Rack-and-pinion railway baggage coach of the Alpspitz-Bahn.

■ Movable sliding doors

Cogwheel railways radiate an exceptional fascination with the unique combination of mountains, complex routing and numerous bridges and tunnels. The locomotion of the train is based on a cogwheel that locks into a rack located between the tracks, since the standard friction between the wheel and the track is not sufficiently robust for the steep inclines. On cogwheel railway lines that are based on what is called a mixed system and where friction sections alternate with rack sections, depending on the gradient, the tractive power is exerted by the same machine. There are a lot of private cogwheel railways in the Alps, which are very popular with tourists from all over the world.