific Mountain System are the series of mountain ranges that stretch along the West Coast of North America from Alaska south to Northern and Central Mexico...
of the Coast MountainsCoast MountainsThe Coast Mountains are a major mountain range, in the Pacific Coast Ranges, of western North America, extending from southwestern Yukon through the Alaska Panhandle and virtually all of the Coast of British Columbia. They are so-named because of their proximity to the sea coast, and are often...
(GaribaldiGaribaldi RangesThe Garibaldi Ranges are the next-to-southwesternmost subdivision of the Pacific Ranges of the Coast Mountains; only the North Shore Mountains are farther south. They lie between the valley formed by the pass between the Cheakamus River and Green River on the west and the valley of the Lillooet...
& Lillooet RangesLillooet RangesThe Lillooet Ranges are the southeasternmost subdivision of the Pacific Ranges of the Coast Mountains of British Columbia. They are located between the drainage of the Lillooet River and Harrison Lake on the west and the canyon of the Fraser River on the east, and by the lowland coastal valley of...
)
Chile
- Ferrocarill Arica La Paz, AricaArica, ChileArica is a commune and a port city with a population of 185,269 in the Arica Province of northern Chile's Arica and Parinacota Region, located only south of the border with Peru. The city is the capital of both the Arica Province and the Arica and Parinacota Region...
–La PazLa PazNuestra Señora de La Paz is the administrative capital of Bolivia, as well as the departmental capital of the La Paz Department, and the second largest city in the country after Santa Cruz de la Sierra... - Ferrocarril de Antofagasta a BoliviaFerrocarril de Antofagasta a BoliviaThe Ferrocarril de Antofagasta a Bolivia is a private railway operating in the northern provinces of Chile. It is notable in that it was one of the earliest railways built to the gauge of , with a route that climbed from sea level to over , while handling goods traffic totaling near 2 million tons...
- El Ferrocarril Trasandino Los Andes - Mendoza, Los AndesLos Andes, ChileLos Andes, founded in July 31, 1791 as Santa Rosa de Los Andes, is a Chilean city and commune located in the province of the same name, in Valparaíso Region...
- MendozaMendoza, ArgentinaMendoza is the capital city of Mendoza Province, in Argentina. It is located in the northern-central part of the province, in a region of foothills and high plains, on the eastern side of the Andes. As of the , Mendoza's population was 110,993...
. The rebuild will be adhesion only.
France
- Artouste (Petit train d')Petit train d'ArtousteThe Petit train d'Artouste is a narrow gauge tourist railway situated in the French Pyrenees close to the Spanish border and some south of the town of Pau...
- La Rhune (Petit train de)Petit train de la RhuneThe Petit train de la Rhune is a metre gauge rack railway in France at the western end of the Pyrenees. It links the Col de Saint-Ignace, some to the east of Saint-Jean-de-Luz, to the summit of the La Rhune mountain...
- Mont Blanc TramwayMont Blanc TramwayThe Mont Blanc Tramway or Tramway du Mont-Blanc is a mountain railway line in the Haute-Savoie department of France.The spectacular views of Mont Blanc provided by the tramway make it very popular with tourists...
- Montenvers RailwayMontenvers RailwayThe Montenvers Railway or Chemin de fer du Montenvers is a rack railway line in the Haute-Savoie region of France. The line runs from a connection with the SNCF, in Chamonix, to the Hotel de Montenvers station, at the Mer de Glace, at an altitude of ....
- Saint Gervais-Vallorcine (Ligne de)
Germany
- Berchtesgaden Mountain Railway
- Drachenfels RailwayDrachenfels RailwayThe Drachenfels Railway or Drachenfelsbahn is a rack railway line in the North Rhine-Westphalia region of Germany. The line runs from Königswinter to the summit of the Drachenfels mountain at an altitude of ....
(Drachenfelsbahn) - Harz Railway (Harzbahn)
- Rübeland RailwayRübeland RailwayThe Rübeland Railway is a railway link from Blankenburg via Rübeland and Königshütte to Tanne in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. It was built by the Halberstadt-Blankenburg Railway between 1880 and 1886. The route length is 30.6 kilometres, the height difference over 300 metres...
(Rübelandbahn) - Harz Narrow Gauge Railways (Harzer Schmalspurbahnen)
- Harz Railway (Harzquerbahn)
- Brocken Railway (Brockenbahn)
- Selke Valley Railway(Selketalbahn)
- Rübeland Railway
- Murg Valley RailwayMurg Valley RailwayThe Murg Valley Railway is a 58 kilometre long railway line in the northern part of the Black Forest in Germany, that links Rastatt and Freudenstadt. It was opened in stages from 1868 to 1928 being built outwards from both Rastatt and Freudenstadt. The route through the narrow Murg Valley required...
(Murgtalbahn) - Schwarza Valley Railway (Schwarzatalbahn)
- Wendelstein Railway (Wendelsteinbahn)
- Bavarian Zugspitze RailwayBavarian Zugspitze RailwayThe Bavarian Zugspitze Railway is one of four rack railways still working in Germany, along with the Wendelstein Railway, the Drachenfels Railway and the Stuttgart Rack Railway...
(Bayerische Zugspitzbahn)
India
- Darjeeling Himalayan RailwayDarjeeling Himalayan RailwayThe Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, nicknamed the "Toy Train", is a narrow gauge railway from New Jalpaiguri to Darjeeling in West Bengal, run by the Indian Railways....
- A world Heritage Site - Nilgiri Mountain RailwayNilgiri Mountain RailwayThe Nilgiri Mountain Railway is a railway in Tamil Nadu, India, built by the British in 1908, and was initially operated by the Madras Railway Company. The railway still relies on its fleet of steam locomotives. NMR comes under the jurisdiction of the newly formed Salem Division...
- A world Heritage Site - Kalka-Shimla RailwayKalka-Shimla RailwayThe Kalka–Shimla Railway is a narrow gauge railway in North-West India travelling along a mostly mountainous route from Kalka to Shimla. It is known for breathtaking views of the hills and surrounding villages.- History :...
- A world Heritage Site - Matheran Hill RailwayMatheran Hill RailwayMatheran Hill Railway is a heritage railway in Maharashtra, India. It was built between 1901 and 1907 by Abdul Hussein Adamjee Peerbhoy, financed by his father, Sir Adamjee Peerbhoy of the Adamjee Group at the cost of Rs.16,00,000...
- Kangra Valley RailwayKangra Valley RailwayThe Kangra Valley Railway lies in the sub-Himalayan region and covers a distance of . from Pathankot to Jogindernagar. The Kangra valley railway comes under the Firozpur division of Northern Railway...
Peru
- Empresa nacional de ferrocarriles del PeruEmpresa nacional de ferrocarriles del PeruThe Empresa Nacional de Ferrocarriles del Perú is a public company which ensures the management and the commercial use of the railway network of Peru....
- Ferrocarril Central AndinoFerrocarril Central AndinoFerrocarril Central Andino is the consortium which operates the Ferrovías Central railway in Peru linking the Pacific port of Callao and the capital Lima with Huancayo and Cerro de Pasco...
