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Motor Cars

A Motor Car (also known as speeder, putt-putt, track-maintenance car) is a maintenance of way motorized vehicle formerly used on railroads around the world by track inspectors and work crews to move quickly to and from work sites.

Although it is slow compared to a train or car, it was often called a 'speeder' because it is faster than a human-powered vehicle. Motorized inspection cars date back to at least 1896, when it was reported that the U.S. Daimler Motor Company created a gasoline powered rail inspection car capable of 15mph.

These vehicles have been replaced with trucks (usually pickup trucks or sport utility vehicles) using flanged wheels that can be lowered for on-rail (called road-rail vehicles or hi-rails for highway-railroad).

Motor Cars are now typically collected by hobbyists, who refurbish them for excursions organized by the North American Railcar Operators Association NARCOA in the U.S. and Canada.

The society's collection of Motor Cars include:

  • Fairmont
  • Sylvester
  • Ottawa Central Railway Woodings CBL TU-1800
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