A mini trolley car that children rode at amusement parks will get new life at the Ligonier Township railroad museum, along with a new coat of paint and complete refurbishing to get it back running next year.

“We hope this Doodlebug will rival our main attraction — the (1905 Bobber) caboose,” said Douglas Kurtz of Laughlintown, secretary for the all-volunteer Ligonier Valley Rail Road Association. “I feel it will be greatly received as an attraction for young people.”

The association recently obtained the 9-foot Doodlebug, similar to the children’s ride at nearby Idlewild & SoakZone amusement park, from Maltby Antiques & Collectibles in Maltby, Wash. Kurtz said the Doodlebug, which cost a few thousand dollars, was purchased earlier this year with grants from foundations that support the nonprofit association, formed in 2004 to preserve the legacy of the Ligonier Valley Rail Road.

The antique Doodlebug came with its motor, wheels and rails to create a 10-foot oval track, and the stand to hold the electric wires that power the motor, Kurtz said. It sits at the association museum, which is housed in the original Ligonier Valley Rail Road station built around 1896 3 miles west of Ligonier.

“I’m virtually certain we’ll have a static display (of the Doodlebug) by next spring and hope to have it running by a year from now,” Kurtz said. Before it can operate, Kurtz said the association will have to obtain permits from the state Department of Agriculture.

The amusement park ride was moved across the country thanks to a community grant from Carpenter Technology Corp. of Wyomissing, parent firm of Latrobe Specialty Metals Co., Kurtz said. The Doodlebug was dropped off in Laughlintown and moved by Ligonier Construction Co. to the railroad museum, Kurtz said.

The next step is for the association members to sand and paint the Doodlebug, Kurtz said. The association’s board will make a decision on the color, now a weather-worn red. The frame is structurally sound and its interior is in good shape, with seats that can hold about a dozen youngsters, Kurtz said.

The Doodlebug name is is believed to be inspired by the gasoline-powered, self-propelled passenger rail cars that operated on the railroad from Latrobe to Ligonier with a two-man crew, Kurtz said. The Doodlebug was the size of a normal passenger rail car and was a cheaper alternative to steam-powered trains that would operate on the line, he noted.

“Even though it won’t be traveling between Ligonier and Latrobe, it will bring joy to the next generation of railroaders,” said David Byers, president of the railroad association, which collects relics and memorabilia and educates the public about the history of railroading in the Ligonier Valley.

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