DCHP-3

hand-car†

DCHP-1 (pre-1967)

Entry from the DCHP-1 (pre-1967)

This entry may contain outdated or offensive information, terms, and examples.

n.

a small car used by section hands on a railway and driven by a geared hand-lever which is pumped up and down.

See: gas-car,speeder(def. 1a)

Quotations

1865
No hand car, or lorry, must be used on the track, under any circumstances, during a fog or snow storm, or within fifteen minutes of the time of a train being due.
1933
"So you stole the handcar and came away with it?" said Moore. . . .
1963
. . . the Myrtle And Maude was a small paddle-wheel tug. . . . Them big paddles on her was cranked by a walking beam that went up and down like the pump on a railroad hand car.