Clouds stacked up against the Sierra and a stiff wind blew, but that didn't dampen enthusiasm of the small, hearty, and well-bundled crowd that gathered for Nevada State Railroad Museum's third annual "Just for Fun" Hand car Races and Bar-B-Q Sunday at the Railroad museum.
"It's just another over-the-wall Nevada Day event," Richard Reitnauer. sales and promotion manager for the museum said, noting that 16 competitors this year vied for bragging rights, T-shirts, buttons, and the coveted official certification.
A hand car race is simply teams of five (four pumpers and a pusher) propelling a railroad hand car over a distance of 900 feet in the fastest time possible. This years' honors go to the Screamin' Geezers in the men's division, who managed a blinding 36.82 seconds.
There are no big secrets to success, but it's a lot of work according to Railroad Museum volunteer Tom Smith.
"Coordination (between team-mates) has to be good, and once the cart is going, it's a lot of work to keep it that way," he said, noting that originally the carts were used for relatively short hauls of about 10 miles.
The museum provides one custom-made handcart to competitors: an 850-pound solid oak cart designed and built especially for hand car racing. The cart, about 10 years old, were built at the museum to international race specifications.
Originally sanctioned as an international event in the early 90s, the races were suspended for a time when the race drew (incredibly) stiff competition from other states. Resurrected for locals only three years ago, it now draws locals like Valley Chevrolet, Sisters of the Sage, and Grocery Outlet #2.
The Hand car Race and Bar-B-Q is an officially sanctioned event of Nevada Day Inc., organizers of Nevada Day celebrations in Carson City. The museum's support group, Friends of Nevada State Railroad Museum, provide the location, equipment and volunteer staffing to conduct the annual races.
And now, the Winners!!
Women's Division:
Wild Women of the Woods, 57.55 seconds
Mixed Division:
Grocery Outlet 42.96 seconds
Men Division:
Screamin' Geezers 36.82 seconds
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