Railroad motorcars provide glimpse of past
They are saving a piece of railroad history and getting a chance to ride the rails up close and personal as they do it.
Members of the North American Railcar Operators Association rode in their small railroad motorcars or speeders on the Delaware Coast Line Railroad line from Georgetown to Lewes Nov. 12 to support the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves Toys for Tots annual holiday drive. Many of the riders were also members of the Northern Central Railcar Association based in York County, Pa.
At their stop at the Lewes library, a large crowd gathered to touch and sit in the rail motorcars that were a mainstay of railroad operations for nearly a century. Children at the library's Second Saturday Storytime were treated to a hands-on show-and-tell when the motorcars arrived around 11:30 a.m.
Smaller cars were used to inspect sections of track, while larger cars were used to provide track maintenance. Motorcars were replaced in the 1990s by pickup truck road-rail vehicles that can lower a separate set of wheels onto tracks.
It's now up to hobbyists to find discarded motorcars and restore them back to use. Most of the motorcars are 5 to 10 feet in length, seat two to four people and run with a lawnmower-like engine.
Motorcars have hydraulic lifts so they can be turned around on the tracks for out-and-back rides.
Club members who want to ride on the rails must pass a written test and be mentored by an experienced operator before they can ride solo.
Dan Herholdt, president of Delaware Coast Line Railroad, is an enthusiastic supporter of the event, and wants to make it bigger and better next year. He sponsored a motorcar ride two years ago in memory of his father, Mike, who was an avid railroad enthusiast.
Mark North, who lives in Middletown, now has seven motorcars, and that's just the beginning of his involvement in railroading. He serves as area director for the North American Railcar Operators Association and is on the board of directors of the Wilmington and Western Railroad in New Castle County.
With son Jack riding in the front seat, North brought his four-seat Fairmont motorcar to the Toys for Tots event. He said most of the cars have to be completely restored before they can be used.
North said it's possible to do a ride just about every weekend. Many are 40 to 60 miles, but a popular Canadian ride covers 600 miles over a week.
“The great thing is that you get to see areas that most people never see,” he said.
It takes coordination between ride organizers and railroad track owners to ensure tracks are free and clear to use. While some rides occur on abandoned lines, others take place on active rail lines.
North said not all excursions turn out to be simple rides, and that's why he carries a chainsaw with him. Some rides go over abandoned tracks that have not been used for many years, he said. Cutting up fallen trees or digging out covered-over rail crossings doesn't happen everyday, but operators are always prepared to reopen tracks as they ride.
