LIRR Gas Cars

LIRR Gas Cars Archive/Research courtesy of Dave Keller excepted as noted.
The LIRR ran a shuttle between Babylon and Patchogue for many years. Upon completion of the Montauk branch electrification project to Babylon, Scoot service to Patchogue commenced in May, 1925. Babylon Electrification and Babylon-Patchogue Scoot Info: Steve Lynch
PRR leased Gas Car #4669 at Morris Park Shops transfer table 1935 5/20/1934 Archive: Dave Keller		PRR leased Gas Car #4670 at Morris Park Shops transfer table 1935
		Ordered January 20, 1930, to the J. G. Brill Company of Philadelphia for five Brill Model 660's, PRR Class GEG415 gas-electric motor cars, Nos. 4666-4670. The 139,400 pound, 75-foot, 66-passenger baggage passenger combine, powered by a 415h.p. Hall-Scott gasoline engine, was capable of pulling four 50-ton trailers (reducing top speed from 60 to 43 mph on level track), which could be heated by its oil-fired Petersmith-Otis boiler. Info: Donald D. Smith Brill Model 415 #4669-4670 Diagram - Digitally redrawn 2016 Chuck Blardone -The Keystone
The LIRR ran a shuttle between Bridgehampton and Sag Harbor for many years. It alternated service with PRR doodlebugs, as well. Gas car #1134 was the only doodlebug road-marked "Long Island" as the few others in use were all marked "Pennsylvania." Some of the Pennsy cars were very long and others were short Brill versions like the #1134. Some were used in Patchogue-Babylon "Scoot" service as well as service between Port Jefferson and Wading River due to waning ridership. Train orders were issued at PD (the block office at BH and SH had been closed) for these cars to make extra runs between Bridgehampton and Sag Harbor. Gas car #1134 had a baggage compartment, as well, so it could handle passengers, baggage and express. Research: Dave Keller
J. G. Brill gas car (“doodlebug”) #1134 at the designated Sag Harbor platform at the station – Bridgehampton, NY – 1927. These gas cars were very convenient to short-line or shuttle operations in that one car could be used to carry both passengers and mail/express/baggage, with a crew of 2: conductor and engineer, and they ran on what was then inexpensive gasoline. It eliminated the need for a steam locomotive, tender loaded with coal, combine car and a full crew of engineer, fireman, conductor and trainman/brakeman. They were the forerunner of the BUDD Rail Diesel Car Archive: Dave Morrison		Sag Harbor Branch - Change of Motive Power Article - 1927 LIRR #1134 Gas car - Archive: Art Huneke
Brill self-propelled Gas Car #1134 ("Doodlebug") at Sag Harbor station 7/05/1931		Brill Gas Car #1134 at Sag Harbor station 4/1939
v		Gas Car #1134 is laying up at the separate platform constructed for Sag Harbor riders at Bridgehampton, on August 14, 1938, awaiting connection with a thru-train to Montauk. At the far left are some ladies in their summer finery also awaiting the thru-train and parked near them is an old open "woody" style taxi. Other cars are awaiting the train at the rear of the depot. The open car windows as well as the open vestibule door(s) indicates a very hot August day. Note the stack atop the car for the on-board car heater for use in the cooler months. The platform for Sag Harbor riders had a short portion of it covered from the elements, but by the late-1920s, the covered shelter had been removed.
		Gas Car #1134 photographed in April, 1939, one month before the line was abandoned. The image shows the cost-effective two-man crew of engineer and conductor. The man in the suit is probably a LIRR official making the ride in preparation to abandonment of the branch in May, 1939. The 2-man crew eliminated the need for a fireman, a trainman and a brakeman as well as the additional need (and expense) to pull a tender full of coal and water. These cars ran on gasoline. For reduced ridership, they were very economical and were used quite frequently all over the Pennsy system. They were the forerunners of the BUDD RDC concept. (Fred Weber photo, Dave Keller archive)
Brill Gas Car #1134 at Richmond Hill Storage Yard - 8/1939 after being taken out of service (Morris Park Shops in background: view SE)		Gas Car #1134 Interior - Richmond Hill Storage Yard - 8/1939 after being taken out of service
PRR-leased gas car #4744 is seen laying up at the wye at Wading River, NY in January, 1932. The shuttle ran between that station and Port Jefferson, where a special lay-up track was built on the east side of the depot building. This branch extension between Port Jefferson and Wading River was abandoned in 1938. (George G. Ayling - Dave Keller)		PRR-leased gas car #4744 is laying up at the designated Sag Harbor platform across from the Bridgehampton depot. View is looking east from the rear of a moving westbound train. Bridgehampton depot is at the right – 1936. These gas cars were used wherever the LIRR needed them in shuttle service. One even ran on the Patchogue – Babylon “Scoot” for a period of time. (Wm. Moneypenny - Dave Keller)
Station Bridgehampton- Sag Harbor Covered Platform zoom view E c._ 1925 (Osborne-Keller)		Station Bridgehampton-Sag Harbor Covered Platform view E c. 1925 (Osborne-Keller)
Bridgehampton station looks quite forlorn on this cold, winter's afternoon with snow on the ground. The view is east from the westbound high-level express platform. The depot building is at the right with the double-bladed "BH" semaphore signal out front. The eastbound express house is in the distance. At the left is the designated Sag Harbor platform which sports a small shelter from the elements. At the far left, an express car has been set out. This image is from c. 1925, so the block office at "BH" was still in service, as evidenced by the semaphore blades still in place and steam locomotives were still making runs up the spur to Sag Harbor. It's possible the express car was brought down from Sag earlier in the day by a local freight and spotted on the siding to be picked up by a westbound Montauk train. Note the twisted light fixture on the platform lamp closest to the camera at the right. This was probably done intentionally to provide some directed light onto the express platform. (James V. Osborne photo, Dave Keller archive)
Gas Car Shuttle service ETT No. 4 - Sag Harbor to Bridgehampton - 9/15/1935		Memo Gas Car at PD Tower - Patchogue-Babylon Scoot 6/15/1934
GAS CAR - FORM 19 TRAIN ORDERS
Form 19 PRR Gas Car #4669 PD Patchogue-Babylon Scoot 3/06/1933	Form 19 PRR Gas Car #4669 PD - Babylon to Amityville 3/19/1933	Form 19 PRR Gas Car #4669 PD Patchogue-Babylon Scoot Meet 10/20/1934	Form 19 PRR Gas Car #1134 PD Passenger Extra 12/29/1936
Form 19 PRR Gas Car #4744 Sag Harbor 1/20/1933	Form 19 PRR Gas Car #4744 Sag Harbor 1/30/1933	Form 19 PRR Gas Car #4670 PD Patchogue-Babylon Scoot 6/24/1934
GAS CAR CREW LISTS
Crew lists can be deciphered thus: Train# Loco # Conductor Block Stations Departure Time (or "Motor#") Motor # Engineer Operated Between Arrival Time
Crew List PRR Gas Car #4744 Sag Harbor 2/15/1933	Crew List LIRR Gas Car #1134 Train #1901 Sag Harbor 4/05/1933	Crew List PRR Gas Car #4742 Train #1901 Sag Harbor 4//30/1934