(Standard gaugeStandard gaugeThe standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
) - Ferrocarril Huancayo - Huancavelica, (built to narrow gauge )
- Ferrocarril del sur de Peru ArequipaArequipaArequipa is the capital city of the Arequipa Region in southern Peru. With a population of 836,859 it is the second most populous city of the country...
- PunoPunoPuno is a city in southeastern Peru, located on the shore of Lake Titicaca. It is the capital city of the Puno Region and the Puno Province with a population of approximately 100,000. The city was established in 1668 by viceroy Pedro Antonio Fernández de Castro as capital of the province of...
, (Standard gaugeStandard gaugeThe standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
) - Cusco - Machu Picchu, Cusco - Machu PicchuMachu PicchuMachu Picchu is a pre-Columbian 15th-century Inca site located above sea level. It is situated on a mountain ridge above the Urubamba Valley in Peru, which is northwest of Cusco and through which the Urubamba River flows. Most archaeologists believe that Machu Picchu was built as an estate for...
( gauge)
Romania
- PloieștiPloiestiPloiești is the county seat of Prahova County and lies in the historical region of Wallachia in Romania. The city is located north of Bucharest....
- BraşovBrasovBrașov is a city in Romania and the capital of Brașov County.According to the last Romanian census, from 2002, there were 284,596 people living within the city of Brașov, making it the 8th most populated city in Romania....
railway - BraşovBrasovBrașov is a city in Romania and the capital of Brașov County.According to the last Romanian census, from 2002, there were 284,596 people living within the city of Brașov, making it the 8th most populated city in Romania....
- SibiuSibiuSibiu is a city in Transylvania, Romania with a population of 154,548. Located some 282 km north-west of Bucharest, the city straddles the Cibin River, a tributary of the river Olt...
- AradArad, RomaniaArad is the capital city of Arad County, in western Romania, in the Crişana region, on the river Mureş.An important industrial center and transportation hub, Arad is also the seat of a Romanian Orthodox archbishop and features two universities, a Romanian Orthodox theological seminary, a training...
railway - Râmnicu VâlceaRâmnicu VâlceaRâmnicu Vâlcea is the capital city of Vâlcea County, Romania .-Geography and climate:Râmnicu Vâlcea is situated in the central-south area of Romania...
- SibiuSibiuSibiu is a city in Transylvania, Romania with a population of 154,548. Located some 282 km north-west of Bucharest, the city straddles the Cibin River, a tributary of the river Olt...
railway - Târgu JiuTârgu JiuTârgu Jiu is the capital of Gorj County, Oltenia, Romania. It is situated on the Southern Sub-Carpathians, on the banks of the river Jiu. Eight villages are administered by the city: Bârseşti, Drăgoeni, Iezureni, Polata, Preajba Mare, Româneşti, Slobozia and Ursaţi.-History:The city takes its name...
- SimeriaSimeriaSimeria is a town in Hunedoara County with a population of just under 14,000, and an important railway junction with hump yard. Six villages are administered by the town: Bârcea Mare, Cărpiniş, Simeria Veche, Sântandrei, Şăuleşti and Uroi....
railway - Drobeta Turnu Severin - CaransebeşCaransebesCaransebeş is a city in Caraş-Severin County, part of the Banat region in southwestern Romania. It is located at the confluence of the river Timiş with the river Sebeş, the latter coming from the Ţarcu Mountains. To the west, it is in direct contact with the Banat hills...
railway - OraviţaOravitaOravița is a town in southwestern Romania, in Caraș-Severin County, with a population of 15,524 in 2000. Its theatre is a fully functional scaled down version of the Burgtheater in Vienna...
- AninaAninaAnina is a town in southwestern Romania, in Caraş-Severin County, with a population of 10,886 in 2000. The town administers one village, Steierdorf.In 2002, the oldest modern human remains in Europe were discovered in a cave near Anina...
railway - Cluj Napoca - OradeaOradeaOradea is the capital city of Bihor County, in the Crișana region of north-western Romania. The city has a population of 204,477, according to the 2009 estimates. The wider Oradea metropolitan area has a total population of 245,832.-Geography:...
railway - BraşovBrasovBrașov is a city in Romania and the capital of Brașov County.According to the last Romanian census, from 2002, there were 284,596 people living within the city of Brașov, making it the 8th most populated city in Romania....
- Miercurea Ciuc - Deda railway, and Braşov - Întorsura BuzăuluiÎntorsura BuzauluiÎntorsura Buzăului Buzău 's Turn) is a town in Covasna County, Transylvania, Romania. It administers three villages: Brădet, Floroaia and Scrădoasa.- Population :... - SalvaSalvaSalva may refer to:*Common sage*Salva , from Italy*Salva, Bistriţa-Năsăud, a commune in Romania*Şəlvə, Khojali, Azerbaijan*Şəlvə, Lachin, Azerbaijan*Bartolomé Salvá-Vidal, Spanish tennis player...
- Sighetul Marmatiei railway - AdjudAdjudAdjud is a city in Vrancea County, Moldavia, Romania. It has a population of 17,585 inhabitants . It lies at a railway junction which has a classification yard and a passenger station...
- SiculeniSiculeniSiculeni is a commune in Harghita County, Romania. It lies in the Székely Land, an ethno-cultural region in eastern Transylvania. It is composed of a single village, Siculeni. The Siculicidium took place here.-Demographics:...
railway - SuceavaSuceavaSuceava is the Suceava County seat in Bukovina, Moldavia region, in north-eastern Romania. The city was the capital of the Principality of Moldavia from 1388 to 1565.-History:...
- Ilva MicăIlva MicaIlva Mică is a commune in Bistriţa-Năsăud County, Romania. It is composed of a single village, Ilva Mică....
railway, and VamaVamaVama may refer to several places in Romania:* Vama, a commune in Satu Mare County* Vama, a commune in Suceava County* Vama, a village in Popeşti Commune, Iaşi County...
- MoldovitaMoldovitaThe Moldovița Monastery is a Romanian Orthodox monastery situated in the commune of Vatra Moldoviței, Suceava County, Moldavia, Romania. The Monastery of Moldovița was built in 1532 by Petru Rareș, who was Stefan the Great's illegitimate son... - AradArad, RomaniaArad is the capital city of Arad County, in western Romania, in the Crişana region, on the river Mureş.An important industrial center and transportation hub, Arad is also the seat of a Romanian Orthodox archbishop and features two universities, a Romanian Orthodox theological seminary, a training...
- IneuIneuIneu is a town in Arad County, western Transylvania, Romania. It is situated at a distance of 57 km from the county capital Arad, it occupies a 116,6 square km surface at the contact point of Crișul Alb Basin and Crișurilor Plateau. Ineu is the main entrance gate into the Zărand Land...
- BradBradBrad is a masculine given name, that may be a short form of Bradford or Bradley. Brad may refer to:-People:*Brad Borne , American animator*Brad Altman , American producer... - BuzăuBuzauThe city of Buzău is the county seat of Buzău County, Romania, in the historical region of Wallachia. It lies near the right bank of the Buzău River, between the south-eastern curvature of the Carpathian Mountains and the lowlands of Bărăgan Plain.The city's name dates back to 376 AD when the name...
- Nehoiaşu.
