I have seen pictures of Doodlebugs a number of times and, in fact, I even considered getting one for my layout but put it off. Maybe at some point!
Anyway, I came across this picture of a Santa Fe Doodlebug while searching for something else. I have never seen the war bonnet paint scheme on a Doodlebug before. Maybe you have!
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=97719&nseq=64
Brian, you are probably quite right. That picture was taken at the museum and the following links provide a little further information about this model number M 160.
http://www.dallasrailwaymuseum.com/m160.html
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=621442
It is difficult to find anything more definitive but BrassTrains.com makes an HO model of M-160 and their pictures show it in the more familiar olive green which I suspect was its operational color.
http://www.brasstrains.com/product_detail.php?p=006835
It still looks very pretty with the war bonnet though!
OK, found this interesting and did a little research. This is what I could find. According to Wikipedia, when SF started painting equipment in the warbonnet scheme, they eventually painted their remaining seven doodlebugs in warbonnet paint. Here's a pic taken in NM in 1964. This would have still been in service, since they were supposedly removed from service in 1967.
http://www.northeast.railfan.net/images/sf160.jpg
The following link shows a picture identified as M-190, (may be mis-identified since there is no visible number) after 20 years in storage at the Calif. RR Museum. The article states that it was removed from service in 1967, and stored at the Calif. museum since 1986. It was to be restored in New Mexico. From the faded, rusted paint job, it was obviously in this paint scheme when it was taken out of service. NOTE: this is a pdf file.
http://www.gptm.us/dispatcher/07_03.pdf
And finally, for aroc, all Sperry cars were originally doodlebugs. Here is a picture album of Sperry cars, which also contains a link to a roster of the cars previous owners.
http://www.northeast.railfan.net/sperry.html
Jimmi, thank you for dong that extra research. Very interesting! So it appears that the Doodlebug did, indeed, see service in the war bonnet colors.
I have always been fascinated by the Doodlebug. Bachmann used to make an N scale one but it has been discontinued and is now only available via private sale and auction sites (although a few online stores still seem to have one or two).
As I indicated in the first post, at one time I was very interested to getting one for my layout but ended up not doing so because I was concerned about its size (appearance) on a 6 x 3 layout. But who knows? Maybe one of these days!
I've always thought I'd like to try and kit-bash this one. At the moment, I cannot find another Doodlebug as the project would require two. Bachmann does not havethe parts I would need but, maybe, someday.......
http://www.pbase.com/intermodal/image/82228586
http://www.northeast.railfan.net/images/sfM190.jpg
Dick, texNrails appear to have undecorated Doodlebugs on sale at 39.95.
http://texnrails.com/catalog/details.asp?sid=HA7836242594755&mfg=BAC&item=81451
I've no idea how many they have in stock but the site did allow me to add 2 to my shopping basket but I did take it any further!
Maybe we can see pioctures of your kit-bash after all?
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