Motor Car Shed - Modesto, CA - Signs of History on Waymarking.com

"When it stood, this building was used by section gangs (track workers) to house motorized track inspection cars when not in use. Erected in 1948, the metal shed was designed to house up to three motor cars along with the necessary tools needed by workers to perform track maintenance. After the Tidewater Southern's merger into the Union Pacific in 1981 the structure was no longer needed and it was razed on January 3,1986. The shed was built with three sets of short rails protruding from the foundation that were used to roll motor cars from the structure onto the track. Two sets of these rails can still be seen.
Motor cars are small open carts with railroad wheels, powered by gasoline engines. Evolved from the small four-wheel pump-action hand cars used by railway track workers in the late 1800s, motor cars were used to move employees and tools to locations along the Handles at the rear of the car allowed the track inspector to lift and swing the wheels of the vehicle in the direction desired.
Also known as " speeders," 4, railroads used motor cars t- .! through the 196os when they were phased out by the Hy-Rail equipped pickup trucks in 2 use today."

Group that erected the marker: City of Modesto Address of where the marker is located. Approximate if necessary: Roseburg Ave Modesto, CA USA URL of a web site with more information about the history mentioned on the sign: Not listed

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