Loch Ness Rack Railway

The Loch Ness Rack Railway was a Rack-and-Pinion railway located to the North East of Drumnadrochit.

Real World Equivalent
A rack-and-pinion railway is a steep grade railway with a toothed rack rail, usually between the running rails. The trains are fitted with one or more cog wheels or pinions that mesh with this rack rail, allowing trains to climb gradients of over 10% (the maximum for normal "friction based" rails).

There are working rack railways all over the world and are particularly prevalent in Switzerland and Italy. The only working example in the United Kingdom is the Snowdon Mountain Railway, which runs from the town of Llanberis to the summit of Mount Snowdon. The railway was first proposed in 1869, but initially faced strong opposition from local landowners. Construction of the railway began in 1894 and took 14 months, with the line opening in 1896. The line still operates today with Swiss built steam locomotives and British built diesel locomotives.