Ringling Bros Circus Shutting Down: CIRCUS TRAIN!

What Ringling passenger train equipment is unique, historic (other than just being old) or significant?

If we're going to start a betting pool, I'll bet that the Mitchell Secondary will get cut back. Maybe not completely pulled, but it will get shorter without the circus train.

Folks, Please photo this historic final event. I will devote a webpage to be updated daily with your photo input to follow the event. Location, info, time of day (TOD) and your required credits and I'll post. Thank you.

If you are interested please email me, also, as the photos can be managed/resized/posted quicker on my end.

Neither sad nor ignorant, plus the article lists many reasons for this, including declining interest. Circuses are not maintaining the last of a species or anything, and most zoos aren't either. Used to enjoy the zoo, the aquarium, then I educated myself.
I've always enjoyed catching the circus train and have had the chance to walk amongst the train and the performers on several occasions. Nice people overall. But... those cars are a tight space for an elephant. On the plus side, there was no foul stench coming out of them, seems they kept it fairly clean. Always wanted to go inside one of the performer's cars, thought NYC was tight creative living but living out of a train is a step up in challenges.

Plate C wrote:... but living out of a train is a step up in challenges.

I suspect it was less so than one might think. As I recall, some of the higher-ups had almost a whole car to themselves. For the bottom rung, it would likely be like living in a dorm. Given the needs of having a mobile village, most amenities (right down to the "pie cars") were likely provided. Not the lap of luxury, but not unlivable, either.

Remember that there are folks who call their motorhome home for a fair part of the year.

Those who wring their hands about the animals not having freedom ignore the fact that in the circus or zoo they are provided a proper balanced diet instead of having to forage for themself, and are inspected and treated by veterinarians for anything from a parasite to an injury. But somehow the reality that humans are superior to animals is no longer considered proper to admit.

It's not just circuses ("circae"? "circi"?) - many forms of entertainment are seeing declines. NASCAR tracks are removing seats, and venues to find locally good music are fewer than they once were. I'll leave train show attendance stats to those like lvrr325 who attend them.

I would have to think - altho it has not been stated - that transportation logistics have become more difficult and cost;y. CSX for example has a "Plan" of how things operate, and I would suspect that special train moves like the circus don't always dovetail with regular operations. It's ever been thus but today there are fewer auxiliary yards and sidings where the train can be parked for a week. .

ADMIN NOTE:

Jeff and I decided to upgrade this to a Global Topic. Pictures are welcome, anywhere in the Nation.

Memories of the Red and Blue Circus Trains are welcome.

Please do not discuss the business case which caused Feld Entertainment to make the business decision. They made it, it's done.

Enjoy.

The Associated Press has prepared an article with depth regarding the closing. I could not help to see how rail travel is noted - as if using such was a factor:

https://www.apnews.com/020bc7b2f16f4446ade338bcf4a500ed" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


Fair Use:

The competitor in many ways is time," said Feld, adding that transporting the show by rail and other circus quirks — such as providing a traveling school for performers' children— are throwbacks to another era

Actually, I think the sports news outlets kind of spilled the beans around these parts during Thanksgiving. They were remarking how both the Bulls and Hawks (NBA, NHL) had to embark on their two week road trips as the Circus was playing at their arena - the United Center. Historically both teams have not helped their standings on this road trip. But two different sports newscasters on two different outlets I frequent made mention to the effect of "this could be the last year of these road trips" without saying further.

But what's all this to me; I went to the Circus as a kid - once; and sports, "to each his own".

The one and only time I got to see the circus train was in November 2001 when it came to Portland, Maine. The train was parked at Portland Terminal Yard 8, overlooking Portland Harbor.

There were never any circus trains to Portland after that. RBB&B did return a few times but not via train.

Their ticket page shows a stop in Worcester, MA (not Boston, as all the articles on the shutdown erroneously claim) in April. Where does the train park out there?

What Ringling passenger train equipment is unique, historic (other than just being old) or significant?

In past years, When waiting for the VRE train either at Woodbridge or L'Enfant Plaza, I've seen the circus train pass by.
It is the longest train in the country

MBTA3247 wrote:Their ticket page shows a stop in Worcester, MA (not Boston, as all the articles on the shutdown erroneously claim) in April. Where does the train park out there?

Almost certainly P&W's Southbridge St. yard downtown, and not CSX Intermodal. This would've had to be for a Worcester Centrum (or whatever corporate name that arena goes by this week) show, because if it were en route to Boston it would've paused between commuter slots at CSX Nevins Yard in Framingham instead of Worcester.

I think I found all separate topics on this, and have merged them into this one global topic. To echo the Colonel's advisory, please leave this to discussion of the train. Let's not get into a discussion of animal's rights, elephants, etc. i.e. the economic or humanitarian argument.

What circus trains remain? RB wasn't the only circus in town. Strates? Any others?

Believe George Strates Shows still operating a Circus train,however they tend to setup in a yard as a base camp,
then truck everything to the venues within a radius of that yard.
Hopefully some of the cars wind up at the "Circus World" museum in Wi.

The other train will be in Providence Ri when that unit's run ends on May 07'16,
laid up in a P&W yard(?)