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Old RR Work Cars Fun To Run
Call them speeders, jiggers, motorcars or put-puts, old railroad work cars spell fun for today's owners. The small gas-powered rail cars for transporting work crews are no longer used by railroads, but are increasingly popular with hobbyists. When Warren Iverson ran across one at a farm auction in Saskatchewan, he grab
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Old RR Work Cars Fun To Run AG WORLD 31-5-22 Call them speeders, jiggers, motorcars or put-puts, old railroad work cars spell fun for today's owners. The small gas-powered rail cars for transporting work crews are no longer used by railroads, but are increasingly popular with hobbyists. When Warren Iverson ran across one at a farm auction in Saskatchewan, he grabbed it and got a real deal.
"It cost me about $500, and I spent another $50 on a new drive chain," says Iverson. "On the internet, they run about $3,000."
After buying his Fairmont MT19 he also cleaned and replaced motor oil, cleaned the carburetor and the gas tank, and put in new spark plugs. He attached an extra car battery, and the motor started right up after sitting for 20 years.
"The two-cylinder opposed Onan engine is quite fuel efficient and is rated at 18 to 22 hp," says Iverson. "It has a two-speed transmission."
Iverson's rig started out as a work car for Canadian National Rail. When their use was discontinued, he says local farmers bought them to use the motors on grain augers. When they discovered there were no governors on the motors, they were often abandoned to the wood lot. Occasionally they still show up at auctions.
He and a couple of friends with retired work cars use them on abandoned rail lines in their area. They aren't alone. The North American Railcar Operators Association (NARCOA) started in 1980 and now has 1,800 members in chapters across the U.S. and Canada. They offer members insurance for excursions, and their newsletter and website have listings of cars and equipment for sale by members. Both also carry news on past and future excursions, as well as places where railcars can be used.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, North American Railcar Operators Association, P.O. Box 802, Lock Haven, Penn. 17745 or Warren Iverson, P. O. Box 457, Glaslyn, Sask., Canada S0M 0Y0 (ph 306 342-4508; fax 306 342-4965).
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