A Sail-Car for Use on the Railroad, circa 1885

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Artifact Overview

The Central Pacific Railroad owned a few sail cars for use by its track maintenance crews. Just as their name implies, these sail cars used large canvas sails to harness the wind as their power source. The sails were surprisingly effective. According to reports, a sail car might reach speeds near 40 miles per hour with a stiff wind behind it.

Artifact Details

Artifact

Print (Visual work)

Date Made

circa 1885

Location

Not on exhibit to the public.

Object ID

82.129.1121

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford.

Material

Paper (Fiber product)

Technique

Wood engraving (Process)

Color

Black-and-white (Colors)

Dimensions

Height: 4.5 in
Width: 5.75 in