Rail line for delivering parts shipped from overseas to the Boeing Everett Factory.Īlong the section of King's Road between the junctions with Kornhill Road and Shau Kei Wan Road/Taikoo Shing Road Mukilteo, Washington, United States, Boeing Factory Spur On the ramp from the original London and Blackwall Railway viaduct to the tunnel leading to Bank. Worked as a rack railway until 1868 when the Reuben Wells was built to work the hill by adhesion. Steepest standard gauge, line haul railroad in North America. Madison Incline, Madison, Indiana, United States Terni–Perugia–Sansepolcro railway (Perugia Sant'Anna branch) This incline is the 'steepest grade of tracks in the T system.' Incline from the Causeway Street Tunnel up to the Lechmere Viaduct on the Green Line (MBTA), Boston, Massachusetts, United States Toden Arakawa Line (Tokyo Sakura Tram), Japan Usui Pass, former Shin'etsu Main Line, Japan Sacramento Light Rail, Sacramento, California, United States System's ruling gradient of 7.0% is located on the viaduct connecting the Steel Bridge with Southwest 1st Avenue. MAX Light Rail system, Portland, Oregon, United States This line is owned by Great Smoky Mountains Railroad and in 2019 is out of service. This segment of track has always been worked by adhesion. But due to the fills settling it has drastically changed. When originally built the ruling grade was 4.2% as listed by southern railway. Red Marble Grade, Topton, North Carolina.Ī 2015 survey lists the 3.5 mile stretch between MP 87 and MP 90.5 at a 4% average grade and says there are isolated stretches approaching 7%. This incline has only carried passengers, by adhesion, on enthusiast special trains, but is now completely closed.īuilt as a rack railway, adhesion operation only by passenger railbuses, now only museum operation on part of the line. Hopton Incline, Cromford and High Peak Railway, England Montreux Oberland Bernois Railway, Switzerlandĭriving Creek Railway, Coromandel, New Zealand Uetliberg railway line, Sihltal Zürich Uetliberg Bahn, Switzerland Gallen–Trogen railway, Appenzeller Bahnen, Switzerland Maximum gradient on the rope-hauled section is 26% between Romagna and S. The maximum gradient on adhesion is 8% between Vetta Scorcola and Cologna stops. Mixed adhesion and rope-hauled operation. Between Coonoor (ONR) and Udagamandalam (UAM), the train is operated by a YDM4 diesel locomotive using conventional rail adhesion principles. The average gradient in this rack section is 1 in 24.5 (4.08%), with a maximum of 1 in 12 (8.33%). The steam locomotives are marshalled at the downhill (Mettupalayam) end of the train. Possibly the steepest incline on a metre-gauge railway in Asia. Nilgiri Mountain Railway, Tamil Nadu, India Located in the block of Southwest Harrison Street between 1st Avenue and 2nd Avenue The steepest incline on a 3 ft narrow-gauge railway in Canada, the BC Forest Discovery Centre is a Forestry and Logging Museum that runs a tourist train, using a combination of steam locomotives and diesel locomotives, usually with trains consisting of 1-3 coaches in length, as well as motor cars.Ĭinci Drumuri–Pădurii, Iași Tramways, Iași, RomaniaĪ and B Loop and NS Line of the Portland Streetcar system, Portland, Oregon, United States The list below is of some of the steepest gradients on adhesion railways, in order of decreasing steepness:Ĭalçada de São Francisco, Lisbon Tramways, PortugalĬass Scenic Railway, West Virginia, United Statesįormer logging railway, steepest non-electrified adhesion railwayĮstrada de Ferro Campos do Jordão, BrazilĪllentown light rail line, Pittsburgh, United StatesīC Forest Discovery Centre, Duncan, B.C., Canada For freight trains, gradients should be as gentle as possible, preferably below 1.5%. High-speed railways commonly allow 2.5% to 4% because the trains must be strong and have many wheels with power to reach very high speeds. Metros and pure commuter railways often also allow steeper gradients, over 4%, for the same reason. This is because all wheels are usually connected to engine power in order to give better acceleration. Tramways and light railways often have steeper gradients than heavier railways.

by the Snaefell Mountain Railway on the Isle of Man. To help with braking on the descent, a non-load-bearing 'brake rail' located between the running rails can be used, similar to the rail used in the Fell system, e.g. These include simple rail adhesion, rack railways and cable inclines (including rail mounted water tanks to carry barges). There have been various solutions to hauling rail mounted vehicles up or down inclines. Braking when travelling downhill is also a limiting factor. However the maximum feasible gradient is limited by how much of a load the locomotive(s) can haul upwards. The inclusion of steep gradients on railways avoids the expensive engineering work required to produce more gentle gradients.

Gear guage zigzag lines