cog railway
Noun: A cog railway is a specialized railway system designed to operate on very steep mountain slopes. It uses a unique traction mechanism where a cogwheel (or pinion) on the locomotive engages with a toothed rack rail (a center rail with cogs) laid between the regular running rails. This engagement prevents the train from slipping backwards and allows it to climb and descend grades that are too steep for conventional adhesion railways.
The term "cog railway" is used to describe the entire railway system, including its tracks, trains, and the rack-and-pinion mechanism. It is a specific type of mountain railway.
Examples: * The cog railway to the summit of the mountain is a famous tourist attraction. * Building a cog railway was the only feasible way to reach the remote alpine station. * The train's ascent was slow and steady, a characteristic of a cog railway.
- Technical Context: In engineering and transportation discussions, "cog railway" specifies the rack railway technology, often contrasted with "funicular" (cable railway) or "adhesion railway."
- The project engineers recommended a cog railway solution due to the consistent 25% gradient.
- Rack Railway: A direct synonym for "cog railway," emphasizing the toothed rack rail.
- Rack-and-Pinion Railway: A more technical term describing the exact mechanical principle.
- Cogwheel: The toothed gear on the locomotive that engages with the rack.
- Rack Rail: The center toothed rail that provides traction.
- Rack railway
- Rack-and-pinion railway
- Mountain railway (this is a broader category that may include cog railways)
- Cog railway train: The train that operates on a cog railway.
- We boarded the cog railway train for the scenic journey upwards.
- Cog railway station: A station on a cog railway line.
- railway for steep mountains; a cogwheel on the locomotive engages cogs on a center rail to provide traction