Personal Projects, Photography, and Pointless Pontifications
RGS Goose 5 on the C&TS
The Galloping Geese are definitely one of those oddities of Colorado
railroading. They’re small, gasoline-powered railcars built from
highway vehicles by the struggling Rio Grande Southern in the 1930s as a
way of continuing service without all the costs associated with
full-sized trains (coal, a crew of at least four, maintenance, wear on
the track, etc.) By the end, seven were built for the RGS, and an
eighth was built under contract for the San Cristobal Railway. Of
these, all but RGS Goose #1 and the San Cristobal unit survive today.
Goose 1 continues to exist in a way, as a very good replica was built by
the Ridgway Railroad Museum.
Probably the best known of the fleet is Goose #5. RGS 5 was originally built at the RGS’s Ridgway shops in the spring and early summer of 1933 using a 1928 Pierce-Arrow touring car body and Pierce-Arrow 36 engine up front and a large express freight area in the back. In 1946, its appearance underwent the first radical change in appearance, when the Pierce-Arrow car body was replaced with the Wayne bus body is has today. In 1950, its appearance changed yet again, as the express freight box on the rear was converted to passenger use, as a way of retooling the Goose to serve in the new tourist services that the RGS was promoting. Less obvious changes were made along the way as well, with airbrakes added at the FRA’s insistence in 1939 and the original Pierce-Arrow engine being replaced with a GMC inline 6 from a surplus WWII truck in 1947. While marginally successful, the tourist traffic wasn’t enough to save the RGS from rapidly tanking freight revenues. By 1952, the railroad called it quits, and some of the Geese were used in the scrapping operations. 5, however, had a different fate in store.
RGS 5 was purchased by the Dolores Rotary Club and donated to the
city, to be statically displayed in Flanders Park. It sat there,
suffering the worst Mother Nature could throw at it, for some 44 years.
By the early 90s, the freight box was on the verge of collapse – a
result of years and years of water leaking in through the roof onto the
wooden carbody. In 1987, the Galloping Goose Historical Society was
created, largely under the guidance of Wayne Brown, to preserve the
motor and restore it to operating condition. To dispel local doubt that
the newly-founded group was up to the task, they first set about
building a replica of the Dolores depot. By late 1996, they began work
on the Goose itself, finishing up the restoration to a fully operable
state in only fourteen months.
On 30-May-1998, some 47 years after it last moved under its own
power, the Goose made a successful return on the Cumbres & Toltec
Scenic. Well, mostly successful, aside from a few bugs to be worked
out… Since then, it’s been a staple of Railfest in Durango and a
regular visitor to both the Cumbres & Toltec and the Durango &
Silverton.
When it was announced that Goose 5 would again be making a few runs over the C&TS in 2006, I immediately jumped on it. I’d tried to ride on its 2005 visit, but work sent me to Memphis that week instead. By the time I found that I could go to Railfest 2005, the Goose tickets were already sold out. However, a quick phone call revealed that I was early enough to get on any run I wanted this year. My choice? Saturday, 10-Jun-2006, when the Goose would run westbound from Antonito to Chama. That way, I could ride the San Luis & Rio Grande’s standard gauge tourist train on Friday, then ride the Goose on Saturday, and chase the Goose on Sunday as it made a run from Chama to Osier and back. What follows are my photos from the Goose portions of that trip – the SLRG bits will come in a future trip report.
Riding the Goose – Antonito to Chama, Jun 10, 2006
Saturday, 10-Jun-2006’s run was all the way westbound across the C&TS, Antonito on through to Chama. A bit before 0830h, and the Goose crew has her almost ready to board in the Antonito yards.
Also at Antonito was C&TS 484, being prepped by the crew for the daily passenger train
Goose 5’s rear truck was rebuilt last winter. Here it is at home in Dolores, CO, on 18-Feb-2006, with the rear truck gone and the rear end held up by piles of timber.
One of the major parts of the rear truck rebuild is the new wheels. This week on the C&TS is their first real break-in, and as such they’re making a bit of noise.
If I got my notes right, that’s Larry Spencer, Vice President of the Galloping Goose Historical Society, handling the Goose for the first two-thirds of the run (Antonito-Cumbres).
