The steepest adhesion railroad grade in the USA is found at the Cass Scenic Railroad in West Virginia. Shay geared steam locomotives haul tourist trains up a maximum grade of 11% on this former logging railroad.
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Pilatus Railway, SwitzerlandThe Pilatus Railway runs from Alpnachstad on Lake Alpnach to the Esel station near the summit of the 6,800-foot-high Mount Pilatus in the Swiss canton of Obwalden. It takes the crown as the world's steepest rack railway with a maximum gradient of 48 percent.
Grades are generally 1 percent or less, and grades steeper than about 2.2 percent are rare. The steepest grade on a major railroad's main track was historically said to be on the Pennsylvania Railroad north of Madison, Indiana, rising 413 feet over a distance of 7012 feet — a 5.89-percent grade.
Also known as the Fourth Street Elevator and the world's shortest, steepest, scenic railway - 296 feet in length. Magnificent views of Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin. Open April through November.
The world's steepest cogwheel railway goes up the PilatusThe steepest cogwheel railway in the world, with a gradient of 48% and a length of 4'618 metres, links Alpnachstad with Pilatus Kulm at an altitude of 2'132 m.
Amtrak's Acela, which reaches 150 mph (240 km/h) over 49.9 mi (80.3 km) of track and Brightline, which runs at 125 mph (201 km/h) in a dedicated ROW between Orlando and Cocoa, are the US's only high-speed rail services.
Union Pacific's Bailey Yard, located in North Platte, is the largest railroad classification yard in the world. Named in honor of former Union Pacific President Edd H. Bailey, the massive yard covers 2,850 acres, reaching a total length of eight miles.
Steep slopes are legally defined as hillsides having a 15 foot, or greater, vertical rise over 100 feet of horizontal run, or 15% slope (Figure 1). They are often undesirable ar- eas for development due to the difficulty of building on steep grades.