Hoodlebug
Encyclopedia
Hoodlebug was a nickname used for small passenger trains or trolley
cars that provided commuter service in parts of the United States
. The name usually applies to such service in rural areas between towns or from towns to factories or mines before the advent of bus
service. Hoodlebugs were also used for school students before the widespread use of school bus
es.
It appears this is a local vernacular term limited to mid-Atlantic and Midwestern states. Its etymology is uncertain, but it may be a variation of doodlebug
, a railroad term for certain types of small, self-propelled cars.
Vehicles that provided similar rail service in parts of the western United States were often referred to as Galloping Geese
. However, most galloping geese were converted street vehicles while most hoodlebugs were converted trolleys.
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
cars that provided commuter service in parts of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The name usually applies to such service in rural areas between towns or from towns to factories or mines before the advent of bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
service. Hoodlebugs were also used for school students before the widespread use of school bus
School bus
A school bus is a type of bus designed and manufactured for student transport: carrying children and teenagers to and from school and school events...
es.
It appears this is a local vernacular term limited to mid-Atlantic and Midwestern states. Its etymology is uncertain, but it may be a variation of doodlebug
Doodlebug (rail car)
In the United States, doodlebug was the common name for a self-propelled railroad car . While such a coach typically had a gasoline-powered engine that turned a generator which provided electricity to traction motors, which turned the axles and wheels on the trucks, versions with mechanical...
, a railroad term for certain types of small, self-propelled cars.
Vehicles that provided similar rail service in parts of the western United States were often referred to as Galloping Geese
Galloping Goose
Galloping Goose is the popular name given to a series of seven railcars, built in the 1930s by the Rio Grande Southern Railroad and operated until the end of service on the line in the early 1950s....
. However, most galloping geese were converted street vehicles while most hoodlebugs were converted trolleys.