Doodlebug on the WP?

Model Railroader Prototype information for the modeler
1

Me again with another WP question!
I have a Bachman Spectrum gaselectric painted GN Empire Builder scheme.
I want to know if the WP had any . Can’t find any evidence they ever had them…I plan to paint mine WP, but what scheme?
Chris

2

I am pretty sure there were no dottlebugs. The WP had two Zepherettes (Budd RDC-2) in the 1950/60’s.

If they had existed they probably would have been a very dark green like many of the heavyweight passenger cars of the 30/40’s.

3

The Zephyrettes were, I’m fairly certain, the closest thing to doodlebugs that the WP had.

4

Jetrock,
How about the Sacramento Northern???
(i’m trying to fit my Spectrum gaselectric on my layout)
Chris

5

There were a few logging roads in the sierra that connected to WP, Perhaps this would validate the gas electric.

6

CFournier: No. SN stopped carrying passengers in 1941, except for local trolley service which ended a couple years later, and they did that using their various electrics rather than anything like a doodlebug. For fantrips or VIP tours they generally used an in-house diesel to pull old WP heavyweight cars, or used an RDC.

The one exception that comes to mind is the “Yerington.” This was a doodlebug owned by the Nevada Copper Belt railroad, #21, which was used a few times for railfan expeditions by various groups. The only problem is that it looks nothing like the Spectrum model: wooden body, shorter, really it looks more like an old interurban car with four exhaust stacks in place of trolley poles.

The “Yerington” can be viewed firsthand at the California State Railroad Museum, but that’s kind of a drive from Montreal. If you really wanted to use the Spectrum doodlebug as the “Yerington”, I’d recommend painting it Pullman green and lettering it with “NEVADA COPPER BELT” in gold letters above the windows, with #21 on sides and front, and YERINGTON below the windows on each side.

Or you could just make up a suitable short-line name and number, and Pullman green is always a safe color to paint passenger equipment. Railfan groups who owned their own equipment might take it anywhere.