Electric rack-and-pinion locomotive (similar to class E 69),
Sonnblick-Bahn.
■ Can be operated with and without rack-and-pinion track
■ Thanks to its tremendous climbing ability on rack-and-pinion
tracks, the locomotive can overcome extraordinary height
differences (up to 35%) even in the smallest of spaces
■ The very high transmission ratio also makes it ideal for shunting
operations on normal tracks
With their unique combination of mountain landscape and bold
routing featuring numerous bridges and tunnels, rack-and-pinion
railways are particularly fascinating. The movement of the train is
achieved through the engagement of a toothed wheel in a toothed
rack positioned in the centre of the track, as the usual friction
generated between wheels and rails is insufficient for the steep
inclines. In rack-and-pinion railway of the so-called mixed system,
where friction sections alternate with toothed rack sections
depending on the gradient ratios, the tractive force is exerted by
one and the same machine. A particularly large number of private
rack-and-pinion railways are found in the Alps, and these attract
tourists from all over the world.
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