ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Steep grade railway

So, imagine you are playing with your toy cars and you want to drive them down a steep hill. But if the hill is too steep, your cars might slide down too fast and crash at the bottom! That's kind of like what happens on a steep grade railway.

A steep grade railway is like a road for trains that goes up or down a really steep hill. Trains are very heavy and need to slow down or they might not be able to stop at the end of the hill. So, steep grade railways have special tracks that are slanted to make it easier for the trains to slow down and stop safely at the bottom.

These tracks have little teeth that stick up and catch the wheels of the train. The teeth are like your toy car's wheels getting stuck in little grooves on a ramp to slow it down. This makes it easier for the train driver to control the speed of the train and stop it at the bottom of the hill.

Steep grade railways can be really exciting to ride on because you feel like you're going down a roller coaster! But it's also very important to follow the safety rules and stay seated until the train has come to a complete stop.