Con-Cor - 0001-094173 - Railcar, Gasoline, Galloping Goose - Santa Fe - X-105

Model Information: Introduced in 2006 (DC - $179.98) and 2007 (DCC - $198.98). No other runs since then. Packaged as "The Rail Baron Collection. A Collector's Edition"

Despite being really tiny, this model runs very smoothly.
All eight box trailer wheels provide pickup (no traction tires). Propulsion is provided solely by the two axles on the forward box trailer truck. The cab wheels are electrically neutral.
This is a N gauge model, not a Nn3 narrow gauge like the prototype.

This model is a replica of Rio Grande Southern (RGS) Motor #5 in its original configuration (freight). All other roadnames but RGS are fantasy, as the prototype was only built and used by the RGS. All non RGS versions are marked with road number X-105 and MoW (Maintenance of Way).

DCC Information: First release was DC-only. Second release was with a built-in DCC decoder. Note that both versions are using similar stock numbers (difference is a 0 or a 9 as 2nd character) and can be distinguished by the mention "Standard DC Version" or "Dual Mode DC+DCC Version" on the sticker on the side of the package.

Prototype History: Galloping Goose is the popular name given to a series of seven railcars (officially designated as "motors" by the railroad), built in the 1930s by the Rio Grande Southern Railroad (RGS) and operated until the end of service on the line in the early 1950s.

Motors #1 and #2 were built from a Buick "Master Six" four-door sedan.
Motors #3 and #4 were built from a Pierce-Arrow 1926 body and Pierce-Arrow 33 engine.
Motor #5 was built from a Pierce-Arrow 1928 body and Pierce-Arrow 36 engine.
Motor #6 was built from a Buick body and a Buick-6 engine.
Motor #7 was built from a Pierce-Arrow 1926 body and a Ford 1936 V-8.

All but #1 have been preserved and are visible in various museums in Colorado. All the surviving units have been restored and are operational.
From Wikipedia.

Road Name History: The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway (reporting mark ATSF), often abbreviated as Santa Fe or AT&SF, was one of the larger railroads in the United States. Chartered in February 1859, the railroad reached the Kansas-Colorado border in 1873 and Pueblo, Colorado, in 1876. To create a demand for its services, the railroad set up real estate offices and sold farm land from the land grants that it was awarded by Congress. Despite the name, its main line never served Santa Fe, New Mexico, as the terrain was too difficult; the town ultimately was reached by a branch line from Lamy.

The Santa Fe was a pioneer in intermodal freight transport, an enterprise that (at one time or another) included a tugboat fleet and an airline (the short-lived Santa Fe Skyway). Its bus line extended passenger transportation to areas not accessible by rail, and ferryboats on the San Francisco Bay allowed travelers to complete their westward journeys to the Pacific Ocean. The ATSF was the subject of a popular song, Harry Warren & Johnny Mercer's "On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe", written for the film, The Harvey Girls (1946).

The railroad officially ceased operations on December 31, 1996, when it merged with the Burlington Northern Railroad to form the Burlington Northern & Santa Fe Railway.

Read more on Wikipedia.

Brand/Importer Information: Con-Cor has been in business since 1962. Many things have changed over time as originally they were a complete manufacturing operation in the USA and at one time had upwards of 45 employees. They not only designed the models,but they also built their own molds, did injection molding, painting, printing and packaging on their models.

Currently, most of their manufacturing has been moved overseas and now they import 90% of their products as totally finished goods, or in finished components. They only do some incidental manufacturing today within the USA.

Important Note: The Con-Cor product numbering can be very confusing. Please see here in the article how to properly enter Con-Cor stock numbers in the TroveStar database.