A compact door driver is provided on a railway house car for moving a railway car door between a closed or locking position and an open or sliding position. The door driver includes a lever having a crank arm and is rotatably mounted on a structural member of the railway car for movement in excess of 45 degrees. A boss in the form of a roller is mounted on the crank arm. The door driver further includes a door mounted hasp having a cam surface defined end opening in the form of a transverse slot for receiving said boss selectively to drivingly interconnect the lever and the door. When connected to the crank, pivotal movement of the hasp is limited and the hasp, crank arm and boss act similar in manner to a Scotch yoke mechanism. The driver may provide theoretical mechanical advantages substantially within the range of from approximately 8 to 1, to approximately 46 to 1, ignoring friction, depending on the direction of the door and angular position of the crank arm. The railway car door accordingly may be urged between the sliding position and the locking position with a force that is appropriate for the particular position and direction of movement of the door.