Northwestern Pacific Push Car 2
Item
Dublin Core
Title
Northwestern Pacific Push Car 2
Subject
Northwestern Pacific Push Car #2
Format
Railcar
Railcar Item Type Metadata
Location
SPCRR Yard
Objectives
Used for maintenance
Builder / Manufacturer
Buda Foundry & Manufacturing Company
Build Date
1890s
Ownership / Custodial History
Northwestern Pacific Railroad
18XX
Sold to an Orchard Tramway
~1930
Donated to Sacramento Valley Historic Railways
19XX
On loan from Sacramento Valley Historic Railways to SPCRR
1994
18XX
Sold to an Orchard Tramway
~1930
Donated to Sacramento Valley Historic Railways
19XX
On loan from Sacramento Valley Historic Railways to SPCRR
1994
Road Number
None recorded
Historical Road Numbers
None recorded
Car Type
Push car
Restoration History
2000: restored to operational condition
Date Acquired
8/11/1994
Restoration / Conservation Notes
Used for maintenance of way
Status
Operable
Online Description
This 36-inch gauge push cart originally served the Northwestern Pacific Railroad's narrow gauge system as basic track maintenance equipment. Push carts were distributed along the railroad's length, with section crews maintaining responsibility for specific segments of track. This car is the second of a pair that came to SPCRR, both sharing similar service histories.
Following NWP narrow gauge abandonment in May 1930, the cart was transferred to an orchard tramway near Woodland, California, where narrow gauge equipment found ready secondary markets in agricultural operations. It was later donated to Sacramento Valley Historical Railways in Woodland, California and stored unrestored alongside its companion cart.
The cart was placed on loan to SPCRR from Sacramento Valley Historical Railways on August 11, 1994, arriving with the first push cart as a pair. While the first cart was restored as a public demonstration during Railfair in May 1995, restoration of this second cart began in August 1995 following the successful completion of the first project. The cart is equipped with four 20-inch pressed steel wheels manufactured by The Buda Foundry and Manufacturing Company of Harvey, Illinois.
The pair remains on loan to SPCRR and serves interpretive purposes as part of the day-to-day maintenance operations that keep our narrow gauge railroad functioning. Together, they represent the essential but often overlooked equipment that section crews relied upon for their daily work maintaining track, clearing brush, and making minor repairs.
Following NWP narrow gauge abandonment in May 1930, the cart was transferred to an orchard tramway near Woodland, California, where narrow gauge equipment found ready secondary markets in agricultural operations. It was later donated to Sacramento Valley Historical Railways in Woodland, California and stored unrestored alongside its companion cart.
The cart was placed on loan to SPCRR from Sacramento Valley Historical Railways on August 11, 1994, arriving with the first push cart as a pair. While the first cart was restored as a public demonstration during Railfair in May 1995, restoration of this second cart began in August 1995 following the successful completion of the first project. The cart is equipped with four 20-inch pressed steel wheels manufactured by The Buda Foundry and Manufacturing Company of Harvey, Illinois.
The pair remains on loan to SPCRR and serves interpretive purposes as part of the day-to-day maintenance operations that keep our narrow gauge railroad functioning. Together, they represent the essential but often overlooked equipment that section crews relied upon for their daily work maintaining track, clearing brush, and making minor repairs.
Class
Collection
Carter Brothers?
No
Collection
Citation
Buda Foundry & Manufacturing Company, “Northwestern Pacific Push Car 2,” The Railroad Museum at Ardenwood, accessed October 1, 2026, http://museum.spcrr.org/items/show/48.
