Alias “Doodlebug”

Santa Fe Motorcar M-160

Santa Fe Motorcar M-160

Santa Fe "Doodlebug" M-160

Build Date: 1931

Current Status: Restored and Operational

Road: Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway

Originally built by the Brill Motorcar Company as a gas-electric, the M-160 had major rebuilds in 1948 and 1952, when it was fitted with a diesel engine and components from Santa Fe's first E-1 passenger locomotive. M-160 spent much of its life on Santa Fe's vast network of rural branch lines, initially operating between Amarillo, Texas and Carlsbad, New Mexico, and later used on the Wichita, Kansas - San Angelo, Texas route. Its last service was between Carlsbad and Clovis, New Mexico on trains 25 and 26, "The Cavern," painted in the red and silver "Warbonnet" paint scheme used for passenger locomotives and pulling round end chair observation number 3197. M-160 was retired in December 1966 and stored at Clovis until donation of both M-160 and 3197 in January, 1969.