Railroad Handcar - New Car Cost

What does it cost to obtain one of my handcars? My handcars range between $13,800 and $16,000 depending upon options ordered. Some get sticker shock, so I will explain why the price is so high.

While back in the day handcars were built in large factories with economies of scale in play, my handcars are hand built. With the exception of the roller bearings, fastening hardware, and wheels, every part is hand fabricated. Materials, not including fabrication labor total more than $9000. I put about 300 hours of labor into building a handcar which equates to less than $13 an hour. I am not making a lot of money when one considers my skills and extensive workshop required to complete a car. I enjoy building these machines and that is why I offer them for sale.

Returning to the materials costs, I will offer an explanation as to why it is so costly to attain a new car. The most expensive components are the 20 inch wheels that carry the handcar. Over the years I have scoured the country, checking weekly online classified ads, eBay, and word of mouth to locate suitable sized handcar wheels. Twenty inch pressed steel wheels have not been manufactured in years. By 1980, lightweight railroad motorcars that occasionally used handcar sized wheels were retired by the railroads. As a result, the manufacturers have stopped making them. Newer maintenance of way equipment use cast iron wheels that are too heavy for handcar use.

A few times a year I get lucky and locate wheels. Unfortunately, I cannot justify the travel expense of inspecting them so most of the time I purchase wheels blindly, having them shipped to me. So often what looked great in photos and by representation of the seller turns out to be a bust. Approximately 1/3 of my wheel inventory is made up of bent, cracked, and overly worn wheels unworthy of further use. On average, I locate a set of wheels about twice a year. Taking into account the costs of bad wheels, shipping, and refurbishment, the average wheel set I place on a car costs about $2000. Luckily, in recent years I have been able to obtain a stock of salvaged original Sheffield brand handcar wheels from four different sources to place on future handcars. These are real handcar wheels circa 1900-1920 in excellent condition.

I place Timken brand, double coned roller bearings on my cars. These are in my opinion the highest quality bearing available on the market. They are expensive, and a new set of four with races runs about $1200. I also use brand new axles that are fabricated by a specialty shop on the east coast. With shipping, a set of them runs about $800.

Handcars use two gears to drive the machine. I use off the shelf gears that are machined and modified for handcar use. They do not come cheap, and when combined with the precision crankshaft run about $2000. Other parts that make up the drivetrain and brake system that were formerly forged or cast are now machined on costly CNC mills and lathes. To reduce costs I have fabricated foundry patterns for some parts, but these parts combined still add another $1000 to the cost. Lets not forget about the pump handle. The handle is water jet cut from plate steel, and the ends bent with pipe sleeves welded to hold the wooden handle. Add another $800 for that assembly for material and water jet services.

Hardwood lumber is expensive in California as it has to be shipped long distances from where it was milled. The cost of lumber for a handcar runs about $800. Fasteners, that include bolts, nuts, washers, and a few custom pieces run over $300. I use quality polyurethane automotive paint, primer, and custom stencils for painting graphics and lettering onto the car. That adds another $500.

Pull out the calculator and add up the expenses and you will see these cars are quite costly to build. Sure in 1900 you could buy a new handcar for $3750. Back then huge factories turned out thousands of these cars each year. However, today without the benefit of mass production the cost is far higher than it was then.

Sheffield Factory circa 1895. For a look inside this extensive factory visit the Sheffield factory page.

For a formal quote contact me:
Mason Clark

Telephone: (661) 600-3822