Switzerland
- Appenzeller Bahnen,
- Bergbahn Lauterbrunnen-MürrenBergbahn Lauterbrunnen-MürrenThe Bergbahn Lauterbrunnen-Mürren is a mountain railway in the Bernese Oberland area of Switzerland, which connects the villages of Lauterbrunnen and Mürren. The enterprise consists of a connected aerial cableway, also known as the Grütschalpbahn, and a adhesion worked railway.-Operations:The...
- Bergbahn Rheineck-Walzenhausen,
- Bern-Lötschberg-Simplon railwayBern-Lötschberg-Simplon railwayThe Bern-Lötschberg-Simplon railway, known since the merger of the "old" BLS with the Bern-Neuenburg-Bahn , the Gürbetal-Bern-Schwarzenburg-Bahn and the Simmentalbahn in 1997 as the BLS Lötschbergbahn, is a Swiss railway company. It is the largest standard gauge network on the Swiss Railway...
- Berner Oberland Bahn
- Brienz Rothorn BahnBrienz Rothorn BahnThe Brienz Rothorn Bahn is an gauge tourist rack railway in Switzerland, which climbs from Brienz, at the eastern end of Lake Brienz, to the summit of the Brienzer Rothorn mountain...
- Chemin de fer Aigle-LeysinAigle - LeysinThe Aigle–Leysin Railway, abbreviated AL, French Chemins de fer Aigle–Leysin, was the earliest of the narrow gauge line in the Chablais area of south west Switzerland...
, , , - Chemin de fer Aigle-Ollon-Monthey-Champéry, ,
- Chemin de fer Aigle-Sépey-DiableretsAigle-Sépey-DiableretsRailways came to the Chablais area of Vaud and Valais in 1857 when the Lausanne - Simplon railway opened its line through Aigle. This was to act as the catalyst for other projects in the late 19th century which were designed to link the valley floor with communities in the mountains. The first...
, , - Chemin de fer Bex-Villars-BretayeChemin de fer Bex-Villars-BretayeThe Bex–Villars–Bretaye Railway, abbreviated BVB, French Chemin de fer Bex-Villars-Bretaye, is a metre gauge railway line operating between the towns in its title, situated in the Chablais region of south west Switzerland...
, , - Chemins de fer electriques VeveysansChemins de fer électriques VeveysansThe Chemins de fer électriques Veveysans built and operated narrow gauge lines from Vevey to Blonay, Chamby, Châtel-St-Denis and Les Pléiades. The first section to see service, that from Vevey to Chamby, was opened on 1 October 1902. Next section was the branch line from St-Légier to...
, - Chemin de fer Montreux-Glion-Rochers-de-NayeChemin de fer Montreux-Glion-Rochers-de-NayeThe Chemin de fer Montreux - Glion - Rochers-de-Naye is an electrically operated rack and pinion railway in Switzerland, with a track gauge of , which links the places mentioned in its title.-History:...
- Chemin de fer Nyon-St-Cergue-Morez
- Emmental-Burgdorf-Thun-Bahn,
- GornergratbahnGornergratbahnThe Gornergratbahn is a nine-kilometre metre-gauge mountain rack railway, with Abt rack system. It leads from Zermatt, Switzerland , up to the Gornergrat...
- GotthardbahnGotthardbahnGotthardbahn was the name of a private Swiss railway company which operated the railway line from Immensee to Chiasso . Nowadays this term usually does not refer to that company, but to the railway line itself...
- JungfraubahnJungfraubahnThe Jungfraubahn is an gauge rack railway electrified at 3-phase 1,125 volts 50 Hertz, which runs 9 kilometres from Kleine Scheidegg to the highest railway station in Europe at Jungfraujoch...
- Matterhorn-Gotthard-BahnMatterhorn-Gotthard-BahnThe Matterhorn-Gotthard-Bahn is a narrow gauge railway in Switzerland. The track width is . It was created in 2003 through an amalgamation of Furka-Oberalp-Bahn and BVZ Zermatt-Bahn . The name comes from the Matterhorn and St...
(formerly Brig-Visp-Zermatt-Bahn, Furka-Oberalp-BahnFurka-Oberalp-BahnThe Furka–Oberalp-Bahn is a narrow gauge mountain railway in Switzerland with a gauge of . It runs in the Graubünden, Uri and Canton of Valais. Since January 1, 2003 it is part of the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn when it merged with the BVZ Zermatt-Bahn....
) - Monte Generoso RailwayMonte Generoso RailwayThe Monte Generoso Railway or Ferrovia Monte Generoso is a mountain railway line in the Italian speaking canton of Ticino, in south-east Switzerland. The line runs from Capolago, on Lake Lugano, to a terminus near the summit of Monte Generoso. The summit offers extensive views over the Lombardy...
- Montreux-Oberland-Bahn
- Pilatus RailwayPilatus RailwayThe Pilatus Railway or Pilatusbahn is a mountain railway in Switzerland and is the steepest rack railway in the world, with a maximum gradient of 48%. The line runs from Alpnachstad, on Lake Lucerne, to a terminus near the summit of Mount Pilatus at an altitude of...
- Rhaetian RailwayRhBThe Rhaetian Railway is a Swiss transport company, owning the largest network of all the private railways in Switzerland. The company operates most of the railways in the Swiss canton of Graubünden as the Swiss federal railway company SBB-CFF-FFS extend only a few kilometres over the cantonal...
- Rigi-BahnenRigi-BahnenRigi Railways is a group of railways on Mount Rigi, located between two of the arms of Lake Lucerne, in Switzerland. They include two standard gauge rack railways, the Vitznau-Rigi Bahn and the Arth-Rigi Bahn , along with the Luftseilbahn Weggis-Rigi Kaltbad cable car.-Vitznau – Rigi Railway...
(Arth-Rigi-Bahn, Vitznau-Rigi-Bahn) - Rorschach-Heiden-BahnRorschach-Heiden-BahnRorschach-Heiden-Bahn is a railway line and former railway company in Switzerland. It is a standard gauge mountain rack railway, using the Riggenbach rack system and is part of Appenzeller Bahnen. The route links Rorschach with Heiden.- External links :*...
- Schynige Platte Railway
- Transports de Martigny et RégionsTransports de Martigny et RégionsThe Transports de Martigny et Régions company in the Valais canton of Switzerland operates bus and coach services and two electric railway lines:* Martigny–Châtelard Railway , narrow gauge, with the Mont-Blanc Express...
(Martigny–Châtelard and Martigny–Orsières railways) - Trogenerbahn,
- Uetlibergbahn,
A mountain railway is a railway that ascends and descends a mountain slope that has a steep grade. Such railways can use a number of different technologies to overcome the steepness of the grade. Mountain railways commonly have a narrow gauge to allow for tight curve
Curve
In mathematics, a curve is, generally speaking, an object similar to a line but which is not required to be straight...
s in the track and reduce tunnel size and structure gauge
Structure gauge
The structure gauge, also called the minimum clearance outline, is the minimum height and width of tunnels and bridges as well as the minimum height and width of the doors that allow a rail siding access into a warehouse...
, and hence construction cost and effort.
