Doodlebug?

cwylde · **Posted:** Fri Apr 20, 2007 1:19 pm

Can anyone give me research sources for the coining of the term "Doodlebug" with respect to railroad equipment?

Christian S. · **Joined:** Wed Feb 02, 2005 2:13 pm **Posts:** 243

[redacted]

mxdata · **Joined:** Thu Jun 16, 2005 11:54 am **Posts:** 609

This is really an excellent question and one that I have wondered about too. One of the definitions of "doodle" is close to that of "dawdle", which in the case of this kind of equipment running down a remote branch line between small towns and cities would seem fairly appropriate.

But I wonder if the application of this term to gas-electric railcars might have grown out of some of the ads that Electro-Motive ran in the 1920s, that showed a cartoon-like map with rail routes drawn as zig-zag lines (usually the definition of a "doodle") between cities and with small images of the railcars (the bugs) climbing the lines. In these ads they did look like bugs, an image further enhanced by the front appearance of early Electro-Motive railcars.

sc 'doc' lewis · **Posted:** Sun Apr 29, 2007 10:46 pm

The closest that Edmund Keilty came to a definition/origin of the term was in the first of his three volumes of work on Doodlebugs in America-- Interurbans Special #66 Interurbans Without Wires

Quote:

DOODLEBUG. A term of ridicule--and endearment--yet nothing penetrated so deeply into the folklore of American railroading as the rail motorcar. Temporary savior of rural railroading, the "gas car" sputtered and jolted its way along the branch lines of our youth.
Publisher's Introduction on front inside flap of dustjacket

and from page 13 of the book proper

Quote:

Even the name it was known by: "doodlebug," was hardly one of endearment. Yet, like the little creature from the real insect world, the doodlebug was easy to kill, but hard to exterminate. It has been around as long as railroading itself, and is still around, at least in some forms and in some places. The rail motorcar has been a hardy breed indeed.

Between 1971-73 the German equivalent, "bummelzug" was one of our primary means of transportation between villages in the farming regions of south-central (West) Germany.

Echoing what the others have said: Thanks Hume for the years of work together with those that have served on RyPN in the past. Welcome to those that are continuing and in new positions.

sc 'doc' lewis

rev66vette · **Joined:** Mon Aug 30, 2004 3:45 pm **Posts:** 362

This was discussed at length previously. Doing a search on the word "doodlebug" will give you a good listing of informative posts. From my post at that time:

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

Regards:

Rich O

cwylde · **Posted:** Mon Apr 30, 2007 10:52 pm

Any further postings I make on this topic will continue the 2005 conversation rather than having two similar threads. Thanks for the heads up/