@smd4 posted:Geysergazer has it--while the wheel and rail look and even feel smooth, there is enough roughness, consisting of minute elevations and depressions on both wheel and rail surfaces which roughly mesh with each other, to create friction--like a toothed pinion rolling on a rack.
Didn't I also mention that:
"The wheel and rail are not microscopically smooth so roughness is present to develop traction"
MELGAR