Founder's Stories Record
Images
Metadata
Title |
Railroad Velocipede |
Collection |
Founder's Notes |
Object Name |
Articles |
Catalog Number |
2016.4.0173 |
Scope & Content |
Railroad Velocipede Railroad Velocipedes (French for swift-footed) were used by the railroad maintenance to check for breaks or loose spikes in the rail. They had a third wheel that would keep them on the track. The velocipede came about in the 1870s. In Michigan, the trains did not run on weekends and George Sheffield really didn't want to walk the ten miles to and from work. In turn, he invented the velocipede and began driving it on the tracks without the railroad company's knowledge. However, one night Sheffield came upon a broken rail and notified the railroad to prevent a train from derailing. His contraption sparked interest in the company and they asked him to build more. Sheffield patented the velocipede in 1879 and in 1882, he incorporated the Sheffield Velocipede Car Company. |