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What was the railroad velocipede?

Railroad track maintenance workers, in the nineteenth century, used a three-wheeled handcar, or velocipede, to speed their way along the track between stations. The velocipede was often used to deliver packages or urgent messages.

Also called an "Irish Mail," this 150-pound (68-kilogram) three-wheeler resembled a bicycle with a sidecar. The operator sat in the middle of the two-wheel section and pushed a crank back and forth, which propelled the vehicle down the tracks. After World War 1 (1914-18), this manually powered handcar was replaced by a gasoline-powered track vehicle. This, in turn, was replaced by a conventional pickup truck fitted with an auxiliary set of wheels that fit on the tracks.

Source: Technology and Culture, vol. 17, no. 3 (July 1976), pp. 515-17.

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