# How do \[railroad handcars\] work?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-railroad-handcars-work/637399>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 11, 2012, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-railroad-handcars-work/637399 "2012-10-11T07:18:51Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 3

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Cheshire\_Human](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Cheshire\_Human](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheshire_Human)\
**Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-railroad-handcars-work/637399/41 "2012-11-17T02:52:11Z")

</div>

Thank you, **Capt**.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Ham549](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ed655f/32.png) [@Ham549](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ham549)\
**Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-railroad-handcars-work/637399/42 "2013-02-06T03:16:05Z")

</div>

Hi I work with these things at a museum, all the handcars I have ever seen work like this [Handcar -- How it works. - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJq_9nxVc6A) depending in which position the crank is in depends if you push or pull to go forward or backward. Most people just push the wheel with there foot in the desired direction and then start pumping (the pump handles are connected to the drive axle so they are always moving when the handcar is in motion even if no one is pumping)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jack\_tardiff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/43a26b/32.png) [@jack\_tardiff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jack_tardiff)\
**Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-railroad-handcars-work/637399/43 "2013-02-06T03:48:24Z")

</div>

> [@Seanette](#):
>
> I’m watching “Blazing Saddles” right now (RIP, Alex Karras, aka Mongo)

Thanks for starting this thread. Never thought about it before.

But in your very OP, you sniped my only possible contribution. How do they work? Like in _Blazing Saddles_, of course!

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-railroad-handcars-work/637399.md?page=2)