Along with the financial devastation of the Great Depression, the Rio Grande Southern Railroad faced natural disaster when a mudslide cut the track into two pieces. A divided line severely reduced rail traffic, and the struggle to remain financially solvent in the face of these difficulties inspired RGS to develop Motor Car #1, a cost-effective solution to severely reduced passenger, freight and US Mail traffic. Based on the replica of Rio Grande Southern Motor #1 that resides in Colorado's Ridgeway Railroad Museum, Bachmann's large scale Rail Truck brings whimsy and realism to narrow gauge modelling.