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If someone used the words "Crank Hand," who or what were they referring to? This term was widely used around Hamlet. And it wasn't a drug user as the word "crank" is sometimes referred to.

I think it refers to the right hand which is the one used to crank a car. I believe the right hand was also used to crank an older car with the crank handle. Did I win???

No, you didn't win yet sigmore. You're warm though. They did crank something, but not as in starting a car and either hand could have been used.

Could you possibly be referring to those individuals who got selected to hand crank the old homemade ice cream churns? If so, I have been one!
They were much in demand about this time of year, every year, back in the good ol' days.

Sorry Lynn. That's not the answer but you brought back some fond memories. I always was the one who got to crank the hand churn. I cranked extra fast so I could get my share sooner.

Secretary to a road master with railroad..

Tiz has come close to answering my question but a "crank hand" did something more important and back breaking. Tell me what they did.

Dang! I couldn't imagine hand cranking a diesel train engine. I'm quite sure that would be quite important and back cracking!!

How about something to do with hand-cars before they became motorized, sort of like the ones we used to see Charlie Chaplin hand pumping to get out of the way of a runaway engine?

Sorry Bruce, but you are a long way off. The job involved cranking alright but not diesel engines or hand cars. Pumping and cranking are two dogs of a different color.

Bruce Osburn wrote:How about something to do with hand-cars before they became motorized, sort of like the ones we used to see Charlie Chaplin hand pumping to get out of the way of a runaway engine?

Bruce is close enough on the answer. What I was referring to was the section worker who rode with a section foreman or roadmaster and helped in cranking the high rail vehicle, usually a pick up, onto the rails. He could have also been involved in the old hand cranked motor cars and in the early days, the old hand cars,