| The West Berlin Garden Railroad |
| THE PRSL DOODLEBUG |
|
| Both of these black & white photos are BRILL Doodlebugs. On the left is a "Pennsylvania",(front view) the right, a (Pullman/Brill) "Pennsylvania - Reading Seashore Lines".(back view) With a cowcatcher on both front & back, this self-propelled car, was a forerunner of the Budd RDC. Since these cars were made in the mid 1920's, there really isn't a lot of information, only that they were uses mainly on branch lines in the U.S. The model Aristo Craft produces is a close, but not completely accurate version of a EMC Doodlebug. (photo below). Aristo's doodlebug is a "bashed" version using their heavy-weight combine car which, makes the roof incorrect. There were NO windows in the roofs of any doodlebugs..My upgrade is just paint, back light, decals & doors. I'll live with the roof windows for now. |
| Regular automobile brake fluid is applied to the lettering using a Q-tip. After 5-10 minutes it will start to crinkle as shown in the LEFT photo. When this happens use a clean Q-tip, RIGHT photo, and "twirl" while you wipe a few letters at a time. Brake fluid doesn't always work this fast. Some cars I've done must be "soaked" in a bucket of the fluid for a few days for the lettering to loosen. Some of the lettering on some cars is ink and some is paint, I can't tell. There are products on the maket just for this but, brake fluid has always worked for me AND, it's never harmed the plastic or removed the original paint job. |
| In this photo is the rear of a Bachmann 4-6-0. I picked up this non-working engine for $5 at a train show 4 years ago. I've used many parts from this baby on the doodlebug upgrade.Steam release valves, headlamp, cowcatcher and these back doors.(the bell was already spoken for) I cut out both doors and with some additional creative cutting, I was able to recreate the front doors on the Brill Doodlebug. |
| After all the lettering was removed I used a soapy rag a wiped/washed all areas that I used brake fluid on. If this isn't done the new paint will NOT adhere to the car. This was a pretty easy model to take apart. There are 2 screws front and back that need removal and 2 located in the back vestibule roof . They are accessable throught holes in the floor. You must use a long phillips screwdriver to get to these. Once this is done the roof will come off then you can see how the back is attached so you can remove it. CAUTION: To completely remove the front you must cut the wires to the headlight and classification lights. I found no need to remove the original paint from the car since I was painting it with "Ruddy Brown" primer. I wasn't able to remove many windows so, I placed a 2 inch wide piece of masking tape over the windows and, with a very sharp pointed hobby knife, I cut out each window. However, I did removed the factory painted "white" window that hides a full lavatory in the rear of the car. This room has a toilet and a sink that can't be seen through ANY window.(why was it put there anyway???) I taped up half of the glass and with a rag wrapped around my finger soaked in Testor's airbrush thinner, I rubbed the paint from the glass. This created a "half drawn shade" look so the toilet & sink are now visable. And the thinner didn't harm the glass. |
 |
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| This is Aristo Craft's "Denver, Rio Grande & Western" right from the box. When I bought this on a "close-out" there were very few road names to choose from. (I would have liked to have started with a "Pennsylvania") Since I was going to re-paint, add a rear light, and re-letter it, my only concern was to get one with very little lettering or graphics and, this was it. |
 |
|
| The BASH Begins The skill level to make these changes is an "8" |
| Painting |
| Adding the Rear Headlamp |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Adding the Doors |
| Left: The rear of a "Pennsy" doodlebug. Notice the rear headlamp? Once again, I went to my "parts box'' and found a *Bachmann lamp and bulb. I mounted the lamp to the back roof and tapped into the roof lighting.(Right photo) At the arrow is a 50v, 1A diode (Radio Shack #276-1101) which allows the head lamp to operate in reverse only. Later, I'll add new marker lights to a diode and add diodes to the front light and markers.. NOTE: the roof light bulbs have been painted a flat yellow. * Later switch out the Bachmann bulb with an abandon RDC interior bulb with great results. I will later replace the front bulb with an RDC bulb. |
 |
| FRONT |
 |
| Here is the finished front of the 401. The PRSL had 2 doodlebugs. The 400, and the 401. The RDC's came in at # 402. (I mistakenly numbered my doodlebug 402 at first) The bell has been moved to the front and placed on a new bell stand. Homemade brass brackets were attached to the bottom of the stand. Brass pop valves from the Bachmann were placed in the old bell mounting holes on the roof and the door bump was made by sanding a piece of plastic into shape. The cowcatcher(s) is a Bachmann. |
| BACK |
|
| LEFT Photo: When I first finished the Doodlebug I had no intention of cutting in windows & doors for the back. At the ECLSTS 2003 I found a back piece of a Milwaukee Road coach, in a parts box Nicholas Smith had for $1.00. I bought it so I could pratice cutting out the window openings.. It worked! RIGHT Photo: The finished rear. The windows & door (cutting required) were taken from the inside wall that divided the coach from the baggage area. That wall isn't visable so it was replaced with a foam board wall with windows & a door. The chains were fasten with "HO" track spikes inserted into the last link then CA'ed into a pre-drilled hole. |
 |
 |
|
| DECALS |
 |
| NO SPECIAL GRAPHICS HERE. There are only numbers, the "F" in the front, and the "PENNSYLVANIA - READING SEASHORE LINES" on the side. This car has TOO MANY rivets for anything except factory printing or decals. Stan Cedarleaf, a friend of mine from myLargescale.com owns an ALPS printer and custom made these decals for me.......under my direction of course. |
|
 |
| In this sepia photo, it's the spring of 1930 and, the PRSL #401 has just made a station stop at Winslow Jct. It was a beautiful day in Atlantic City. All of the passengers enjoyed the sea breeze, the saltwater taffy and the walk on the boardwalk. These tired folks know that they'll be home soon.. Winslow is the half way point between Atlantic City and Camden. |
| For more tips on the Doodlebug see George Schreyer's page CLICK HERE |
 |
 |
 |
| Current Refinements |
| In the "Adding the Rear Headlamp" you can see the before photo of this section of the roof. I found the interior lights blinking like a Philly subway car. The old "body-to-roof" pressure tabs had cracked. This caused intermitted power to the roof lights. When I added the people, I added plugs to the body and roof solder points. Now this is "Constant" lighting folks! |
| 18 seated "O" scale people have been "Goo'ed" to the seats of the Doodlebug. |
| As per George Schreyer's Doodlebug page BUT, I used an "HO" rail spike (pushed completly in) to secure the roof of my doodlebug..HLW uses a brass brad on their interurban... It's alot easier to remove than music wire. |