Man Car

Man Car. Homestake Mine. This man car was used by the Homestake Mining Company to transport men and equipment from the shafts to the mining areas. This man car has 18" gauge trucks (distance between wheels) that were used in the upper levels of the Homestake Mine. , In the Homestake Mine, the 18" gauge railroads were used from the surface down to the 6800 Level (distance below the surface). Beginning on the 6950 Level, larger equipment was utilized in the mine requiring the railroad to be increased to 30" gauge. This difference in railroad gauge required several levels to have both gauge railroads to allow proper and efficient delivery of supplies, explosives, equipment and material. The 4850 Level was the primary equipment transfer level, moving everything from the two surface shafts, the Ross and the Yates, to the underground shafts (properly called winzes), #4 and #6.