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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.
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Origin of rack rail
First recorded in 1830–40
Words nearby rack rail
rackle, rack locomotive, rack off, rack one's brain, rack out, rack rail, rack railway, rack-rent, rack saw, rack up, rackwork
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use rack rail in a sentence
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 LardnerFrom this point until the other side of the Andes is reached part of the way is covered by the use of a rack rail.
The Amazing Argentine|John Foster FraserIt was also very apt to get off the rack-rail, and then it stood still.
Lives of the Engineers|Samuel Smiles