The first photo op of the day was on Hangman’s Trestle. This, of course isn’t the original trestle – this one was built in the spring of 1989. The original trestle was accidentally destroyed by fire during the 1988 filming of the made-for-TV movie Where the Hell’s That Gold.
Next stop – Big Horn.
Just another Big Horn shot with the sign in the background.
Jerry McKenzie gives the front wheels a look while we’re stopped at Lava. Comforting advice from the crew for this stop: Look out for rattlers, they’re thick around here.
The next stop is Sublette – not really a photo op, just a chance to adjust the brakes, oil the drive chain, etc.
Just a low-angle shot of the Goose while stopped on the main at Sublette. We’re still an hour ahead of the regularly scheduled train at this point.
I can’t remember exactly where we traded (Big Horn, maybe), but eventually those of us who had been riding up front switched with the folks in the back.
The obvious must-do shot on any special over the C&TS is the one coming out of Rock Tunnel (aka Toltec Tunnel, overlooking Toltec Gorge).
Immediately to the west of Rock Tunnel is the Garfield Monument, a memorial to President James A. Garfield.
Just east of the tunnel, Goose 5 sits under the telltale waiting for the passengers to return
Only a few miles further, we’re into Osier for lunch, still well ahead of the scheduled westbound train (turns out the train is actually late anyway)
Just another shot of the Goose in front of the Osier dining house
While we’re all inside eating lunch (and my compliments to the Osier crew – the food is excellent), the Goose crew moves RGS 5 up onto a spur near the west end of the siding.
Just another shot of 5 on the spur at Osier
Forty six minutes after we arrived, the eastbound train approaches, as seen on the opposite side of the Osier Creek gulch
And a meet between C&TS 488 with the eastbound train and the Goose at Osier. With the opposing train out of the way, we’re ready to head on west to Cumbres and Chama
The Cascade Creek bridge is the larger of the two steel trestles on the C&TS (137ft high, 408ft long), and is only about a mile west of Osier. Here’s 5, doing a run-by for all of us.
RGS 5 against the rock cut on the west side of the Cascade Trestle
With a little imagination, you could almost believe this is somewhere around Lizard Head and we’re on the RGS in the early 1950s
RGS 5 on the Los Pinos trestle
Just happened to see this shot on the way back to the Goose and liked it, so here you go – RGS 5 along with one of the cold, clear streams running down into the Rio de Los Pinos.
Coming around the bottom end of the approach to Tanglefoot Curve, with Colorado Hwy 17 in the background. We’re very near the Cumbres Yard Limit sign.
Another very RGS-esque shot, this one on the upper part of Tanglefoot Curve
RGS 5 at the east switch of the Cumbres Pass yard, framed by a couple of pines
We’re stopped at Cumbres Pass to allow for some additional static photos, and to allow the crew to inspect the Goose before heading down the grade.
There’s Jerry, oiling the drive chain and checking the brakes, as usual.
Before heading down the hill, Wayne Brown, president of the Galloping Goose Historical Society, gives the GMC inline 6 engine a once-over.
On down the hill, the next run-by is just past the high fill near Coxo. As you can see, there are some clouds starting to move through the area.
Here’s Goose 5 doing a run-by on the Lobato Trestle, the C&TS’s other high bridge.
Just another Lobato shot – here’s a hint, in this one they’re going forward, as the headlights are on. I was cheating in the last shot, since they were backing up…
All finished up with the Lobato run-by, Wayne backs up the Goose to pick us all up while Larry looks on from below. That’s Fred Springer in the back door, by the way.
Arriving in Chama around 1630h. Unfortunately, we couldn’t spend much time, since the bus we were riding back to Antonito was the same bus that would be needed to haul the regular passengers back from Antonito to Chama. So, we were on the bus and underway within a few minutes.
Chasing the Goose – Chama to Antonito, Jun 11, 2006
Ready for Sunday’s run from Chama to Osier and back, 5 gets ready to move through the Chama yard and out onto the main for boarding
All ready to go at Chama and in front of the day’s regular train
Here’s the day’s regularly scheduled eastbound, lead by 484
And we’re off! C&TS conductor Alan Loomis, acting as the qualified pilot over the line for the Goose crew, gets out to protect the crossing while RGS 5 comes across.
