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Cog railways can travel up steep hills and mountains because of an extra rail underneath with teeth. Cogwheels on the train itself fit into those teeth and keep it pushing upward. Some of these railways have been in service over a hundred years in the Alps and the Rockies! Take a closer look at how they work and see some spectacular photographs at Dark Roasted Blend. Link
Norfolk Southern’s NS 999 electric locomotive runs entirely on 1,080 12-volt batteries and produces 1,500 horsepower. From the company’s press release:
NS 999 is an entirely electric locomotive that uses a lead-acid energy storage system comprised of 1,080 12-volt batteries to operate in railroad switching applications without the use of a diesel engine and with zero exhaust emissions. The plug-in locomotive also can regenerate dynamic braking energy through a system provided by Brookville Equipment Company. The recovered dynamic braking energy continually replenishes the energy storage system, and uses this recovered energy for tractive effort in rail operations. The batteries are carefully monitored and controlled through an elaborate battery management system to assure safety and maximum battery life, and when fully charged NS 999 is able to operate three shifts before recharging is required.
Link via Popular Science
Oobject does it again with another brilliant list comprised of 15 of the world’s most magnificent (and FAST) high speed trains and railways. Simply a must see.
In America, we’re used to driving. In fact, we thrive on it. However, in other countries, high speed rail is a key factor in getting people where they need to be. Some trains in existence can cover an entire country in a matter of hours, while the best we have is Amtrak’s Acela Express, a service that the Japanese and French laugh at for hours on end. Explore the world of high speed railways with us and be sure to vote on your favorite.
From the Upcoming 
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