# Train seesaw cart thingies **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 22, 2003, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/train-seesaw-cart-thingies/208911 "2003-10-22T14:59:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mr\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9dc877/32.png) [@Mr\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Jim)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2003, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/train-seesaw-cart-thingies/208911/1 "2003-10-22T14:59:31Z")
What the heck are these things called and how do they work? If my title wasn’t explanatory enough I’m referring to those carts on train tracks that work by pumping the handle up and down like a seesaw. I tried to do a search but not knowing the name kind of hindered it. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2003, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/train-seesaw-cart-thingies/208911/2 "2003-10-22T15:03:44Z")
They are called “hand cars.” The link shows some pictures. As for how they work: the men pump the handles up and down, like an old-fashioned water pump, and that drives the wheels. A lever adjusts the gearing, changing the direction of the motive force. [http://www.ausbcomp.com/~bbott/winrr/wrrwhc.htm](http://www.ausbcomp.com/~bbott/winrr/wrrwhc.htm) ---
**Author:** ![lost4life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c4cdca/32.png) [@lost4life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lost4life)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2003, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/train-seesaw-cart-thingies/208911/3 "2003-10-22T15:08:12Z")
I always thought they were just called handcars. I know a guy who built one and would sneak on the tracks late at night… ---
**Author:** ![lost4life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c4cdca/32.png) [@lost4life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lost4life)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2003, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/train-seesaw-cart-thingies/208911/4 "2003-10-22T15:09:43Z")
Yeah, what **silenus** said. ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9dc877/32.png) [@Mr\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Jim)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2003, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/train-seesaw-cart-thingies/208911/5 "2003-10-22T15:55:30Z")
Thanks guys, mucho appreciated. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2003, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/train-seesaw-cart-thingies/208911/6 "2003-10-22T16:15:41Z")
Of course, wherever there’s a vehicle, there are people who want to race it. [Handcar Racing](http://www.handcar.org/pictures_and_results/2003/index.html). ---
**Author:** ![Joe\_Mahma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@Joe\_Mahma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joe_Mahma)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2003, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/train-seesaw-cart-thingies/208911/7 "2003-10-22T20:04:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by lost4life \* > \*\*I always thought they were just called handcars. I know a guy who built one and would sneak on the tracks late at night… \*\* That seems awfully dangerous. ---
**Author:** ![Joe\_Mahma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@Joe\_Mahma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joe_Mahma)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2003, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/train-seesaw-cart-thingies/208911/8 "2003-10-22T20:04:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by lost4life \* > \*\*I always thought they were just called handcars. I know a guy who built one and would sneak on the tracks late at night… \*\* That seems awfully dangerous and foolhardy. ---
**Author:** ![lost4life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c4cdca/32.png) [@lost4life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lost4life)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2003, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/train-seesaw-cart-thingies/208911/9 "2003-10-22T20:31:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Joe Mahma \* > \*\*That seems awfully dangerous and foolhardy. \*\* Well…yeah. The guy is a train fanatic. He has old signals and stuff in his backyard. He’d use a local track after dark that rarely had night time traffic. The cart was also light enough to get off the track in a reasonable amount of time. It always seemed to me like a Darwin award in the making, although I don’t think he’s done it in 10 or 15 years. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2003, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/train-seesaw-cart-thingies/208911/10 "2003-10-22T21:03:42Z")
Please tell me he doesn’t yell out “WooooWooooo” as he goes down the tracks.