Rio Grande Southern Motor No. 3
Overview
Rio Grande Southern Motor No. 3, commonly known as Galloping Goose No. 3, is a widely recognized surviving piece of Colorado narrow-gauge equipment.
The Galloping Geese were self-propelled railcars developed by the Rio Grande Southern Railroad as economical alternatives to conventional steam trains during periods of declining traffic.
Today, No. 3 is preserved in operating condition at Knott’s Berry Farm as part of the Ghost Town & Calico Railroad collection, alongside D&RGW No. 340 and RGS No. 41.
Quick Facts
| Railroad | Rio Grande Southern Railroad |
| Number | 3 |
| Built | 1931 |
| Type | Railbus / Motor Car |
| Nickname | Galloping Goose |
| Track Gauge | 3-foot narrow gauge |
| Builder | Rio Grande Southern shops |
| Purpose | Lower-cost passenger, mail, express, and light-freight service |
| Current Location | Knott’s Berry Farm, Buena Park, California |
| Collection | Ghost Town & Calico Railroad |
| Status | Operational |
What Is a Galloping Goose?
The Galloping Geese were neither conventional locomotives nor traditional passenger cars. They combined highway-vehicle components with railroad running gear to create small, self-propelled vehicles capable of carrying passengers, mail, express shipments, and light freight.
Their purpose was straightforward: keep service operating at a fraction of the expense of a conventional steam train.
A Railroad Fighting for Survival
By the 1930s, automobiles, trucks, changing mining traffic, and weak finances threatened the Rio Grande Southern. Rather than abandon all service immediately, the railroad experimented with smaller and less expensive equipment. The Galloping Geese became one of its most creative survival strategies.
Motor No. 3
Built in 1931, Motor No. 3 shared the general Goose formula: an automotive-style front section, passenger accommodations, freight or baggage capacity, railroad wheels, and a small crew requirement.
The design allowed the RGS to continue handling mail, express, passengers, and limited freight on trains that did not justify a steam locomotive and conventional consist.
Why They Were Called Galloping Geese
Galloping Goose was a popular nickname rather than the original formal railroad designation. Their unusual bodies, swaying motion, and distinctive movement over narrow-gauge track encouraged comparisons with geese, and the nickname became inseparable from the vehicles.
From Colorado to California
Walter Knott’s acquisition of Motor No. 3 preserved another part of the Rio Grande Southern story in Southern California. At Knott’s, the vehicle joined authentic Colorado locomotives, passenger equipment, and a caboose.
The steam locomotives represent conventional narrow-gauge railroad operation. The Goose represents the RGS response when conventional operation became too expensive.
More Than a Curiosity
It is easy to view a Galloping Goose as an eccentric machine, but the vehicles were practical transportation solutions. Their underlying concept anticipated later railbuses and other lightweight self-propelled passenger equipment.
The Knott’s Collection
Viewed beside Nos. 340 and 41, RGS caboose No. 0402, and historic passenger cars, Motor No. 3 becomes part of a larger preservation story. Walter Knott saved a cross-section of Colorado narrow-gauge railroading rather than a single isolated artifact.
Why Motor No. 3 Matters
Motor No. 3 represents the Rio Grande Southern, Depression-era cost reduction, mountain railroad operations, narrow-gauge innovation, and the preservation of Colorado railroad history in California.
Preservation Status
Rio Grande Southern Motor No. 3 remains part of the historic railroad collection at Knott’s Berry Farm. It enables the Ghost Town & Calico Railroad to interpret not only the steam era, but also an inventive survival strategy attempted by an American railroad.
Related Railroads
- Ghost Town & Calico Railroad
- Rio Grande Southern Railroad
Related Topics
- D&RGW No. 340
- RGS No. 41
- RGS Caboose No. 0402
- Galloping Goose
- Railbus
- Narrow-Gauge Railroad
- Walter Knott
Gallery
Photo gallery coming soon.
Western Rail Archive Notes
If No. 340 represents the Denver & Rio Grande story and No. 41 represents the Rio Grande Southern steam story, Motor No. 3 represents the Rio Grande Southern survival story. The locomotives show how the railroad traditionally operated. The Goose shows how it tried to stay alive.
Archive Status
| Page Status | Category | Type | Gallery |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foundational Article | Equipment | Railcar | In Development |