Railroad Inspection Car

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

"speeder"? When I was growing up on a farm about 15 miles west of Fairmont we called them "putt-putt" cars. Never heard the term "speeder" until years later.

The "putt-putts" were the Fairmont 2-cycle inspection cars however those engines were superceded by 4-cycle engines such as Onans in the Fairmonts. Also during that same era were the bigger gang cars by Fairmont that used 4 cylinder (-and even 6 cylinder) engines. Relatively speaking, there were just as many non putt-putt speeders as there were putt-putt speeders.

 

[Ray in La Mesa]

The Southwest Railroad Museum in Campo, California has a speeder with a Model A engine in it. We rebuilt about 25 years ago for them. The are on the San Diego & Arizona Eastern railroad Line built by John Spreckels in 1906 through the Carrizo Gorge and called the "Impossible Railroad."

 

[old31]

Here is a photo of my grandfather with my mother on the left and her sister headed from town in rural Montana, a while ago!

Cool picture. BUT BUT what do they do when the train comes?

 

[Pete]

Cool picture. BUT BUT what do they do when the train comes?

Train orders, track warrants and the rule book are supposed to protect you.
Otherwise it is best you are adept at your "bailout" proceedure.

 

[J Franklin]

Cool picture. BUT BUT what do they do when the train comes?

He was working as a forest ranger at Great Falls Montana, so I bet he knew the rules. There was a bit less oversight back then!

 

[Tom Endy]

The story of a Victoria used as a railroad inspection car appeared in the Victoria Association newsletter, the Bustle in April 2015. The photo was on the cover, the story was on the third page.

Tom Endy

 

[ericr]

there is a fascinating book out there about Henry Ford's purchase and operation of the D T & I Railroad.

 

[Pete]

The story of a Victoria used as a railroad inspection car appeared in the Victoria Association newsletter, the Bustle in April 2015. The photo was on the cover, the story was on the third page.

Tom Endy

Those fenders and body sides got that way from de-railing and going in the ditch.
Don't ask me how that works.....lol

 

[Synchro909]

We don't need no stinking driver's door on the Vicky!

 

[Jeff/Illinois]

They ran those putt-putt MOW cars down the CB&Q tracks by our house in the 50's and 60's. When the train would come along I would see the workers get out, pull these long wooden handles out, and lift the whole works off the tracks and wait for the train to pass. Sometimes they would be at a little wooden deal that was perpendicular to the tracks that they would wait on.

They had to be heavy that amazed me as a kid them doing that.