rack rail
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noun
(in an inclined-plane or mountain-climbing railway) a rail between the running rails having cogs or teeth with which cogwheels on the locomotive engage.
Nearby words
rack car, rack locomotive, rack off, rack one's brain, rack out, rack rail, rack railway, rack saw, rack up, rack-and-pinion, rack-rent
Origin of rack rail
First recorded in 1830–40
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for rack rail
The cog-wheel on this latter shaft worked in a rack-rail placed in the centre of the track.
Illustrated Catalogue of Locomotives|M. Baird, et. al..He obtained a patent, in 1811, for the application of a rack-rail.
The Steam Engine Explained and Illustrated (Seventh Edition)|Dionysius Lardner