Carl Roman Abt (16 July 1850 – 1 May 1933[1]) was a Swiss mechanical engineer, inventor and entrepreneur.

In 1882, while working in Paris, he designed and patented his rack-railway system that enabled at least one tooth of the rack to be permanently engaged.

Abt was a keen collector of hammered gold artwork; he would not let go of any coin or medal whose special beauty aroused his artistic interest.

Normally, two cars are used in a funicular, and it is a single track except for the passing loop.

The inner rails have cuts where the cable and flanges of the outer wheels pass.