Nostalgia & History > Doodlebug Delight

Yes, M190 was dead the day it passed through Needles in route from Albuquerque to Sacramento, but the clouds broke at just the right moment and who could resist such glorious light? Certainly not the “Cloud Junkie.”

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One weird looking beast.

I have a doodlebug on my model railroad, and have some questions about prototypical operation.
How common was it for them to pull an "express" car?
When doing so, did they then use a caboose afterwards, or hang marker lights on the express car?
What might be a "typical" operating speed?

GAP Wrote:
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> How common was it for them to pull an "express"
> car?

Run a seach for "gas-electric" in the Denver Public Library website in the Perry collection, all you ask will be answered there (it was for me).

GAP Wrote:

> I have a doodlebug on my model railroad, and have
> some questions about prototypical operation.
> How common was it for them to pull an "express"
> car?

I guess it depends on the railroad, and in some cases, the class of car used. M-190 was not a typical Santa Fe doodlebug. The bulk of Chico's fleet was EMC Model 148 cars, some of which had baggage/express sections and coach seating (e.g. M.177 preserved at Traveltown in Los Angeles, CA), and some of which just had large baggage/express sections and no passenger seating. The latter almost always pulled a "trailer" of some sort. The last car would typically have the passenger accommodation, and markers were hung there.

> What might be a "typical" operating speed?

That depends on the trackage. Santa Fe had a number of "mainline" doodlebug runs that could see cars pushing 50-60 mph. The 900hp M.190 and the three 535hp M.160-class Brill cars were intended for this type of service. Elsewhere, out on the branchlines, speeds might be more in the range of 25-35, track permitting.

I have heard unconfirmed and off the record stories of Santa fe doodlebugs running in excess of 90mph on the 2nd district, I have little reason to doubt it, but it had to be a wild ride!

To GAP-notice that this motorcar is not pullimg anything in the photo. It was built as an articulated car and that is what makes it so rare. It did regularly pull a streamlined round end observation in its last assignment.
It's too bad that Santa Fe couldn't have predicted how its'collection would be cared for by CSRM and put all the artifacts somewhere where they would have been respected and cared for. What strange bedfellows are made for political gain. It has never looked as good since leaving Albuquerque and unfortunatly probably never will again. What a shame. Andy2472

Andy2472 Wrote:
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> It's too bad that Santa Fe couldn't have
> predicted how its'collection would be cared for by
> CSRM and put all the artifacts somewhere where
> they would have been respected and cared for.

Andy:
Have any pieces from the SF collection been restored or put out for view besides the two F's?
If not, why? They got a 2900 Class and there has been no sign of it, what's going on?

Did M190 hold down the Clovis - Carlsbad run?

Yes, I have read where the M-190 dd work Clovis - Carlsbad.


millerdc Wrote:
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> Did M190 hold down the Clovis - Carlsbad run?

MacBeau Wrote:

> Have any pieces from the SF collection been
> restored or put out for view besides the two F's?

Pieces of the collection have occasionally been hauled over from the SP shops to the museum site for display or demonstration. I've seen pictures of H12-44TS #543 inside the main hall. However, none of the Santa Fe collection has been restored other than the F's.

> If not, why? They got a 2900 Class and there has
> been no sign of it, what's going on?

4-8-4 #2925 and 2-10-4 #5021 are with the rest of the unrestored pieces of CSRM's collection, over by the old SP shops. They have had their lagging and jewelry removed, so they don't look very good for display purposes. Here's how 5021 looked 10 years ago; it's a bit rustier now:

http://atsf.railfan.net/atsfpres/sf5021f.jpg

As for the diesel electrics, after the SP shops closed, security wasn't terribly good, and vandals and copper theives have reportedly taken their toll.

Clovis-Carlsbad, NM was M.190's last assignment in the 1960's, and the one where it wore the warbonnet colors seen in MacBeau's photo. The other doodlebug that worked Clovis to Carlsbad in the 60's, M.160, is preserved in operating condition at the Age of Steam Railroad Museum is Dallas, along with one of the round-end observations it pulled. Interestingly enough, M.160 also *started* its career on this run (Amarillo-Clovis-Carlsbad) along with sisters M.161 and M.162.