Starting upgrade on the long, straight stretch between Chama and the Narrows.
RGS 5 makes its way up through the Narrows, just below Highway 17.
Exiting the Narrows, the Goose heads up around the curve towards Weed City and Lobato
Up at Dalton, here’s 5 still working to climb out of the Chama Valley behind it
Up above the second Highway 17 crossing, RGS 5 approaches the big reverse S-curve at MP 337.
Goose 5 continues to climb towards Cumbres, as seen on the winding trackwork down near Hamilton’s Point
5 steps out across the third crossing of Hwy 17 (near Coxo), again with Alan out front to protect the crossing
Taken just a few hundred yards beyond the crossing, between Coxo and the big fill that crosses the Wolf Creek valley. RGS 5 is incredibly small when you compare it to the scenery it’s passing through!
Finally at the top, RGS 5 crests the 4% grade at the west switch of Cumbres Pass
RGS 5 and the Cumbres Pass depot, amazingly with not one other person in the shot.
Ah, there’s all the people – included are crew, passengers, Friends members here for the work sessions, and just curious folk off the highway who can’t figure out what that odd looking silver thing is…
Departing Cumbres, 5 and crew make their way down through the Tanglefoot Curve.
Having stopped to do a run-by or two, RGS 5 heads down the straightaway towards Highway 17.
Just another view of 5 making the corner to parallel the highway
With some time to kill before Goose 5 returned from Osier, I headed back to the summit to catch the regular eastbound train coming in
And the regular train coming off Tanglefoot…
After the usually fine lunch at Foster’s in Chama, I went up and took a nap above Los Pinos for a while. Eventually the Goose rolled into view and past the tank.
Taken from the gravel road crossing between Los Pinos and Tanglefoot
Further up, starting on up towards Tanglefoot again, the Goose steps out onto the fill over Cumbres Creek.
Goose 5 again at the summit and coming through the Cumbres Pass yard limits
RGS 5 stopped at the Cumbres station, with most of the passengers off taking pictures.
It’s not just a photo stop – for the Goose crew, it’s the usual round of oil stuff and inspect/adjust the brakes before heading down the grade.
On the list of stuff I’d never noticed before is this plate, on a tie just west of Cumbres. It reads: E.M. Frimbo / Worlds Greatest Railroad Buff / Rogers E.M. Whitaker / January 15, 1900-May 11, 1981 / Travelled 2,748,674.73 miles on railroads …. July 19, 1981
RGS 5 starts down the long descent towards Chama, passing over the Cumbres trestle just south/west of the station.
After stopping for a run-by on the fill again, 5 comes back into view as it heads towards Coxo and the third highway crossing
Slipping downgrade in front of Windy Point near Coxo
Goose 5 coming through Cresco, CO
Just above the second highway crossing, Goose 5 comes through the famous reverse curves
Stopping briefly to let Alan out to flag the crossing…
A view with the log fence up at the Dalton crossing
RGS 5 arrives back at the Chama yard
Once the passengers are unloaded, Fred announces a Goose rare milage trip for anybody who wants a ride – down past the Chama yards and as far as they could get towards Durango.
Per Fred’s offer, they’d go as far as they could get… which, unfortunately, is about another 100 feet, since that’s where the main line abruptly ends now.
Oh well, since the trip to Durango didn’t work out, I guess we’ll just turn Goose 5 and head back to Chama
Headed back towards Chama, the Goose passes the restored Chama stock pens.
All photographs in this trip report were taken with a Canon EOS 20D using either a Canon 24-105mm F4 L IS/USM or a Canon 75-300mm f4-5.3 IS/USM.
This work is copyright 2022 by Nathan D. Holmes, but all text and images are licensed and reusable under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license. Basically you’re welcome to use any of this as long as it’s not for commercial purposes, you credit me as the source, and you share any derivative works under the same license. I’d encourage others to consider similar licenses for their works.
