Galloping Goose 443rd at it again, helping community

Army Reserve Magazine, Summer, 2001 by Dennis Beebe

DOLORES, Colo.-The 423rd Transportation Company from Ft. Carson is at it again.

The mission: Transport 10 miles of antique narrow gauge railroad track and ties from storage in Denver at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal, stockpile it briefly at Ft. Carson, then move it entirely down to Dolores, Colorado where volunteers will build the track through the town and up the Dolores river about 9 miles.

Dolores is a town of 1,020 people located 1 0 miles north of Cortez, Colorado.

Several years ago, a group of railroad enthusiasts worked with the Rotary Club and the town of Dolores to refurbish a self propelled railroad vehicle called 'The Galloping Goose' and eventually build a track through town and the surrounding area. They plan to be using it both as a light rail transport system and a tourist attraction.

The 423rd Transportation Company was called on to transport 30 trailer loads of rail and 10 trailer loads of ties over 350 miles from storage at Rocky Mountain Arsenal to Delores. The trip down took nearly 10 hours. The return trip took only eight hours.

The town of Dolores had purchased the rail motor vehicle in 1953 and the Galloping Goose Historical Society (GGHS) completely refurbished it to original condition with a $25,000 grant from the Colorado Historical Society. This grant was unique because the state historical society only gives grants to buildings. The Galloping Goose is the only structure on wheels to receive one.

It is the fifth of seven built in Ridgeway, Colorado in 1933 at the Southern Main Shop under the operation of Jack Odenbaugh.

The first one built was a prototype and did not survive. It had a single rear axle that turned out to be nonfunctional, as it was built too light and did not have the capacity to handle the weight requirements.

Of the next six built, numbers Two, Six, and Seven, reside in the Colorado Railroad Museum in Golden. Number Three is functioning at Knotts Berry Farm in Buena Park, California. Number Four is on static display 60 miles away from Dolores, in Telluride. Number Five is taken yearly to the Cumbres-Toltec Scenic Railway where it carries passengers from Chama, New Mexico to Antonito outside of Alamosa, Colorado along the scenic Rio Grande river in the spring.

In August, the second annual Railfest of the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad (D&SNGRR) will take place in Durango involving both Galloping Goose Motors Number Two and Number Five.

The town of Delores all pitched in to help support the soldiers during Operation Galloping Goose. Val and Deanna Truelsen, owners of the Ponderosa Restaurant, provided dinner for the soldiers each night, and Roy Plemons of McDonald's in Cortez provided breakfast at a much reduced rate each morning. Lieutenant Keith Domorese and Sergeant Matthew Rossi of the Colorado National Guard provided lodging and a parking place for the trucks and equipment each night, and Pat Burns of Delores provided and operated the forklift used to unload each of the trucks.