Handcar Collection
Step back in time with this intriguing collection of images showcasing the unique use of handcars on railroads around the turn of the 20th century
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Step back in time with this intriguing collection of images showcasing the unique use of handcars on railroads around the turn of the 20th century. From the Pacific Railroad in Costa Rica, where a handcar crossed the Rio Grande, to the rugged terrain of Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, Canada, where railway workers rode handcars for transportation, these photographs offer a glimpse into the past. The handcar, also known as a railway velocipede, was a three-wheeled vehicle that allowed passengers and workers to travel along railroad tracks without the need for locomotives. In this era before mass production and widespread automobile use, handcars offered a practical and efficient means of transportation. Sergey Prokudin-Gorsky, an official photographer for the Russian government, captured an image of executives commuting by handcar in the late 1800s. Meanwhile, in the German Baghdad Railway, workers dug into the hillside and hauled soil using a handcar. These vintage images transport us to a time when travel was more labor-intensive but also more personal. Handcars may no longer be in use today, but they remain an important part of railroad history and a reminder of the ingenuity and determination of those who built and operated the railways that connected the world.