Railbuses had their origins in the 1920's and 1930's when mail and passengers had to be delivered to remote branch line areas. On "slow" business days or in the off-season when business was light, these railbuses were much cheaper to operate than sending out a massive steam loco complete with crew. (The idea behind the Railbuses was very similar in thought to the thinking behind the RDC's of a later era).
Many railroads had Railbuses in one version or another for the "economies" derived by their use. They were used on both the branch lines of the major carriers as well as on smaller local lines and narrow gauge operations.
When Con-Cor researched the Railbus, they found that some of the most famous of all Railbuses, the Rio Grande Southern's "Galloping Geese" were still around and some are still running in tourist service. Their model of the Galloping Goose is a faithful representation of the original freight and passenger version of Goose #5, which first hit the rails in 1933. Number 5 was virtually identical to Geese #3 and #4 which were built a bit earlier. Goose #5 presently lives in Dolores, Colorado, and is in full operating condition. Other Geese can be found in Telluride, Colorado, at Knott's Berry Farm and at the Colorado Railroad Museum in Golden Colorado. Still other Railbuses can be found in various train museums around the U.S.A. such as the one in St. Louis. At this time, quantities are extremeley limited.