Courtesy of John Goodall and Richard Reynolds
Monday, March 7, 2011
RBBB Circus Train
The Blue train is now on 61 cars and the Red on 59. The Feb 2011 TRAINS magazine gives the present count for each unit. Interestingly, while the Red show still carries a bi-level car at the end of its train, that type car has been eliminated from the Blue Unit.
It would be interesting to compare the length of the present 61 -car Blue train (5,409 ft - -more than a mile) to the total length of RBBB's four section 88-car trains of 1929-38 and the 89 car trains of 1941-42 and again in 1948-49. Those old ones were officially called 90 car trains but in those earliest years there were two advance cars and in the later periods only one advance. It is the "back with the show" counts that should be used for the comparison. The old trains were composed of 70 and 72-ft flats, 70-ft stocks, and sleepers of about 80-ft. (am not sure about that). The measurement of the old ones would necessarily include the short span between the cars.
Regardless, there is no doubt that the present trains are the longest single section circus trains of all time.
Here is a follow up piece from the current April 2011 TRAINS.
Posted by
Wade G. Burck
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
3 comments:
I have always wondered what the inside of these cars looked like, thanks for posting.
Wade what kind of accomadations were you provided over the years at various circues? Please tell us about the very worst and the very best.
Vincent/San Diego
Vincent,
There might be a reason you "have always wondered what the inside of these cars looked like," and why you are looking at a "certain" blueprint and not a photo. I suggest it would be easier for you to find the holy grail then a photo of the interior of a train car. There is a definite "caste" system in the circus, like there is anyplace else, and starting at the engine and going back you went from Park Avenue to Skid Row, or the right side of the tracks to the wrong side, if you will. One of the most important rules in the Ringling Handbook of Rules and Regulations was that no reporters were allowed on the train, and no photo's were to be taken of the interior's, unless it was certain cars and was a supervised photo shoot. Things have improved greatly, but back in the day conditions left much to be desired for many.
The best accommodations I was provided was on Ringling, in number, I forget now, two or three car which was Charly Baumanns old car which shared a vestibule with the Axel Gautier family. It was a very surreal moment for me, the day I screwed my brass name plate over Charly's name plate. I regret I did not unrivet his when I left the show at the start of the 1994 season, just taking mine, because a short month later that car was destroyed in the terrible derailment(Ted Svertesky was in the former Axel Gautier car)that occurred enroute to Orlando.
The worst was a sleeper in the front of a horse trailer, in the middle of the Canadian winter. No water, no donniker, and no heat, except if I turned the stove on. But because the walls and roof were not insulated they seeped and dripped condensation on the bed so the stove wasn't the best option, unless I wanted to just sit on the couch and not sleep. LOL There's no business like show business, like no business I know........
Wade,
I'm sure when you were living in the horse trailer, you couldnt have imagine, that would be considered " the good ole days".....thanks for the response
Vincent/San Diego
Post a Comment