![GallopingGoose1952](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/af/GallopingGoose1952.jpg)
Galloping Goose is the popular name given to a series of seven
railcar
A railcar (not to be confused with a railway car) is a self-propelled railway vehicle designed to transport passengers. The term "railcar" is usually used in reference to a train consisting of a single coach (carriage, car), with a drive ...
s (officially designated as "motors" by the railroad), built in the 1930s by the
Rio Grande Southern Railroad
The Rio Grande Southern Railroad (reporting mark RGS, also referred to as "The Southern") was a 3 ft (914 mm) narrow-gauge railroad which ran in the southwestern region of the US state of Colorado, from the towns of Durango to Ridgway, ...
(RGS) and operated until the end of service on the line in the early 1950s. They were derived from full-sized automobiles.
Originally running steam locomotives on narrow gauge railways, the perpetually struggling RGS developed the first of the "geese" as a way to keep its contract to run mail into towns in the
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range and the largest mountain system in North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch in straight-line distance from the northernmost part of western Canada, to New Mexico in ...
in
Colorado
Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of t ...
. There was not enough passenger or cargo income to justify continuing the expensive steam train service at then-current levels, but it was believed that a downsized railway would return to profitability. The steam trains would transport heavy cargo and peak passenger loads, but motors would handle lighter loads.
Motors were not only less expensive to operate, but were also significantly lighter, thus reducing impact on the rails and roadbeds. This cost saving meant that the first Goose was paid off and making a profit within three weeks of going into service. RGS built more Geese, and operated them until the company abandoned their right-of-way in 1952.
History
The RGS built its first motor in 1913, as a track maintenance crew vehicle. This was wrecked in 1925, but inspired the idea of using motors for scheduled service.
All of the "geese" were built in the railroad's shops at
Ridgway, Colorado
The Town of Ridgway is the home rule municipality that is the most populous municipality in Ouray County, Colorado, United States. The town is a former railroad stop on the Uncompahgre River in the northern San Juan Mountains. The town populati ...
. The first was built in 1931 from the body of a
Buick
Buick () is a division of the American automobile manufacturer General Motors (GM). Started by automotive pioneer David Dunbar Buick in 1899, it was among the first American marques of automobiles, and was the company that established General ...
"Master Six" four-door sedan. It was more conventional in its construction than the later geese, though it had a two-axle
truck
A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport cargo, carry specialized payloads, or perform other utilitarian work. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, but the vast majority feature body-on-frame construction ...
in place of the front axle. Part of the rear of the car was replaced by a truck stake-bed for carrying freight and mail; this was later enclosed and partially fitted with seating. It was used for two years to carry passengers, US Mail, and light freight before being scrapped. A second "goose" was built in the same year from another Buick, but later versions used
Pierce-Arrow
The Pierce-Arrow Motor Car Company was an American motor vehicle manufacturer based in Buffalo, New York, which was active from 1901 to 1938. Although best known for its expensive luxury cars, Pierce-Arrow also manufactured commercial trucks ...
bodies except for #6, which was constructed partly out of parts taken from the scrapped #1.
No. 2 and No. 6 were constructed with two trucks, with the rear truck powered on both axles. #2 had an enclosed freight compartment (like a very short
boxcar
A boxcar is the North American ( AAR) term for a railroad car that is enclosed and generally used to carry freight. The boxcar, while not the simplest freight car design, is considered one of the most versatile since it can carry most ...
), while #6 had an open bed similar to #1 (but larger). It was used only for work train service. The other four had three trucks and were articulated in the same manner as a
tractor-trailer truck. In these, the second truck was powered, and the freight compartment was essentially a conventional boxcar.
Initially, the "geese" were painted in black and dark green. In 1935 they were all painted in a silver scheme which they retain to this day, though the style of lettering and heralds changed over the years. In 1945, #3, #4, and #5 were rebuilt with
Wayne bus bodies (at least the front half) replacing the old Pierce-Arrow bodies. This provided more passenger seating and comfort. A year later they also received new war surplus GMC engines.
![Rio Grande Southern removing narrow gauge rails 1952](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/02/Rio_Grande_Southern_removing_narrow_gauge_rails_1952.JPG)
In 1950, when the railroad finally lost its mail contract (in favor of highway mail carriers), #3, #4, #5, and #7 were converted for tourist operations, and the "Galloping Goose" name was officially recognized by the railroad. Large windows were cut in the sides of the freight compartments, and seating was added. A figure of a running goose and the words "Galloping Goose" were added to the carbody doors. This service lasted only two years, and the last work of the "geese" on their home line was to take up the rails.
It is unclear exactly where the name "Galloping Goose" comes from. It is mostly commonly suggested that it referred to the way the carbody and the freight compartment tended to rock back and forth on the line's sometimes precarious track. It is also suggested, though, that the name arose because the "geese" were equipped with air horns rather than the whistles of the steam locomotives. The name was used informally for years before the tourist operations, though the railroad officially referred to the units as "motors".
A similar unit was built for the San Cristobal Railroad, and was rebuilt by RGS in 1934–35. When the San Christobal folded in 1939, this unit was returned to the RGS railroad and dismantled, with some parts going to rebuild and maintain Goose No. 2.
