In rack railways a cog-wheel on the engine engages in a toothed rack which forms part of the permanent way.
In this way smoothness of working is ensured, the cog-wheel being constantly in action with the rack.
Racks of this type usually become impracticable for gradients steeper than 1 in 4, partly because of the excessive weight of the engine required and partly because of the tendency of the cog-wheel to mount the rack.
Among these are many funicular cog-wheel lines, climbing up to considerable heights, so up to Marren (5368 ft.), over the Wengern Alp (6772 ft.), up to the Schynige Platte (6463 ft.), and many others still in the state of projects.
