Galloping Goose
A famed aspect of the RGS was its fleet of Galloping Geese. During the Great Depression increasing operational costs made it expensive to operate trains over the mountain railroad. The RGS devised a rail car from Buick and Pierce-Arrow automobiles or bus front ends and a box car rear end. Seven Geese were built for the RGS, and all but one survive today. A Goose was built by RGS for the San Cristobal Railroad in 1933. It was returned to the RGS in 1939 and dismantled, with parts going to rebuild Goose #2. The Goose at Knott's Berry Farm still operates in the function it was designed for—to run a cost-effective rail service on days when demand does not require full-size trains (mostly weekdays during Fall, Winter and Spring in this year-round theme park). All six original Geese and the reproduction No. 1 are operational. The last non-operational Goose, No. 4, was restored to operation in August 2011 by the volunteers of the Ridgway Railroad Museum and the Telluride fire department.
| Goose | Built | Type | Current Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | 1931 | Buick | Replica at the Ridgway Railway Museum |
| #2 | 1931 | Buick | Colorado Railroad Museum |
| #3 | 1932 | Pierce-Arrow orig, Wayne Bus Body | Knotts Berry Farm |
| #4 | 1932 | Pierce-Arrow orig, Wayne Bus Body | Currently undergoing restoration in Ridgway, Colorado |
| #5 | 1933 | Pierce-Arrow orig, Wayne Bus Body | Dolores, Colorado |
| #6 | 1934 | Buick | Colorado Railroad Museum |
| #7 | 1936 | Pierce Arrow | Colorado Railroad Museum |
Read more about this topic: Rio Grande Southern
Famous quotes containing the words galloping and/or goose:
“I sprang to the stirrup, and Joris and he;
I galloped, Dirck galloped, we galloped all three;
“Good speed!” cried the watch as the gate-bolts undrew,
“Speed!” echoed the wall to us galloping through.
Behind shut the postern, the lights sank to rest,
And into the midnight we galloped abreast.”
—Robert Browning (1812–1889)
“Hey, diddle, diddle,
The cat and the fiddle,
The cow jumped over the moon;
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To see such sport,
And the dish ran away with the spoon.”
—Mother Goose (fl. 17th–18th century. Hey, diddle, diddle (l. 1–6)