Can anyone shed some light on how the heck they came up with the term "doodlebug"? With which 'road did it originate? Are there many left? I think this was a relatively common term on many railroads for the self-propelled, gas-powered motor cars used mainly for light branchline service; the predecessor of the Budd car.Thanks.

A doodlebug is actually an insect of who's proper term is an "ant lion" which feeds on ants. In several descriptions seen, the RR equivalents were described as self-propelled coaches with engines, when seen operating look "like the bug of the same name, scampering back and forth with seemingly endless energy". It is believed that this is how the term originated.

I know that sperry rail still has a bunch of ancient Lehigh Valley "doodlebugs" in service as rail inspection cars:LV 14 - now Sperry 123 LV 15 - now Sperry 128 LV 20 - now Sperry 124 LV 26 - now Sperry 125 LV 27 - now Sperry 131 LV 28 - now Sperry 130 LV 29 - now Sperry 129 Here is the Sperry roster: http://www.railfanusa.com/rosters/srs.html And here are some recent photos of the LV cars: http://www.northeast.railfan.net/sperry.html Scot

The SAL had doodlebugs that they ran in central Georgia. I don't remember who built them but they had flat fronts and the locals called them "butt-heads" due th this feature.

Folks, there is a good book called Interurbans Without Wiresfrom Interurbans Press. Don't recall the author.The McKeen Motor Car Company with strong backing by the Union Pacific, built an early series of gas/electric motor cars. Today there is only one left and it is under restoration by the Nevada State Railroad Museum.Then there is a Hall-Scott car from a short line in California or Nevada that is special because it still has its original gas engine. The car is part of the California State Railroad Museum.Later on there were a series of cars with larger Diesel/electric propulsion systems. One of these is at Travel Town Park in Los Angeles. and there is another at a museum in Texas. There have names like M-177, I think the Sante Fe used a lot of them.Ted Miles

Interurbans without Wires is one of the better collections on the subject.This book unfortunately has been out of print for a number of years and is generally difficult to come by.As luck and coincidence would have it, there is a copy currently available on ebay (auction ends in 8 day, condition said to be mint/unopened)The starting price is $75, which is a fair market price based on other sellers prices seen recently. For anyone interested, the item number is6546012273 (or search Interurban) I have no personal or financial interest in the auction, I'm lucky enough to have a first edition copy myself.The author's name by the way is Edmund Keilty.He is no longer with us. He also wrote at least one other book on the subject called "Doodlebug Country, The Rail Motor Car on the Class 1 Railroads of the United States". This book is also very hard to come by, but also worthwhile. I found one on the internet this afternoon on a used book seller site listing for $95

To be technically correct, Mr. Keilty singularly wrote a trilogy on Doodlebugs.Interurban Publication #66 "Interurbans Without Wires" covers the various manufacturers of the rail motorcars -- thereby, chapters are by type of car and then manufacturer of that particular type. Interurban Publication #77 "Doodlebug Country" covers the use of the rail motorcar on the Class 1 railroads of the United States -- thereby chapters are by railroad starting with the Alaska Railroad and ending with the Wheeling and Lake Erie.Interurban Publication #99 "The Short Line Doodlebug" covers "Galloping Geese and Other Railcritters" as found on the scattered shortlines throughout America -- thereby arranged by state. This one is by far my favorite in that it covers many of the "homebuilt" critters, modified Model-Ts, etc.One of his final tomes, IIRC with a co-author and entitled RDC, covers the Budd cars.sc 'doc' lewis

Without any reference work, I can think of 12 of the large gas-electric cars that are preserved, not counting Sperry cars.There are 3 Santa Fe cars, one at Travel Town in L.A., one at CSRM and the third in Dallas.3 Pennsylvania cars exist, 2 are privately owned (1 in New Jersey and 1 in Michigan) and one is at the Wilmington & Western.IRM has a Union Pacific car.Mid-Continent has a GN car.MofT has a Boston & Maine car.Minnesota Transportation Museum has a Burlington car.An Erie car at the Ohio Railway Museum? in Columbus.Finally, a New York Central car was recently listed for sale on this board by a Connecticut group.If you are interested in details, contact me and I will try to look some more information.

For Santa Fe cars see the two books by John McCall. I believe that these are available from Santa Fe Historical Society, which has a website.Actually there are THREE Santa Fe cars. One at Travel Town, the one at Age of Steam in Dallas and one stored in Sacramento by CSRM. The last two were the last ones on the Santa Fe and powered regular and spare power for the train to Carlsbad, NM. The last round-end coach for this train went to Dallas. The car at Sacrament is the articulated motor car.

Some Clarification.The M.190 is the articulated motorcar at Sacramento. It was actually built with a diesel.The M160 is the doodlebug in Texas. It was built as a gas electric, but was converted to diesel. It is supposed to be operable, but I don't believe it has run in a long time.The M.177 is at Travel Town in Los Angeles. It still has it original Winton gasoline engine. The engine runs, and both the main generator and exciter generator have been rewound (All the copper was stolen from the generators before restoration was started) and reinstalled. The final bits of wiring are being completed, and we (last time I talked to Bryan) are only missing the brushes now.Greg

Brian,Thanks for adding to my rather off the top of the head posting. Interesting to hear that Sacramento has a Sante Fe Dootlebug, now that I have been in their Shop I thought I had seen everything. Will have to keep looking.The gas car I mentioned is the Nevada Copperbelt 21, remarkable because it still has the original engine.Ted Miles

There are two at the Canadian Railway Museum at Delson QC.http://www.exporail.org/collection/coll ... ang.htmSee item 1, CN 15824.Also,http://www.exporail.org/collection/collection_pass_ang.htmSee item 14, CN 15767.

The German V1 ramjets were also called Doodlebugs by the brits.

[quote="Jason Whiteley"]Are there many left?[/quote]What of the projects of the Edwards Company, restoring a number of cars?

I think I have heard them referenced as such.