29th Annual Folsom Handcar Derby ready to roll next week

It's a classic Folsom event that celebrates and supports the preservation of the rails in the city annually. It's known as the annual Folsom Handcar Derby and it returns for the 29th time next weekend, May 14 to May 15. This longtime event and competition takes place on the tracks in front of Broadstone Marketplace along East Bidwell Street. It often turns heads of passersby when they see old school railway handcars speeding down the tracks, being pumped for speed by teams that are local and come from afar. To participate in the event, groups for the handcar race must consist of five people – one pusher and four pumpers. The first day of the event is orientation day. Participants will have the opportunity to practice and go over all the safety policies and procedures. All groups must complete a full racing pass by the end of the day to be able to compete the following day. On day two, the real action starts at 9 a.m. with the pusher's contest where anyone wanting to push the 850-pound handcar for distance is welcome to compete. Competitors are separated by various weight classes in each of the men's and women's categories. Competition picks up immediately after with the handcar races as each team has one shot to be the best in their division and set the fastest time. For the handcar races, teams will be able to enter different divisions including men, women, co-ed and masters. Folsom is the only place people will see this event on the West Coast as far as the length of the track. All of the races are timed electronically down to the 1/100th of a second. This can make a huge difference between winning and losing in the respective categories. The day ends with an awards ceremony for all of the competing divisions. The first-, second- and third-place winners will receive medals. The event is free for spectators, who can watch up on the hill near Broadstone or close by the tracks where a set of bleachers will be assembled. It's a great event to bring the whole family out to, giving youngsters a visual of yesteryear and a lesson in railway history, where handcars played a vital role (see related story on handcar history). For anyone interested in participating, there is still time to learn about the official entry fees and requirements at www.handcarderby.com. All proceeds from the event benefit the Folsom, El Dorado, Sacramento Historical Railroad Association. What is a Handcar? Special to the Telegraph While today the handcar is viewed as a novelty, beginning in the 1880s and into 1900s it was the utility truck for section gangs that maintained more than a hundred thousand miles of track that was in place at that time. The common handcar we are familiar with today came onto the railroad scene in the 1860s. Handcars were used by track maintenance crews that were known as section gangs. A typical day began with the crew taking the handcar out of the section house where the handcar was stored overnight. They loaded their lunches and tools onto the deck and pumped to an area of the railroad needing work. Along the way they lifted the car on and off the tracks to avoid oncoming trains that had priority over the handcar. It was dangerous work with unexpected trains occasionally surprising section gangs. Maintenance duties included tasks suck as leveling track that may have sunk, replacing ties that were rotten, and repairing drainage issues that may arise. In the instance of a derailed train, they worked to get the train back on the rails and to repair the damage as not to delay other trains. By 1905 the handcars declined as railroads replaced them with motorized versions known as motorcars. While handcars were inexpensive and reliable, the problem was the physical exertion required to operate them. Railroads found section gangs preserved energy for the return trip back to the terminal. When the handcars were replaced, section gangs worked longer and harder. Further savings were realized when railroads found that section gang territories could be lengthened to ten miles. Previously a handcar gang was only responsible for 2-5 miles. By 1910 most handcars had been replaced by motorized speeders. Although most were retired, handcars still served in yards and terminals where travel distances were shorter and their simplicity worked well. In the 1970s a few handcars were still in service, but they completely disappeared from the railroad scene by 1980. Velocipedes survived in greater numbers for a much longer period of time. Their simplistic, lightweight design allowed them to be used in rail yards and stations. A station agent could quickly place the car onto the track, and work the mechanism to the end of a siding for the purpose of lining a switch for an approaching train. Modernization efforts in the 1970s led to the closing of most stations, leading to the demise of the velocipede. The railroad worker is responsible for maintaining the vast number of switch lanterns that were in use during that period. A few years later, the century old activity of lighting turnouts with lanterns had closed, ending the need for velocipedes.