What is that!

[John Wagenseil]

Also take a look at the rail motor cars operated by the Skunk Rail Road and the D&RGW.

[JohnM]

I don't think it's paper, but it's an excellent model ...

http://www.owrhs.org/Articles/Rich_C...inspection.jpg

Johnny

[SCEtoAUX]

The rail car I saw appears to be a self-propelled rail bus.
Oil-Electric: Self Propelled Rail Cars
It had a different paint scheme than the one on that site, of course, but the basic structure was the same.

I have found that I had an uncle working on one of those in the 1930's and 1940's.
OCAA Railway:
Abandoned Rails: The Oklahoma City, Ada and Atoka Railway

Those inspection engines and the self-propelled rail bus would both be interesting model subjects.

[whulsey]

The Abandoned Rails site is really interesting Doug. I grew up right outside Pauls Valley, OK and as a kid rode on the 'doodlebug' from PV east to Civit then it went on to the Ada area were it connected to the OCAA. My dad worked for the Santa Fe for about 40 years. He was Maintenance of Way Senior Welder and was in charge of the track from Purcell, OK to Gainesville, TX when he retired. I'm going to have to explore that site more.

[SCEtoAUX]

Whulsey, I spent a lot of time in Atoka and Lawton in the 1950's and 1960's. Nice places when you are a kid.

Here are some more of those self-propelled rail buses. Some unique looking designs.
Rail Buses (Doodlebugs) - NE Rails

It seems like a lot of those rail buses were gas electric rather than diesel electric. Maybe that one I saw was gas electric too instead of diesel electric. Everyone in the car all asked "What is that?", or words to that effect.

[sgoti]

And then there's always the steam dummy, a locomotive disguised so that it wouldn't spook the horses...

I like the last line: "But the horses still got scared. It turns out it was the noise of the steam engine, and not what it looked like, that frightened the horses."

Gee, ya think??!!

[charleswlkr54]

Now, I am no expert, but these locomotivves look a lot like what I've seen descibed as "camelbacks" which I think were used as main line engines, but i could be wrong on that, mind you!

[cjwalas]

You are correct that camelbacks were used as mainline engines, but the proportions were completely different. The cabs of the camelbacks were straddled over a large boiler of an engine capable of heavy mainline hauling. The steam dummies were designed for short run, light passenger service on city streets and they were often of a narrower gauge than the camelbacks and builton much smaller engines. They were "disguised" locomotives as it were. The inspection engines were designed specifically, or sometimes modified to be, a passenger carrying locomotive and rarely if ever pulled any cars. Only some of the modified mainline inspection engines which were built from pre-existing mainline engines, usually ones of outmoded design or pulling power, would occasionally pull special runs of a passenger coach or possibly two for unique occasions.

[JohnM]

I just knew there had to be one out there somewhere ...

http://www.papermodels.de/downloads/...tenfuerweb.pdf

I'll come back when I've made it ... Might be a while ... anyone else wanna go?

Johnny.

[OgdenBob]

Originally Posted by cjwalas

I've always thought these steam era inspection engines had their own kind of beauty. Most every large main carrier line in the US had them and some were quite ornate. Here's a few more;
Attachment 163370Attachment 163372Attachment 163373
I know there are some good illustration s of the last one, the STAR (my favorite), floating around on the internet;
Attachment 163371
I'd love to see one of these as a kit!

I believe you're correct. Railroad officials were seated along each side of the boiler and were afforded a good view of the track ahead. I too would love to see a kit!

Bob