A tribute to The Greatest Show On Earth

Great Pictures Matt, Its sad to hear they are calling it quits!

First two pictures, Warren PA 1956, last group Hershey,PA 2014 Quite a legacy to loose.

Interesting photos....thanks for posting them!

Keep politics out of this thread and it will stay here. I have already deleted one thread about this subject that went off the rails with unfounded political nonsense.

Yep Rich I'll keep it to myself what I think of busybodies........

Great historical pictures!

Agreed, great photos!  

Here is a lucky video of a Ringling train (unsure if red or blue unit)  diverted through Cedar Rapids IA in 2010 (forgot reason why).  Got out there just minutes before it arrived.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPlCb_CQeHw

It is pretty sad to see them go. I remember going as a kid in the '50s, maybe into the early '60s. The circus was really a big deal back then. After seeing the pictures above, just think of the work they had to do to unload, transport and set up all the animals and equipment then rehearse and put on the shows. Only to have to reverse the process a few days later and do it all over again. Just taking care of all those animals would be a tremendous job. The train, the costs, probably amazing they made it this long. There is/was a lot to all of that.

I visited their Wisconsin winter quarters, which is near a RR Museum, a couple of times, but, after l had watched Super Circus on TV every evening after getting home from school, for forever, l was saturated.  I wonder if all the intertainment options available to kids today did not do them in?

colorado hirailer posted:

I visited their Wisconsin winter quarters,

I believe you'll find that their "winter quarters" are in Florida (who in their right mind would 'winter in Wisconsin'?), while the Circus World Museum is in Baraboo, Wisc., very close to the Mid Continent Railroad Museum, in North Freedom, Wisc.

which is near a RR Museum, a couple of times, but, after l had watched Super Circus on TV every evening after getting home from school, for forever, l was saturated.  I wonder if all the intertainment options available to kids today did not do them in?

Remember the Movie with Charlton Heston and James Stewart in The  Greatest Show On  Earth. There's a scene where the second section plows into the first after the rear flagman on the first is disabled . Quite realistic. I do like Betty Hutton... Best part of the movie

Thanks for posting the pictures.

Fond memories.

Dang I missed the drama. Oh well. I'm sad to see them go but they haven't come to Minnesota in a very long time. Maybe I can go see a show before the gold up the tents forever

I remember as a kid when the Circus used to perform at the Arena, ( which has been torn down ), the train used to be parked on a siding on Manchester between Macklind and Sulpher. To me it, it seemed to be miles long. After the last show, you could see the performers walking back or being shuttled to the train. What fond memories. Now the Arena , the Circus, and the siding are all gone.

I wonder what will become of the train(s) once they shut down operations later this year.

They might end up in MOW service?

It would be nice if the cars are sold off and not scrapped. I suspect tourist railroads might try to buy a few cars. But in the end they might end up getting scrapped.

The present circus cars have "Amtrak numbers" on them.  What is the reason why?  The circus train is not the usual passenger train?

Hot Water posted:

colorado hirailer posted:

I visited their Wisconsin winter quarters,

I believe you'll find that their "winter quarters" are in Florida (who in their right mind would 'winter in Wisconsin'?), while the Circus World Museum is in Baraboo, Wisc., very close to the Mid Continent Railroad Museum, in North Freedom, Wisc.

Actually, both claims are correct.

Circus World Museum is located in Baraboo, Wisconsin, because Baraboo was home to the Ringling Brother's. It was from Baraboo in 1884 that the Ringling Brother's Circus began their first tour as a circus. Over the seasons, the circus expanded from a wagon show to a railroad show with 225 employees, touring cities across the United States each summer.

From Circus World Museum:

The Ringling show returned to Baraboo after finishing their tour to repair and repaint equipment. The Ringling's spent the winter designing and fabricating new props and wardrobe, hiring new and returning performers, planning the route the circus would travel, and laying out their new advertising campaign. They also cared for their animals which in 1916 consisted of: five hundred horses and ponies, 29 elephants, 15 camels and about 20 other hay eating animals, plus tigers, lions, monkeys, and birds including ostrich. Of the 25 Ringling structures that once existed, 10 of the winter quarters buildings still exist, having been designated National Historic Landmark Structures.

John Ringling had the circus move its headquarters to Sarasota, Florida in 1927.