On steep grades the friction
Friction
Friction is the force resisting the relative motion of solid surfaces, fluid layers, and/or material elements sliding against each other. There are several types of friction:...
between the wheels and the rails cannot apply sufficient adhesion
Rail adhesion
The term adhesion railway or adhesion traction describes the most common type of railway, where power is applied by driving some or all of the wheels of the locomotive. Thus, it relies on the friction between a steel wheel and a steel rail. Note that steam locomotives of old were driven only by...
to the train's wheels so as to overcome gravity, and the train is in danger of sliding down the track. In practice this affects downhill braking capability before it affects uphill climbing ability, and some mountain railways at the lower end of the steepness spectrum rely on standard adhesion for propulsion, but use special track brake
Track brake
Track brakes are a form of brakes unique to railborne vehicles. The braking force derives from the friction resulting from the application of wood or metal braking shoes directly to the tracks...
s acting directly on the rails.
Where the line is too steep to rely on adhesion for climbing, a rack railway
Rack railway
A rack-and-pinion 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...
may be used, in which a toothed cog
Gear
A gear is a rotating machine part having cut teeth, or cogs, which mesh with another toothed part in order to transmit torque. Two or more gears working in tandem are called a transmission and can produce a mechanical advantage through a gear ratio and thus may be considered a simple machine....
wheel engages with a toothed rack rail laid between the tracks. A now little used alternative to the rack and pinion railway is the Fell system
Fell mountain railway system
The Fell system uses a raised centre rail between the two running rails on steeply-graded railway lines to provide extra traction and braking, or braking alone. Trains are propelled by wheels or braked by shoes pressed horizontally onto the centre rail, as well as by means of the normal running...
, in which traction and/or braking wheel are applied to a central rail under pressure.
Finally at the steepest end of the spectrum, a funicular railway
Funicular
A funicular, also known as an inclined plane or cliff railway, is a cable railway in which a cable attached to a pair of tram-like vehicles on rails moves them up and down a steep slope; the ascending and descending vehicles counterbalance each other.-Operation:The basic principle of funicular...
may be used. Here a cable
Wire rope
thumb|Steel wire rope Wire rope is a type of rope which consists of several strands of metal wire laid into a helix. Initially wrought iron wires were used, but today steel is the main material used for wire ropes....
is used to haul counterbalanced trains up and down the track. The car itself is often custom built for the slope, with specially raked seating and steps rather than a sloped floor. Taken to its logical conclusion as the slope becomes vertical, a funicular
Funicular
A funicular, also known as an inclined plane or cliff railway, is a cable railway in which a cable attached to a pair of tram-like vehicles on rails moves them up and down a steep slope; the ascending and descending vehicles counterbalance each other.-Operation:The basic principle of funicular...
becomes an elevator
Elevator
An elevator is a type of vertical transport equipment that efficiently moves people or goods between floors of a building, vessel or other structures...
.
List of mountain railways
See also list of cog and rack railways
Australia
- Glenreagh Mountain RailwayGlenreagh Mountain RailwayGlenreagh Mountain Railway, known as the GMR, was established in 1989 as a heritage tourist railway at Glenreagh, near Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia...
- Mt Morgan Rack RailwayMount Morgan, QueenslandMount Morgan is a town located in central Queensland, Australia. It is situated on the Dee River, 38 kilometres south of the city of Rockhampton, and is 680 kilometres north of the state capital, Brisbane. The Burnett Highway passes through the town...
- abandoned in 1955. - Skitube Alpine RailwaySkitube Alpine RailwayThe Skitube Alpine Railway is an , standard gauge track electric rack railway in the Kosciuszko National Park in New South Wales, Australia. It provides access to the snowfields at Blue Cow Mountain and the Perisher Valley.- History :...
- West Coast Wilderness RailwayWest Coast Wilderness RailwayThe West Coast Wilderness Railway, Tasmania is a reconstruction of the Mount Lyell Mining and Railway Company railway between Queenstown and Regatta Point...
Austria
- Achensee Railway
- Arlberg RailwayArlberg RailwayThe Arlberg railway, which connects the Austrian cities Innsbruck and Bludenz, is Austria's only east-west mountain railway. The 135.7 km line is referred as Europe's most difficult mountain railway since it is threatened by avalanches, mudslides, rockfalls or floods...
- Mariazell Railway
- Pöstlingberg Railway
- Semmering RailwaySemmering RailwayThe Semmering railway, Austria, which starts at Gloggnitz and leads over the Semmering to Mürzzuschlag was the first mountain railway in Europe built with a standard gauge track. It is commonly referred to as the world's first true mountain railway, given the very difficult terrain and the...
- A world Heritage Site - Schafberg Railway
- Schneeberg Railway
Bolivia
- Ferrocarril de Antofagasta a BoliviaFerrocarril de Antofagasta a BoliviaThe Ferrocarril de Antofagasta a Bolivia is a private railway operating in the northern provinces of Chile. It is notable in that it was one of the earliest railways built to the gauge of , with a route that climbed from sea level to over , while handling goods traffic totaling near 2 million tons...
- Ferrocarril de Arica a La Paz, AricaAricaArica is a city in northern Chile. "Arica" may also refer to:Places* Arica and Parinacota Region, Chile* Arica Airport , Chile* Arica, Amazonas, town in Colombia* Rio Aricá-açu, tributary of the Cuiabá River south of Cuiabá, BrazilOther...
–La PazLa PazNuestra Señora de La Paz is the administrative capital of Bolivia, as well as the departmental capital of the La Paz Department, and the second largest city in the country after Santa Cruz de la Sierra... - Rio Mulatos-Potosí lineRio Mulatos-Potosí lineThe Rio Mulatos-Potosí line is a railway line in Bolivia, containing Cóndor station, the world's ninth highest railway station . It was the world's second until the completion of the Tanggula railway station on the Qingzang railway in the Tanggula Mountains, Tibet....
Canada
- BC Rail, crosses the Pacific Coast RangePacific Coast RangesThe Pacific Coast Ranges and the Pacific Mountain System are the series of mountain ranges that stretch along the West Coast of North America from Alaska south to Northern and Central Mexico...
of the Coast MountainsCoast MountainsThe Coast Mountains are a major mountain range, in the Pacific Coast Ranges, of western North America, extending from southwestern Yukon through the Alaska Panhandle and virtually all of the Coast of British Columbia. They are so-named because of their proximity to the sea coast, and are often...
(GaribaldiGaribaldi RangesThe Garibaldi Ranges are the next-to-southwesternmost subdivision of the Pacific Ranges of the Coast Mountains; only the North Shore Mountains are farther south. They lie between the valley formed by the pass between the Cheakamus River and Green River on the west and the valley of the Lillooet...
& Lillooet RangesLillooet RangesThe Lillooet Ranges are the southeasternmost subdivision of the Pacific Ranges of the Coast Mountains of British Columbia. They are located between the drainage of the Lillooet River and Harrison Lake on the west and the canyon of the Fraser River on the east, and by the lowland coastal valley of...
)
Chile
- Ferrocarill Arica La Paz, AricaArica, ChileArica is a commune and a port city with a population of 185,269 in the Arica Province of northern Chile's Arica and Parinacota Region, located only south of the border with Peru. The city is the capital of both the Arica Province and the Arica and Parinacota Region...
