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Galloping Goose is the name given to a series of seven railcars (also known as "motors") built in the 1930s by the Rio Grande Southern Railroad (RGS) and operated until the end of service on the line in the early 1950s.
Originally running steam locomotives on narrow gauge railways, the perpetually-struggling RGS developed the first of the "geese" as a way to stave off bankruptcy and keep its contract to run mail to towns in the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. 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 the 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 lines in 1952.
From From American Steam and Narrow Gauge:
The success of Goose #1 and the cuts in operating expenses it allowed soon prompted the Rio Grande Southern to considered building more Geese based on the same principle. Goose #2 was born in 1931. She is based on the same type of Buick sedan as #1, but runs on two trucks (the rear one is powered) and is twice as heavy as #1. She has space for four passengers and her freight compartment is completely enclosed and bigger than #1's. Goose #2 livery was originally of the same black as the Buick sedan she was derived from. All the Geese were repainted silver in 1935 and had kept this colour since then.
In 1939, Goose #2 is rebuilt with a 1926 Pierce-Arrow car body and is equiped with a new and more powerful Buick engine. At that time, Goose #2 doesn't see much use anymore because newer Geese have been put into service, so #2 is most of the time on stand-by duty. Today, #2 is preserved at the Colorado Railroad Museum and is operational.
From the Colorado Railroad Museum website:
The Colorado Railroad Museum had its beginning in 1950. Co-founder Robert W. Richardson began accumulating railroad artifacts at Alamosa. Richardson believed too little was being done to save the bulk of this material so with the help of Cornelius Hauck opened the Colorado Railroad Museum in 1958. The museum has accumulated a number of locomotives, dining cars, and cabooses, several of which are listed on the State and National Registers.
The Museum is located on 15 acres at a point where Clear Creek flows between North and South Table Mountains. All of the railroad equipment is displayed outdoors, with historic Table Mountain in the background . . . a popular site for railway photographers.
Visitors will find display tracks complete with a rare three-way stub switch, dual gauge track and switches, and century-old switch stands. These tracks hold over 100 historic narrow and standard-gauge locomotives and cars. Our 1/3-mile oval of 3-foot gauge track is used by trains on operating days.
The Cornelius W. Hauck Restoration Facility was dedicated July 15, 2000. The building's brick design was chosen to reflect a fairly prosperous railroad in a small division point during the late nineteenth century. Our visitors' gallery allows our guests to observe restoration work safely and is open during Museum hours.
The roundhouse area also includes a fascinating display of locomotives and cars on the roundhouse ”radial” tracks, as well as a fully functioning 90-foot, “Armstrong” turntable.