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.