A cog railroad uses a gear and a cog wheel which meshes into a center rail called a "rack" to climb steep inclines or to slow the descent on an incline. The first cog railway was built in 1869 in New Hampshire. The biggest users of this design are the Swiss with many cog railways located in Switzerland.

The M&PP began operating in 1891. It is the highest cog railroad in the world and highest of any kind of railroad in the United States. The starting point is in Manitou Springs located just West of Colorado Springs. Beginning at about 6,500 foot above sea level, it reaches the 14,110 foot summit of Pikes Peak after a journey of almost 9 miles. The duration of the trip is a little over 3 hours.

Above is a picture of Pikes Peak and the following photos are of scenes from the rail car.