Pump Car

A railroad pump car was a manually operated maintenance vehicle used by railway crews from the mid-1800s to the early 1900s. Workers would pump the central lever up and down to drive the wheels through a connecting rod system, allowing speeds of up to 15 mph. These cars typically weighed between 200 and 400 pounds and could carry 2 to 4 workers for tasks such as track inspection, repairs, and maintenance. The simple wooden platform design and cast iron wheels required no fuel and minimal upkeep. Pump cars were replaced by motorized vehicles by the 1930s.