Handcars were used by track crews to ride the rails to the work site or for inspections. With room for four men, handcars could reach a top speed of about forty kilometers an hour.
Throughout railway history, track crews used various means to get to the problems on the track. Early in rail history, track crews used handcars and velocipedes, the men would have to manually push and pull their way down the track. Later motorized cars were introduced and used. Speeders were quick and efficient way to transport crews as were Wickham cars. Currently many railway companies use trucks that can run on the rails to transport crews and equipment.
