Track Inspection Car

This is a picture of a railroad track inspection car, also known as a "speeder" or motor car, used by railroad maintenance crews and inspectors to travel along railway lines for track inspection, maintenance, and repair work. This particular vehicle features a characteristic open-air design, complete with a protective canopy, an operator's seat, and simple controls, allowing railroad workers to quickly and efficiently patrol sections of track to check for problems such as loose rails, damaged ties, or other safety issues. These small, lightweight vehicles could easily be lifted off the tracks when trains needed to pass and were in operation from the early 1900s through the mid-20th century, when they were gradually replaced by more modern hi-rail trucks that could operate on both roads and railways.