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Steep incline
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Steep incline
The steepest railway in the world cuts through sandstone cliffs and ancient fern-filled rainforest in Katoomba, South East Australia. It descends 415 metres at a gradient of 52 degrees. It was built in 1878 to service a coal mine in the Jameson Valley. Nowadays it’s a tourist attraction, carrying more than 850,000 passengers a year. Well, if you’ve managed to get down that far you certainly wouldn’t fancy climbing back up!
Have you ever wondered why trains don’t slip backwards when going up a very steep incline?
You might like to …
• find out how steep and how high a mountain railway can go
• compare the traction system of funicular railways
• test the climbing capability of model engines
• devise a braking system for use on steep inclines.
Further links:
http://www.hows.org.uk/personal/rail/