On the rails

A railroad handcar was also called a velocipede, pump car or Kalamazoo, after the Michigan firm and town that supplied many of them.  Handcars proved essential for construction, maintenance and short hops for one or two riders.  This 4-wheeled, hand-powered model could have been photographed on either of Garland’s rail lines.  Commonly used during the Civil War, handcars gradually gave way to motorized vehicles after 1900.

 

 
Previous Image
Stop Slideshow
Start Slideshow
Refresh
Close Window