–La PazLa PazNuestra Señora de La Paz is the administrative capital of Bolivia, as well as the departmental capital of the La Paz Department, and the second largest city in the country after Santa Cruz de la Sierra... - Ferrocarril de Antofagasta a BoliviaFerrocarril de Antofagasta a BoliviaThe Ferrocarril de Antofagasta a Bolivia is a private railway operating in the northern provinces of Chile. It is notable in that it was one of the earliest railways built to the gauge of , with a route that climbed from sea level to over , while handling goods traffic totaling near 2 million tons...
- El Ferrocarril Trasandino Los Andes - Mendoza, Los AndesLos Andes, ChileLos Andes, founded in July 31, 1791 as Santa Rosa de Los Andes, is a Chilean city and commune located in the province of the same name, in Valparaíso Region...
- MendozaMendoza, ArgentinaMendoza is the capital city of Mendoza Province, in Argentina. It is located in the northern-central part of the province, in a region of foothills and high plains, on the eastern side of the Andes. As of the , Mendoza's population was 110,993...
. The rebuild will be adhesion only.
France
- Artouste (Petit train d')Petit train d'ArtousteThe Petit train d'Artouste is a narrow gauge tourist railway situated in the French Pyrenees close to the Spanish border and some south of the town of Pau...
- La Rhune (Petit train de)Petit train de la RhuneThe Petit train de la Rhune is a metre gauge rack railway in France at the western end of the Pyrenees. It links the Col de Saint-Ignace, some to the east of Saint-Jean-de-Luz, to the summit of the La Rhune mountain...
- Mont Blanc TramwayMont Blanc TramwayThe Mont Blanc Tramway or Tramway du Mont-Blanc is a mountain railway line in the Haute-Savoie department of France.The spectacular views of Mont Blanc provided by the tramway make it very popular with tourists...
- Montenvers RailwayMontenvers RailwayThe Montenvers Railway or Chemin de fer du Montenvers is a rack railway line in the Haute-Savoie region of France. The line runs from a connection with the SNCF, in Chamonix, to the Hotel de Montenvers station, at the Mer de Glace, at an altitude of ....
- Saint Gervais-Vallorcine (Ligne de)
Germany
- Berchtesgaden Mountain Railway
- Drachenfels RailwayDrachenfels RailwayThe Drachenfels Railway or Drachenfelsbahn is a rack railway line in the North Rhine-Westphalia region of Germany. The line runs from Königswinter to the summit of the Drachenfels mountain at an altitude of ....
(Drachenfelsbahn) - Harz Railway (Harzbahn)
- Rübeland RailwayRübeland RailwayThe Rübeland Railway is a railway link from Blankenburg via Rübeland and Königshütte to Tanne in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. It was built by the Halberstadt-Blankenburg Railway between 1880 and 1886. The route length is 30.6 kilometres, the height difference over 300 metres...
(Rübelandbahn) - Harz Narrow Gauge Railways (Harzer Schmalspurbahnen)
- Harz Railway (Harzquerbahn)
- Brocken Railway (Brockenbahn)
- Selke Valley Railway(Selketalbahn)
- Rübeland Railway
- Murg Valley RailwayMurg Valley RailwayThe Murg Valley Railway is a 58 kilometre long railway line in the northern part of the Black Forest in Germany, that links Rastatt and Freudenstadt. It was opened in stages from 1868 to 1928 being built outwards from both Rastatt and Freudenstadt. The route through the narrow Murg Valley required...
(Murgtalbahn) - Schwarza Valley Railway (Schwarzatalbahn)
- Wendelstein Railway (Wendelsteinbahn)
- Bavarian Zugspitze RailwayBavarian Zugspitze RailwayThe Bavarian Zugspitze Railway is one of four rack railways still working in Germany, along with the Wendelstein Railway, the Drachenfels Railway and the Stuttgart Rack Railway...
(Bayerische Zugspitzbahn)
India
- Darjeeling Himalayan RailwayDarjeeling Himalayan RailwayThe Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, nicknamed the "Toy Train", is a narrow gauge railway from New Jalpaiguri to Darjeeling in West Bengal, run by the Indian Railways....
- A world Heritage Site - Nilgiri Mountain RailwayNilgiri Mountain RailwayThe Nilgiri Mountain Railway is a railway in Tamil Nadu, India, built by the British in 1908, and was initially operated by the Madras Railway Company. The railway still relies on its fleet of steam locomotives. NMR comes under the jurisdiction of the newly formed Salem Division...
- A world Heritage Site - Kalka-Shimla RailwayKalka-Shimla RailwayThe Kalka–Shimla Railway is a narrow gauge railway in North-West India travelling along a mostly mountainous route from Kalka to Shimla. It is known for breathtaking views of the hills and surrounding villages.- History :...
- A world Heritage Site - Matheran Hill RailwayMatheran Hill RailwayMatheran Hill Railway is a heritage railway in Maharashtra, India. It was built between 1901 and 1907 by Abdul Hussein Adamjee Peerbhoy, financed by his father, Sir Adamjee Peerbhoy of the Adamjee Group at the cost of Rs.16,00,000...
- Kangra Valley RailwayKangra Valley RailwayThe Kangra Valley Railway lies in the sub-Himalayan region and covers a distance of . from Pathankot to Jogindernagar. The Kangra valley railway comes under the Firozpur division of Northern Railway...
Peru
- Empresa nacional de ferrocarriles del PeruEmpresa nacional de ferrocarriles del PeruThe Empresa Nacional de Ferrocarriles del Perú is a public company which ensures the management and the commercial use of the railway network of Peru....
- Ferrocarril Central AndinoFerrocarril Central AndinoFerrocarril Central Andino is the consortium which operates the Ferrovías Central railway in Peru linking the Pacific port of Callao and the capital Lima with Huancayo and Cerro de Pasco...
(Standard gaugeStandard gaugeThe standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
) - Ferrocarril Huancayo - Huancavelica, (built to narrow gauge )
- Ferrocarril del sur de Peru ArequipaArequipaArequipa is the capital city of the Arequipa Region in southern Peru. With a population of 836,859 it is the second most populous city of the country...
- PunoPunoPuno is a city in southeastern Peru, located on the shore of Lake Titicaca. It is the capital city of the Puno Region and the Puno Province with a population of approximately 100,000. The city was established in 1668 by viceroy Pedro Antonio Fernández de Castro as capital of the province of...
, (Standard gaugeStandard gaugeThe standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
) - Cusco - Machu Picchu, Cusco - Machu PicchuMachu PicchuMachu Picchu is a pre-Columbian 15th-century Inca site located above sea level. It is situated on a mountain ridge above the Urubamba Valley in Peru, which is northwest of Cusco and through which the Urubamba River flows. Most archaeologists believe that Machu Picchu was built as an estate for...
( gauge)
Romania
- PloieștiPloiestiPloiești is the county seat of Prahova County and lies in the historical region of Wallachia in Romania. The city is located north of Bucharest....
- BraşovBrasovBrașov is a city in Romania and the capital of Brașov County.According to the last Romanian census, from 2002, there were 284,596 people living within the city of Brașov, making it the 8th most populated city in Romania....
railway - BraşovBrasovBrașov is a city in Romania and the capital of Brașov County.According to the last Romanian census, from 2002, there were 284,596 people living within the city of Brașov, making it the 8th most populated city in Romania....
