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Galloping Goose #1 Cache Traditional Cache

This cache has been archived.

TwoOldBears: The railroad has been moved. The cache has been lost. We will change locations and update thanks.

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Hidden : 8/22/2006
Difficulty:
1.5 out of 5
Terrain:
1 out of 5

Size: Size:   small (small)

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Geocache Description:

A NARROW-GAUGE RAILROAD HISTORY CACHE: Near the Ridgway Railroad Museum, this cache is located in Ridgway, Colorado's itsy-bitsy, teeny-tiny Lions Park. Level terrain, good for children, several parking locations close by. Wheelchair accessable but requires crossing grassy areas.

CACHE LOCATION: Cache is in the miniscule park next to the Ridgway Railroad Museum. There are numerous railroad and other historical items on outdoor display in and next to this park. Be sure to visit the INDOOR portion of the free museum for working narrow-guage railroad models and other local rail-history displays. PLEASE: DO NOT climb on, crawl under, open, enter, or damage any historical item while searching for the cache -- it is not within 10 feet of any historical item. Note: Although the directors of the Museum & Visitors Center know about the cache, the building is staffed entirely by various volunteers who may not be familiar with the cache.

GALLOPING GOOSE: Built in Ridgway in 1931, the unique railroad "rail-bus" Rio Grande Southern Motor #1 ("Galloping Goose #1") was part Buick automobile and part locomotive/railcar! Seven of these world-famous hybrids were built and six of the originals still exist today. The first one built is the only one ever scrapped (in 1933). It existd only in pictures and documents until 2000 when K. Schaeffer of the Ridgway Railroad Museum painstakingly recreated a full-sized accurate, operating Galloping Goose #1. This Galloping Goose is on display in the outdoor rails portion of the museum. As of 2006, admission to this excellent museum is still free of charge. (SPECIAL INFORMATION: Galloping Goose #4 was also on museum property untill May 2013. It was brought over from it's permanent home in Telluride (Colorado) on May 29, 2008 for a "comprehensive structural and cosmetic restoration" by the museum. Built in 1932 in Ridgway, GG #4 was on-site for four years until the restoration was completed and has now been returned to Telluride where you can see it in their downtown area.)

TRUE GRIT JAIL WAGON: Up until 2017, the actual Jail Wagon from the 1969 movie "True Grit" (starring John Wayne, much of which was filmed in Ridgway) was on display here in Ridgway's Lions Park. Due to the occasional high winds at this location, it was moved the summer of 2017 to a more protected location next the Ouray County Ranch History Museum in the old Railroad Depot Building next to Railroad Avenue, about 1/2 mile from this cache site. You can visit the Ridgway Visitors Center located in the same building as the Railroad Museum to learn more about the many classic westerns filmed in Ouray county.

CACHE CONTAINER: This is a logbook & pen/pencil only cache -- no room in container for anything else. Please carefully close & replace any plastic bags around the container so the log book will (hopefully) not get wet. THANKS!

ENJOY THE CACHE and ENJOY THE HISTORY!

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Gur UVAG znqr vg svaq-noyr JVGUBHG TCF fb bevtvany uvag unf orra erzbirq. Fubhyqa'g arrq vg - rnfl svaq!

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)