成人X站

After last year鈥檚 cancellation due to COVID, the peak event of the social season in the eastern Pierce County town of Wilkeson is back on track for Saturday, July 31, as the town鈥檚 famous hand-car races make their triumphant return.

The mostly annual railroad hand-car races have been a big deal in Wilkeson since the first organized them back in 1974.

Wilkeson聽is an old mining and railroad town named for Civil War-era journalist 鈥� and, later, railroad executive 鈥� Samuel Wilkeson. It鈥檚 been known in recent decades mostly for its amazing collection of 鈥渂eehives鈥� 鈥� ornate old brick ovens where coal was 鈥渃oked鈥� (or refined) from the late 19th century until the 1920s.

The beehives are located in the town鈥檚 . Also in the park are several sets of bleachers and two parallel sets of about 400 feet of rusty old railroad track, all of which are pressed into service once a year for Wilkeson鈥檚 ambitiously named National Hand-Car Races.

A railroad hand car is a small, human-powered conveyance first used to travel via railroad tracks in the 1800s. Human power is transferred to the wheels by means of a two-ended lever that鈥檚 pumped up and down like a see-saw 鈥� by the riders using their arms and backs, and probably their legs 鈥� to make the car move along the tracks.

Adam Gallion is a 成人X站 Radio listener and a firefighter who grew up between Wilkeson and Buckley, and who still lives in the area. He鈥檚 been attending the annual races for decades.

He says the races are short 鈥� less than two minutes 鈥� which means it鈥檚 critical to get a fast start by overcoming the friction between the steel wheels and the rusty steel rails. Gallion says two-person or four-person teams typically propel each hand car, but those teams also have an additional member 鈥� called the 鈥減usher鈥� 鈥� who鈥檚 not actually on board the car.

鈥淭he pusher at the start [is] like a football guy right on the line, he’s in that football stance,鈥� Gallion said. 鈥淎nd when that bell goes鈥� to start the race, Gallion explained, 鈥渉e basically helps them to get them started and pushes.鈥�

And when the pusher is done?

鈥淗e just kind of falls onto a mattress,鈥� Gallion said.

That is, a mattress is placed on the ground 鈥� on the ties between the rails 鈥� and when the pusher is done pushing the hand car, and the other team members are pumping the lever for dear life, the pusher lands on the ground, and their fall is cushioned by an old mattress.

Gallion also says that though there are those two sets of side-by-side tracks in Coke Oven Park, the races on Saturday will be run one car at a time 鈥� so it鈥檚 not hand car versus hand car 鈥� with each team trying to beat the clock. Hand-car rides will also be offered Saturday as well.

One thing that might appeal to impulsive spectators: Anyone who visits Wilkeson for Saturday鈥檚 event and gets particularly inspired may sign up, then and there, to actually race a hand car. Registration is $5; otherwise, admission to the Wilkeson National Hand-Car Races is free. A concession stand and beer garden are also located in Coke Oven Park.

Gallion, who鈥檚 quite the eastern Pierce County booster, also speaks highly of two more permanent places to eat in town: and .

Festivities in Wilkeson get underway Saturday, July 31, with a parade at 11 a.m. and a magic show at noon. Hand-car races begin at Coke Oven Park at 1 p.m.

And for those sports fans worried that a visit to Wilkeson might mean missing something on TV from Tokyo on Saturday afternoon, a quick check of the NBC website confirms that hand-car races are, in fact, not an Olympic event.

Yet.

You can hear Feliks every Wednesday and Friday morning on Seattle鈥檚 Morning News, read more from him鈥�here, and subscribe to The Resident Historian Podcast聽here. If you have a story idea, please email Feliks鈥�here.