- SibiuSibiuSibiu is a city in Transylvania, Romania with a population of 154,548. Located some 282 km north-west of Bucharest, the city straddles the Cibin River, a tributary of the river Olt...
- AradArad, RomaniaArad is the capital city of Arad County, in western Romania, in the Crişana region, on the river Mureş.An important industrial center and transportation hub, Arad is also the seat of a Romanian Orthodox archbishop and features two universities, a Romanian Orthodox theological seminary, a training...
railway - Râmnicu VâlceaRâmnicu VâlceaRâmnicu Vâlcea is the capital city of Vâlcea County, Romania .-Geography and climate:Râmnicu Vâlcea is situated in the central-south area of Romania...
- SibiuSibiuSibiu is a city in Transylvania, Romania with a population of 154,548. Located some 282 km north-west of Bucharest, the city straddles the Cibin River, a tributary of the river Olt...
railway - Târgu JiuTârgu JiuTârgu Jiu is the capital of Gorj County, Oltenia, Romania. It is situated on the Southern Sub-Carpathians, on the banks of the river Jiu. Eight villages are administered by the city: Bârseşti, Drăgoeni, Iezureni, Polata, Preajba Mare, Româneşti, Slobozia and Ursaţi.-History:The city takes its name...
- SimeriaSimeriaSimeria is a town in Hunedoara County with a population of just under 14,000, and an important railway junction with hump yard. Six villages are administered by the town: Bârcea Mare, Cărpiniş, Simeria Veche, Sântandrei, Şăuleşti and Uroi....
railway - Drobeta Turnu Severin - CaransebeşCaransebesCaransebeş is a city in Caraş-Severin County, part of the Banat region in southwestern Romania. It is located at the confluence of the river Timiş with the river Sebeş, the latter coming from the Ţarcu Mountains. To the west, it is in direct contact with the Banat hills...
railway - OraviţaOravitaOravița is a town in southwestern Romania, in Caraș-Severin County, with a population of 15,524 in 2000. Its theatre is a fully functional scaled down version of the Burgtheater in Vienna...
- AninaAninaAnina is a town in southwestern Romania, in Caraş-Severin County, with a population of 10,886 in 2000. The town administers one village, Steierdorf.In 2002, the oldest modern human remains in Europe were discovered in a cave near Anina...
railway - Cluj Napoca - OradeaOradeaOradea is the capital city of Bihor County, in the Crișana region of north-western Romania. The city has a population of 204,477, according to the 2009 estimates. The wider Oradea metropolitan area has a total population of 245,832.-Geography:...
railway - BraşovBrasovBrașov is a city in Romania and the capital of Brașov County.According to the last Romanian census, from 2002, there were 284,596 people living within the city of Brașov, making it the 8th most populated city in Romania....
- Miercurea Ciuc - Deda railway, and Braşov - Întorsura BuzăuluiÎntorsura BuzauluiÎntorsura Buzăului Buzău 's Turn) is a town in Covasna County, Transylvania, Romania. It administers three villages: Brădet, Floroaia and Scrădoasa.- Population :... - SalvaSalvaSalva may refer to:*Common sage*Salva , from Italy*Salva, Bistriţa-Năsăud, a commune in Romania*Şəlvə, Khojali, Azerbaijan*Şəlvə, Lachin, Azerbaijan*Bartolomé Salvá-Vidal, Spanish tennis player...
- Sighetul Marmatiei railway - AdjudAdjudAdjud is a city in Vrancea County, Moldavia, Romania. It has a population of 17,585 inhabitants . It lies at a railway junction which has a classification yard and a passenger station...
- SiculeniSiculeniSiculeni is a commune in Harghita County, Romania. It lies in the Székely Land, an ethno-cultural region in eastern Transylvania. It is composed of a single village, Siculeni. The Siculicidium took place here.-Demographics:...
railway - SuceavaSuceavaSuceava is the Suceava County seat in Bukovina, Moldavia region, in north-eastern Romania. The city was the capital of the Principality of Moldavia from 1388 to 1565.-History:...
- Ilva MicăIlva MicaIlva Mică is a commune in Bistriţa-Năsăud County, Romania. It is composed of a single village, Ilva Mică....
railway, and VamaVamaVama may refer to several places in Romania:* Vama, a commune in Satu Mare County* Vama, a commune in Suceava County* Vama, a village in Popeşti Commune, Iaşi County...
- MoldovitaMoldovitaThe Moldovița Monastery is a Romanian Orthodox monastery situated in the commune of Vatra Moldoviței, Suceava County, Moldavia, Romania. The Monastery of Moldovița was built in 1532 by Petru Rareș, who was Stefan the Great's illegitimate son... - AradArad, RomaniaArad is the capital city of Arad County, in western Romania, in the Crişana region, on the river Mureş.An important industrial center and transportation hub, Arad is also the seat of a Romanian Orthodox archbishop and features two universities, a Romanian Orthodox theological seminary, a training...
- IneuIneuIneu is a town in Arad County, western Transylvania, Romania. It is situated at a distance of 57 km from the county capital Arad, it occupies a 116,6 square km surface at the contact point of Crișul Alb Basin and Crișurilor Plateau. Ineu is the main entrance gate into the Zărand Land...
- BradBradBrad is a masculine given name, that may be a short form of Bradford or Bradley. Brad may refer to:-People:*Brad Borne , American animator*Brad Altman , American producer... - BuzăuBuzauThe city of Buzău is the county seat of Buzău County, Romania, in the historical region of Wallachia. It lies near the right bank of the Buzău River, between the south-eastern curvature of the Carpathian Mountains and the lowlands of Bărăgan Plain.The city's name dates back to 376 AD when the name...
- Nehoiaşu.
Switzerland
- Appenzeller Bahnen,
- Bergbahn Lauterbrunnen-MürrenBergbahn Lauterbrunnen-MürrenThe Bergbahn Lauterbrunnen-Mürren is a mountain railway in the Bernese Oberland area of Switzerland, which connects the villages of Lauterbrunnen and Mürren. The enterprise consists of a connected aerial cableway, also known as the Grütschalpbahn, and a adhesion worked railway.-Operations:The...
- Bergbahn Rheineck-Walzenhausen,
- Bern-Lötschberg-Simplon railwayBern-Lötschberg-Simplon railwayThe Bern-Lötschberg-Simplon railway, known since the merger of the "old" BLS with the Bern-Neuenburg-Bahn , the Gürbetal-Bern-Schwarzenburg-Bahn and the Simmentalbahn in 1997 as the BLS Lötschbergbahn, is a Swiss railway company. It is the largest standard gauge network on the Swiss Railway...
- Berner Oberland Bahn
- Brienz Rothorn BahnBrienz Rothorn BahnThe Brienz Rothorn Bahn is an gauge tourist rack railway in Switzerland, which climbs from Brienz, at the eastern end of Lake Brienz, to the summit of the Brienzer Rothorn mountain...
- Chemin de fer Aigle-LeysinAigle - LeysinThe Aigle–Leysin Railway, abbreviated AL, French Chemins de fer Aigle–Leysin, was the earliest of the narrow gauge line in the Chablais area of south west Switzerland...
