Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Transporting Private Vehicles!!!

Was this the prototype for Ringling's "double deck" railroad car for hauling private vehicles? The cat's were hauled in the lower portion for years, and it was a horrible, horrible situation in which to try to care for and water them in transit. They system has since been done away with which is a good thing. Some things from "the good old day's" needed to stay in "the good old days," and not brought into the modern world.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Double deck railroad cars originated outside the circus business. It's unlikely the designers had any knowledge of the Dailey configuration. It reminds one of some of the auto racks that once hauled cars for the automakers.

Anonymous said...

It looks like a c1940 Ford woody on top of a Chevy truck. Can anyone confirm?

Wade G. Burck said...

Anonymous #1,
"Double deck railroad cars originated outside the circus business," which is exactly why they were such a horrible way to transport caged felines. The trainer has now option except to comply with company wishes, but when the "shit hits the fan" he is usually the fall guy. I caused a hell of a rumble in Vienna in 1984 when a reporter asked me, "what do you think of the cage sizes and transporting the tigers under the staff cars. I was told it is very difficult to water and care for them en-route." I responded, "they are not my cage's and it isn't my train. You'll have to ask somebody else to answer that question for you."

Wade