Western Railroad Discussion > Heads Up New Mexico...

I was in Stockton and was killing time at the BNSF/UP junction where the old ATSF tower used to stand guard. I happened to catch the UP on a transfer move to BNSF's Mormon Yard with former ATSF articulated 'Doodlebug' in tow aboard a pair of flatcars. I wanted to get just a tad bit closer to take these shots except there was a track crew from the UP on diamond maintenance. Stockton Tower area today is nothing like it used to be.

Word has it that the ATSF doodlebug had been in the California State RR Museum's care (or neglect) as part of the larger ATSF collection donated prior to the museum's debut in 1981. The State of New Mexico now wants the doodebug back in the Land Of Enchantment where it spent most of it's operating days.

SV

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More information available at:
http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,1328648
http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,1327258

Anybody know what train this is on?

Was the EMC doodlebug built as an articulated unit or did Santa Fe modifiy it?

Great condition of the unit, eh? And to think the Santa Fe donated all that equipment to Sacramento, all of which was in museum quality condition at the time, for preservation. What a crime. I know...."we didn't have the money", yada yada yada

I wonder if our govenor Bill, has plans or hopes, to bring more back to New Mexico...hmmmm. Richardson is no doubt a railfan, as the taxpayers now own 1/6 of New Mexico's railroads. He even has a coach named "Govenor Bill Richardson" on the Cumbres & Toltec.

I do hope more of the ATSF colection come back to New Mexico...

DRGW463

Heck he's already got my vote for Pres over the witch. Go Bill go.
Hope the doodlebug gets proper treatment at home.


TCS - puhlease

F******* AY YES!! M190 back in New Mexico! I can die happy now. Hope it goes somewhere on the Carlsbad line.

As if Gov Bill is gonna have it operate....Stop smokin that stuffe.

What route will it take? Stockton to Denver?
Nathan Z.

With a red and yellow over white paint job the M190 be ready to roll in the NM RailRoadRunner loco pool as a NM Roadrunner, the Geococcyx Californianus, BEEP! BEEP!. Ironically, with a name like Geococcyx Californianus it must be a Democrat. Thank you, Arnold, thank you, Bill.

SandingValve Wrote:

> Word has it that the ATSF doodlebug had been in
> the California State RR Museum's care (or neglect)
> as part of the larger ATSF collection donated
> prior to the museum's debut in 1981.

The only piece of the Santa Fe locomotive collection present at CSRM in 1981 was 2-6-2 #1010. The M.190 and everything else moved west from storage at Albuquerque to CSRM in 1986.

> The State of New Mexico now wants the doodebug back in the Land
> Of Enchantment where it spent most of it's
> operating days.

In its present configuration, with warbonnet paint, M.190 only operated in New Mexico, but that was only from late 1956 to 1967.

When it was new, the car tested a number of places, including L.A. to San Diego, before settling in to regular service on the Kansas City-Topeka-Emporia, KS run. According to McCall's Son of Doodlebug, from 1936 to 1955, M.190's usual assignment was the Amarillo-Plainview-Lubbock, TX run. It did stray some after WWII and before it was dieselized in 1949. There's a remarkable photo on p. 22 of The Doodlebugs and again on p. 45 of Son of Doodlebug showing the car in Ottawa-Gridley, KS mixed train service trailing some 15 cars! With 900hp and four traction motors, the "Old Pelican" (as McCall calls it) reportedly had more tractive effort than Santa Fe's light 3450-class 4-6-4's, so 15 cars at branchline speeds in relatively flat Kansas was within its capability.

wabash2800 wrote:

> Was the EMC doodlebug built as an articulated unit or did Santa Fe modifiy it?

Built as a one-of-a-kind 90' articulated car.

masterphots wrote:

>Great condition of the unit, eh? And to think the
>Santa Fe donated all that equipment to Sacramento,
>all of which was in museum quality condition at the
>time, for preservation.

I'm not one to spring to CSRM's defense, but the equipment was in as-retired condition when CSRM got it. While some of the pieces certainly could have been displayed as-is (and some were, briefly), it isn't the case that CSRM received them freshly painted and in pristine condition. The paint was old, and most of the locomotives were pulled from deadlines, so it's a fair bet they had some mechanical issue that put them there. M.190 was stored outdoors at Clovis from 1967 until about 1972 when it was moved to the roundhouse at Albuquerque. Take a closer look at this 1986 photo of M.190 on its way to Sacramento in 1986: http://atsf.railfan.net/atsfpres/sfm190a.jpg