, , , - Chemin de fer Aigle-Ollon-Monthey-Champéry, ,
- Chemin de fer Aigle-Sépey-DiableretsAigle-Sépey-DiableretsRailways came to the Chablais area of Vaud and Valais in 1857 when the Lausanne - Simplon railway opened its line through Aigle. This was to act as the catalyst for other projects in the late 19th century which were designed to link the valley floor with communities in the mountains. The first...
, , - Chemin de fer Bex-Villars-BretayeChemin de fer Bex-Villars-BretayeThe Bex–Villars–Bretaye Railway, abbreviated BVB, French Chemin de fer Bex-Villars-Bretaye, is a metre gauge railway line operating between the towns in its title, situated in the Chablais region of south west Switzerland...
, , - Chemins de fer electriques VeveysansChemins de fer électriques VeveysansThe Chemins de fer électriques Veveysans built and operated narrow gauge lines from Vevey to Blonay, Chamby, Châtel-St-Denis and Les Pléiades. The first section to see service, that from Vevey to Chamby, was opened on 1 October 1902. Next section was the branch line from St-Légier to...
, - Chemin de fer Montreux-Glion-Rochers-de-NayeChemin de fer Montreux-Glion-Rochers-de-NayeThe Chemin de fer Montreux - Glion - Rochers-de-Naye is an electrically operated rack and pinion railway in Switzerland, with a track gauge of , which links the places mentioned in its title.-History:...
- Chemin de fer Nyon-St-Cergue-Morez
- Emmental-Burgdorf-Thun-Bahn,
- GornergratbahnGornergratbahnThe Gornergratbahn is a nine-kilometre metre-gauge mountain rack railway, with Abt rack system. It leads from Zermatt, Switzerland , up to the Gornergrat...
- GotthardbahnGotthardbahnGotthardbahn was the name of a private Swiss railway company which operated the railway line from Immensee to Chiasso . Nowadays this term usually does not refer to that company, but to the railway line itself...
- JungfraubahnJungfraubahnThe Jungfraubahn is an gauge rack railway electrified at 3-phase 1,125 volts 50 Hertz, which runs 9 kilometres from Kleine Scheidegg to the highest railway station in Europe at Jungfraujoch...
- Matterhorn-Gotthard-BahnMatterhorn-Gotthard-BahnThe Matterhorn-Gotthard-Bahn is a narrow gauge railway in Switzerland. The track width is . It was created in 2003 through an amalgamation of Furka-Oberalp-Bahn and BVZ Zermatt-Bahn . The name comes from the Matterhorn and St...
(formerly Brig-Visp-Zermatt-Bahn, Furka-Oberalp-BahnFurka-Oberalp-BahnThe Furka–Oberalp-Bahn is a narrow gauge mountain railway in Switzerland with a gauge of . It runs in the Graubünden, Uri and Canton of Valais. Since January 1, 2003 it is part of the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn when it merged with the BVZ Zermatt-Bahn....
) - Monte Generoso RailwayMonte Generoso RailwayThe Monte Generoso Railway or Ferrovia Monte Generoso is a mountain railway line in the Italian speaking canton of Ticino, in south-east Switzerland. The line runs from Capolago, on Lake Lugano, to a terminus near the summit of Monte Generoso. The summit offers extensive views over the Lombardy...
- Montreux-Oberland-Bahn
- Pilatus RailwayPilatus RailwayThe Pilatus Railway or Pilatusbahn is a mountain railway in Switzerland and is the steepest rack railway in the world, with a maximum gradient of 48%. The line runs from Alpnachstad, on Lake Lucerne, to a terminus near the summit of Mount Pilatus at an altitude of...
- Rhaetian RailwayRhBThe Rhaetian Railway is a Swiss transport company, owning the largest network of all the private railways in Switzerland. The company operates most of the railways in the Swiss canton of Graubünden as the Swiss federal railway company SBB-CFF-FFS extend only a few kilometres over the cantonal...
- Rigi-BahnenRigi-BahnenRigi Railways is a group of railways on Mount Rigi, located between two of the arms of Lake Lucerne, in Switzerland. They include two standard gauge rack railways, the Vitznau-Rigi Bahn and the Arth-Rigi Bahn , along with the Luftseilbahn Weggis-Rigi Kaltbad cable car.-Vitznau – Rigi Railway...
(Arth-Rigi-Bahn, Vitznau-Rigi-Bahn) - Rorschach-Heiden-BahnRorschach-Heiden-BahnRorschach-Heiden-Bahn is a railway line and former railway company in Switzerland. It is a standard gauge mountain rack railway, using the Riggenbach rack system and is part of Appenzeller Bahnen. The route links Rorschach with Heiden.- External links :*...
- Schynige Platte Railway
- Transports de Martigny et RégionsTransports de Martigny et RégionsThe Transports de Martigny et Régions company in the Valais canton of Switzerland operates bus and coach services and two electric railway lines:* Martigny–Châtelard Railway , narrow gauge, with the Mont-Blanc Express...
(Martigny–Châtelard and Martigny–Orsières railways) - Trogenerbahn,
- Uetlibergbahn,
- Wädenswil-Einsiedeln-Bahn,
- WengernalpbahnWengernalpbahnWengernalpbahn is a 19.091 km long, gauge rack railway line in Switzerland, which runs from Lauterbrunnen and Grindelwald to Kleine Scheidegg, making it the world's longest continuous rack and pinion railway....
- WaldenburgerbahnWaldenburgerbahnThe Waldenburgerbahn is a narrow-gauge light rail system in the canton of Basel-Country. The long single-track line runs from Liestal, the capital of the canton, to Waldenburg, with stops in Bad Bubendorf, Höstein, Niederdorf, and Oberdorf. The line is operated by Waldenburgerbahn AG. It...
- ZentralbahnZentralbahnThe Zentralbahn is a Swiss railway company that was created on January 1, 2005, with the merger of the Luzern–Stans–Engelberg-Bahn and the Brünigbahn...
(former Luzern-Stans-Engelberg-BahnLuzern-Stans-Engelberg-BahnThe Luzern-Stans-Engelberg-Bahn is a narrow gauge rack railway in Switzerland with a track gauge of . It connects Lucerne via Stans with the resort of Engelberg....
, BrünigbahnBrünigbahnThe Brünigbahn was, until 31 December 2004, the only narrow gauge railway of the Swiss Federal Railways . On 30 June 2004, the Swiss Federal Council empowered the SBB to sell the Brünigbahn to Luzern–Stans–Engelberg-Bahn , and this company was renamed to Zentralbahn.The Brünigbahn encompasses the...
)
United States
- Manitou and Pike's Peak RailwayManitou and Pike's Peak RailwayThe Manitou and Pike's Peak Railway is an Abt rack system cog railway in Colorado, USA, climbing the well-known mountain Pikes Peak. The base station is in Manitou Springs, Colorado near Colorado Springs....
- Mount Lowe RailwayMount Lowe RailwayThe Mount Lowe Railway was the third in a series of scenic mountain railroads in America created as a tourist attraction on Echo Mountain and Mount Lowe, north of Los Angeles, California. The railway, originally incorporated by Professor Thaddeus S. C. Lowe as the Pasadena & Mt. Wilson Railroad Co...
