Galloping Goose

[Anonymous]

I am researching the eastern Montana area that is now the Yellowstone valley RR.
I am basing my layout on the sugar beet traffic in the 50's-60's.

When I was younger my Grandpa told me about the "Galloping goose" that used to travel between Sidney, MT and Williston, ND.
Does anyone know anything about it? Who operated it?
GN owned the trackage between Sidney and Williston did they operate it?
Apperantly this was the only passanger service ever ran to Sidney, how would I find if this is true?

[Jetrock]

Most things called the "Galloping Goose" are typically some kind of rail truck...kind of like this:


This is the Rio Grand Southern's goose.

Either that or it could have been some other kind of doodlebug, like this:

This one was used between Streeter and Fargo, ND, on the Northern Pacific.

Vehicles like this varied widely, but the basic idea was a single self-propelled car, either a purpose-built design like a McKeen motor car or a homebrewed beast that looks like the unholy mating of a Mack truck and a passenger car. The general idea was that a single self-powered car was much cheaper to operate than a steam locomotive and passenger cars, and thus made local low-traffic passenger service far more economically feasible, until motorcars and good public roads became common.

Con-Cor sells a Goose lettered for Great Northern, but there is no telling how prototypical it is:
http://www.all-railroads.com/Goose.htm

[passengerfan]

I took a look at a copy of the Official Guide dated June 1954 and the only Great Northern trains listed to Williston were #371 and #372 between Williston and Opheim. This was a single car motor train with Baggage Mail and Coach seating. Similar to the NP car pictured earlier. Perhaps the locals called it a Galloping Goose.

[marknewton]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Jetrock

Con-Cor sells a Goose lettered for Great Northern, but there is no telling how prototypical it is

Yes, there is. The Con-Cor model is of a specific railcar that only the RGS owned. Any of these lettered for any other other railroad is a fantasy model.

All the best,

Mark

[Anonymous]

I think your right, It had to have been the Doodlebug, but called the "goose" by the locals. It was used for a small amount of paasanger service, so it makes sence.

Thanks!