Ringling, Ringling... Slippin Away...  Very sad demise for both the Greatest Show On Earth and the Milwaukee Road.  

The news today that Ringling is closing is very sad.  My wife and I went to the circus when it visited the SF Bay Area a couple to times during the last few years.  We missed last year.  It truly was a "Great Show".  

I have been planning to visit the Ringling museum during the NMRA convention in Orlando this summer.  I wonder if it will still be open.  

I have a couple of O scale circus trains that I love to run.  I have been buying K-Line circus cars whenever I find them at a train show.  

I will miss the circus.

NH Joe

Folks, we are making the Hospital Cars that were converted by Ringling Bros for their train. Anyone interested?

Scott

 I'd be interested in a couple

I didn't bother to pull down the road Atlas for circus or RR Museum, to look up names... I do remember the Flyer circus trains in stores as a kid..  l guess Lionel did not want to be a copy-cat and put one out, but Marx should have had no reservations. With their emphasis on play value, such as army trains, and the bright colors appropriate, l wonder Marx didn't jump on it, at least for the six inch. I can't think of the name of that obscure train brand that had circus cars.  They are actually rare.

We passed the Ringling cars while going north on the Silver meteor Friday somewhere in Florida. I don'r remember where.

TURTLE 2 posted:

Hershey,PA 2014

.

These are great!  I think I might have been there watching this with my wife and daughter as well.  What a memory!

Quite a few years ago I videoed the animal procession and the some of the loading of the train at the LIRR Garden City Freight Yard when the circus was packing up after its run at the Nassau Colosseum. The following day I went trackside again and filmed the train leaving Garden City and then caught it again at Fresh Pond. I may or may not have gotten it again when it crossed the Hell Gate Bridge, late that afternoon. It's been a long time since I looked at the video. If I get some time I'll edit some of it an post it online.

Has there been any indication the high wire and trapeze acts would be spinned off as a new show, something like the various ice shows?  But even with that 18 wheelers could handle that.

In 1972, I came across the train parked on a siding at Hershey, PA.

I was fortunate back in April 1993 to be engineer on the B&O Museum Excursion train when the elephant cars were brought into the museum. The elephants would unload at the museum and parade down Pratt Street to the arena.

Photos are taken from the cab of the locomotive we were using that day on the excursion, Western Maryland F7 #236. 

Gregg posted:

Remember the Movie with Charlton Heston and James Stewart in The  Greatest Show On  Earth. There's a scene where the second section plows into the first after the rear flagman on the first is disabled . Quite realistic. I do like Betty Hutton... Best part of the movie

The train wreck scene certainly is a model railroading topic.

 "You know, one of the reasons we made The Greatest Show on Earth is because the world needs laughter today."

I'm with C.B. DeMille!

Thanks to everyone a Ringling Brothers & Barnum and Bailey Circus for 146 year of fun.  There will be a little less laughter tomorrow. 

I know that UP 3985 pulled the circus train once. Was that the only time steam pulled the train in present day?

Railfan Brody posted:

I know that UP 3985 pulled the circus train once. Was that the only time steam pulled the train in present day?

Yes. That was September or October 2010.

New Haven Joe posted:

The news today that Ringling is closing is very sad.  My wife and I went to the circus when it visited the SF Bay Area a couple to times during the last few years.  We missed last year.  It truly was a "Great Show".  

I have been planning to visit the Ringling museum during the NMRA convention in Orlando this summer.  I wonder if it will still be open.  

I have a couple of O scale circus trains that I love to run.  I have been buying K-Line circus cars whenever I find them at a train show.  

I will miss the circus.

NH Joe

The Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota, FL is a nice place to visit if you are in Florida.  It has the Ringling's house in Sarasota restored and it is full of art they collected as well as a building full of Circus wagons and the Ringling's personal Pullman Car restored.

Andy

Bill Matheson sent me some quick snaps he took of "The Last Circus Train" most likely to run thru Hamlet NC the other day:

Someone responded to his email and sent this photo also:

Here's a couple more photos I found a while back, one is from the circus and one seems like it might be in India:

Look at the "trunk" protector on the elephant!

BANDOB posted:

In 1972, I came across the train parked on a siding at Hershey, PA.

 

Bill, that looks suspiciously like the Hickory Creek...