- Mount Washington Cog Railway
- Georgetown Loop Railroad
- Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge RailroadDurango and Silverton Narrow Gauge RailroadThe Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad is a narrow gauge heritage railroad that operates of track between Durango and Silverton, in the US state of Colorado...
- Lookout Mountain Incline RailwayLookout Mountain Incline RailwayThe Lookout Mountain Incline Railway is an inclined plane railway located along the side of Lookout Mountain in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in the United States. Passengers are transported from St. Elmo's Station at the base, to Point Park at the mountain summit, which overlooks the city and the...
in Chattanooga, TennesseeChattanooga, TennesseeChattanooga is the fourth-largest city in the US state of Tennessee , with a population of 169,887. It is the seat of Hamilton County...
Vietnam
- Đà Lạt–Tháp ChàmPhan Rang-Tháp ChàmPhan Rang-Tháp Chàm, also called Panduranga, is a new city in Vietnam and the capital of Ninh Thuan province. The community has a population of 161,000 , of which 91,000 live in the main city....
Railway - Abandoned after the Vietnam WarVietnam WarThe Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
.
Mountain railways in fiction
The Culdee Fell RailwayCuldee Fell Railway
The Culdee Fell Railway is a fictional narrow gauge rack and pinion railway appearing in the book Mountain Engines written by the Rev. W. Awdry. The stories are based on incidents in the history of the Snowdon Mountain Railway....
is featured in the book Mountain Engines, part of The Railway Series
The Railway Series
The Railway Series is a set of story books about a railway system located on the fictional Island of Sodor. There are 42 books in the series, the first being published in 1945. Twenty-six were written by the Rev. W. Awdry, up to 1972. A further 16 were written by his son, Christopher Awdry; 14...
by Rev.W.Awdry
W.V. Awdry
Wilbert Vere Awdry, OBE , was an English clergyman, railway enthusiast and children's author, better known as the Reverend W. Awdry and creator of Thomas the Tank Engine, who starred in Awdry's acclaimed Railway Series.-Life:Awdry was born at Ampfield vicarage near Romsey, Hampshire in 1911...
.
See also
- Cable car (railway)Cable car (railway)A cable car or cable railway is a mass transit system using rail cars that are hauled by a continuously moving cable running at a constant speed. Individual cars stop and start by releasing and gripping this cable as required...
- Cable railwayCable railwayA cable railway is a steeply graded railway that uses a cable or rope to haul trains.-Introduction:...
- FunicularFunicularA funicular, also known as an inclined plane or cliff railway, is a cable railway in which a cable attached to a pair of tram-like vehicles on rails moves them up and down a steep slope; the ascending and descending vehicles counterbalance each other.-Operation:The basic principle of funicular...
- Hillclimbing (railway)Hillclimbing (railway)While railways have a great ability to haul very heavy loads, this advantage only really applies when the tracks are fairly level. As soon as the gradients stiffen, the tonnage that can be hauled is greatly diminished.- Techniques to overcome steep hills :...
- Rack railwayRack railwayA rack-and-pinion 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...
- Ruling gradientRuling gradientThe term "ruling grade" is usually used as a synonym for "steepest climb" between two points on a railroad. But if the steepest climb is, say, a quarter-mile of 2% upgrade preceded and followed by 1.5% grade the "ruling grade" can only be defined arbitrarily....
External links
- Homepage of the Matterhorn-Gotthard-Bahn (in English, German, French)
- Narrow gauge railways of Switzerland (in English and German)
- El Ferrocarril Trasandino Los Andes – Mendoza, ArgentinaMendoza, ArgentinaMendoza is the capital city of Mendoza Province, in Argentina. It is located in the northern-central part of the province, in a region of foothills and high plains, on the eastern side of the Andes. As of the , Mendoza's population was 110,993...
(Trans-Andean RailwaysTrans-Andean RailwaysTrans-Andean railways provide rail transport over the Andes. Several are either planned, built, defunct, or waiting to be restored. They are listed here in order from north to south.- Colombian Railways :...
) (All others in Spanish only) - seconstruye.com el tren Los Andes – Mendoza
- Museo Ferrocarril Transandino
- Ferrocarril Central Andina S.A.
- Ferrocarril Central Andino S.A.
- Map of central Peru CallaoCallaoCallao is the largest and most important port in Peru. The city is coterminous with the Constitutional Province of Callao, the only province of the Callao Region. Callao is located west of Lima, the country's capital, and is part of the Lima Metropolitan Area, a large metropolis that holds almost...
– HuancayoHuancayoHuancayo with a rock') is the capital of the Junín Region, in the central highlands of Peru. It is located in Junín Province, of which it is also capital. Situated near the Mantaro Valley at an altitude of 3,271 meters, it has a population of 377,000 and is the fifth most populous city of the... - Map of south Peru/Bolivia Machu PicchuMachu PicchuMachu Picchu is a pre-Columbian 15th-century Inca site located above sea level. It is situated on a mountain ridge above the Urubamba Valley in Peru, which is northwest of Cusco and through which the Urubamba River flows. Most archaeologists believe that Machu Picchu was built as an estate for...
– Lake TiticacaLake TiticacaLake Titicaca is a lake located on the border of Peru and Bolivia. It sits 3,811 m above sea level, making it the highest commercially navigable lake in the world...
– west coast pacific ocean - Route ArequipaArequipaArequipa is the capital city of the Arequipa Region in southern Peru. With a population of 836,859 it is the second most populous city of the country...
– PunoPunoPuno is a city in southeastern Peru, located on the shore of Lake Titicaca. It is the capital city of the Puno Region and the Puno Province with a population of approximately 100,000. The city was established in 1668 by viceroy Pedro Antonio Fernández de Castro as capital of the province of...
(Lake TiticacaLake TiticacaLake Titicaca is a lake located on the border of Peru and Bolivia. It sits 3,811 m above sea level, making it the highest commercially navigable lake in the world...
) - Route CuscoCuscoCusco , often spelled Cuzco , is a city in southeastern Peru, near the Urubamba Valley of the Andes mountain range. It is the capital of the Cusco Region as well as the Cuzco Province. In 2007, the city had a population of 358,935 which was triple the figure of 20 years ago...
– PunoPunoPuno is a city in southeastern Peru, located on the shore of Lake Titicaca. It is the capital city of the Puno Region and the Puno Province with a population of approximately 100,000. The city was established in 1668 by viceroy Pedro Antonio Fernández de Castro as capital of the province of...
(Lake TiticacaLake TiticacaLake Titicaca is a lake located on the border of Peru and Bolivia. It sits 3,811 m above sea level, making it the highest commercially navigable lake in the world...
) - Route CuscoCuscoCusco , often spelled Cuzco , is a city in southeastern Peru, near the Urubamba Valley of the Andes mountain range. It is the capital of the Cusco Region as well as the Cuzco Province. In 2007, the city had a population of 358,935 which was triple the figure of 20 years ago...
– Machu PicchuMachu PicchuMachu Picchu is a pre-Columbian 15th-century Inca site located above sea level. It is situated on a mountain ridge above the Urubamba Valley in Peru, which is northwest of Cusco and through which the Urubamba River flows. Most archaeologists believe that Machu Picchu was built as an estate for...
