08/31/2026
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE COLLECTION: GALLOPING GOOSE NO. 7
It’s a simple fact that the few, iconic Colorado narrow-gauge locomotives, railroad cars and “motors” still with us today are rarities. As such, they are deserving of special status and treatment. A primary focus of the Colorado Railroad Museum (CRRM) is doing just this, treasuring and preserving those that somehow managed to survive as the beloved railroads they once operated on slowly went out of business.
In more recent years, a different but related focus has also emerged: Sharing these rare survivors more widely. Loaning narrow gauge locomotives between museums and railroads involves plenty of work, but the actual transportation is easier than one might think. Though they look huge and heavy when operating under steam, most locomotives and cars that run on 3-foot narrow gauge rails are relatively small. Many will fit easily on one or two lowboy trailers without being over-height or over-weight, allowing them to be transported by truck on roads and highways to virtually anywhere within the North American continent.
Beginning in late 2025 and continuing through mid-2026, Denver & Rio Grande Western steam locomotive No. 315 was loaned to the Colorado Railroad Museum (CRRM) by the Durango Railroad Historical Society. In Golden, No. 315 started out by helping pull THE POLAR EXPRESS™ during its many holiday theatrical performances. At the same time CRRM loaned one of its locomotives, Rio Grande Southern (RGS) No. 20, to the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad to pull special excursion trains in winter 2026. Both of these loans provided new audiences with unique exposure to the drama and excitement of historic steam railroading.
MORE SHARING: CARSON CITY!
Well, another opportunity for sharing has arisen! The Colorado Railroad Museum will be loaning its beloved RGS Galloping Goose “motor” No. 7 to the Nevada State Railroad Museum (NSRM) in Carson City, Nevada, for a weekend “Motor Car Rally” over Labor Day Weekend, September 5-7, 2026. And what a rally this will be! The event is scheduled to feature more than a half-dozen motor cars while celebrating the 100th anniversary of NSRM’s Tucson, Cornelia & Gila Bend (TC&GB) motorcar No. 401.
Other motor cars to be assembled in Carson City for this event include NSRM’s own Virginia & Truckee (V&T) McKeen “windsplitter” motorcar No. 22; Death Valley Railroad Brill motorcar No. 5 from the Laws Railroad Museum & Historic Site located in Bishop, California; replica motorcar “Sarah Kidder” from the Nevada County Narrow Gauge Museum in Nevada City, California; replica Nevada Central motorcar No. 107-C; and replica V&T inspection motorcar No. 24.
The Labor Day Weekend 2026 “Motor Car Rally” event in Carson City will feature motorcar rides and behind-the-scenes tours, plus the opportunity to see the Nevada State Railroad Museum’s celebrated collection. If your Labor Day Weekend travels include Nevada, we encourage you to learn more and purchase tickets at https://heyor.ca/0FOuJb. All Aboard for the Silver State!
THE “LAST GOOSE” NO. 7
The Rio Grande Southern’s small fleet of Galloping Geese (known on the railroad as “motors”) have gained an outsized following among fans of Colorado narrow gauge railroads. It’s no wonder: while many railroad motor cars were ordered from and built by commercial builders, the RGS’ “Geese” were home-built from used automobiles by a railroad that was perpetually short of money. Their creation likely ensured the railroad’s continuation from the dawn of the Great Depression through to its final demise in the early 1950s.
The final Galloping Goose to be constructed, No. 7, came into the picture in 1936, converted from a four-door, 1926 Pierce Arrow model 33. As modified, its carbody basically gets continuously wider from the front windshield to the back wall of the passenger compartment. A new and wider roof was fashioned to cover these expanded dimensions. The rear wheel well holes, no longer needed, were also filled in with sheet metal.
The Pierce Arrow’s front axle was removed, and replaced with a two-axle, lightweight swiveling wheelset and a set of leaf springs. Number 7’s rear mail and cargo compartment rode aboard a frame constructed from steel channel. Atop this rode an enclosed compartment for mail, express and freight, riding on a pair of lightweight, two-axle swiveling wheelsets.
This ingenious vehicle was originally powered by a 1936 Ford V-8 engine with the clutch and transmission attached. These turned a drive shaft to power the forward axle of the car’s middle, swiveling two-axle wheelset. The second or rear axle of this wheelset was in turn driven from the front one, using roller chains and sprockets mounted outside the wheels. Fuel was supplied by a boxy gasoline tank, mounted on top of the passenger compartment.
Goose 7 entered service before it was even finished. Chief Mechanic Odenbaugh operated the newly constructed motorcar from Ridgway to Dallas Divide in October 1936, lending a hand to another Goose which was having brake problems. A photo of this trip shows the new motor’s pilot or “cowcatcher” hadn’t even been installed yet!
The Rio Grande Southern experienced plenty of turbulence in its final years. After the cancellation of its U.S. Postal Service contract in 1950, the railroad attempted to survive by advertising Galloping Goose excursion rides over its breathtaking route. Side doors were closed and a rear passenger doorway added to several Geese, along with long horizontal window openings cut into the sides of the mail and cargo compartments. Old Denver Tramway streetcar seats were installed in the former cargo compartments.
A complete, narrated and illustrated YouTube video about this uniquely Colorado rail vehicle can be found at https://heyor.ca/qQ6bEx.