The
Galloping Goose Regional Trail
The Galloping Goose Regional Trail is a rail trail between Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, and the ghost town of Leechtown, north of Sooke, where it meets the old Sooke Flowline. Maintained by the Capital Regional District (CRD), the trai ...
on
Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island is an island in the northeastern Pacific Ocean and part of the Canadian Provinces and territories of Canada, province of British Columbia. The island is in length, in width at its widest point, and in total area, while are o ...
was named after a similar unit that ran on the Vancouver Island section of the
Canadian National Railway
The Canadian National Railway Company (french: Compagnie des chemins de fer nationaux du Canada) is a Canadian Class I freight railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, which serves Canada and the Midwestern and Southern United States.
CN i ...
from 1922 to 1931.
Galloping Goose #5 (along with many local landmarks) was popularized in C. W. McCall's song, "Gallopin' Goose".
Surviving units
![Galloping Goose 3 under repair at Knotts](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Galloping_Goose_3_under_repair_at_Knotts.jpg)
Of the seven "geese", only #1 does not survive; it was scrapped in 1933. However, a replica was built in 2000 for the Ridgway Railroad Museum and is operational today. The other six are located as follows:
*
Geese #2,
#6, and
#7 are preserved at the
Colorado Railroad Museum
The Colorado Railroad Museum is a non-profit railroad museum. The museum is located on at a point where Clear Creek flows between North and South Table Mountains in Golden, Colorado.
The museum was established in 1959 to preserve a record of C ...
and are operational.
*
Goose #3 was sold to
Knott's Berry Farm
Knott's Berry Farm is a theme park located in Buena Park, California, owned and operated by Cedar Fair. In 2015, it was the twelfth-most-visited theme park in North America and averages approximately 4 million visitors per year. It features 40 ...
and is operated regularly during off-season periods when park attendance is low.
*
Goose #4 was on static display in
Telluride, Colorado
Telluride is the county seat and most populous town of San Miguel County in the southwestern portion of the U.S. state of Colorado. The town is a former silver mining camp on the San Miguel River in the western San Juan Mountains. The first ...
. It was restored to operation in
Ridgway, Colorado
The Town of Ridgway is the home rule municipality that is the most populous municipality in Ouray County, Colorado, United States. The town is a former railroad stop on the Uncompahgre River in the northern San Juan Mountains. The town populati ...
, as of June 2012. With the restoration of Goose #4, all of the Geese are now operable. Goose #4 was moved back to Telluride in May 2013.
*
Goose #5 was bought by the city of
Dolores, Colorado
The Town of Dolores is a Statutory Town located in Montezuma County, Colorado, United States. The town population was 885 at the 2020 United States Census.
Description
Dolores (Spanish for "sorrows" and named for the river on which it is locat ...
. After restoration in 1998 it is now operated from time to time on the
Cumbres and Toltec and
Durango and Silverton tourist railroads, as well as at the
Colorado Railroad Museum
The Colorado Railroad Museum is a non-profit railroad museum. The museum is located on at a point where Clear Creek flows between North and South Table Mountains in Golden, Colorado.
The museum was established in 1959 to preserve a record of C ...
.
Gallery
File:RGS Goose 2 1940.jpg, Goose number 2, 1940
File:RGS Galloping Goose 2 2008.jpg, Goose number 2 at the Colorado Railroad Museum
The Colorado Railroad Museum is a non-profit railroad museum. The museum is located on at a point where Clear Creek flows between North and South Table Mountains in Golden, Colorado.
The museum was established in 1959 to preserve a record of C ...
File:Goose 5 and Goose 2.jpg, Goose 5 and Goose 2 at the Colorado Railroad Museum
The Colorado Railroad Museum is a non-profit railroad museum. The museum is located on at a point where Clear Creek flows between North and South Table Mountains in Golden, Colorado.
The museum was established in 1959 to preserve a record of C ...
File:A ride on the Galloping Goose 1 1951.JPG, The train stops for sheep on the tracks.
File:A ride on the Galloping Goose 3 1951.JPG, Re-railing a Goose after a derailment.
File:A ride on the Galloping Goose 4 1951.JPG, A Galloping Goose climbing a trestle that was part of the route
File:Galloping Goose 7 at the Colorado Railroad Museum.jpg, Galloping Goose #7 waits on a siding at the Colorado Railroad Museum
The Colorado Railroad Museum is a non-profit railroad museum. The museum is located on at a point where Clear Creek flows between North and South Table Mountains in Golden, Colorado.
The museum was established in 1959 to preserve a record of C ...
.
See also
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Railbus
A railbus is a lightweight passenger railcar that shares many aspects of its construction with a bus, typically having a bus (original or modified) body and four wheels on a fixed base, instead of on bogies. Originally designed and developed ...
References
External links
{{Commons category, Galloping Goose
Driving Rio Grande Southern Goose Number 7Colorado Railroad MuseumDenver Post article: Galloping Goose June 2012 Golden railroad museum reunion
3 ft gauge locomotives
Rio Grande Southern Railroad
Railcars of the United States
Modified vehicles