Ringling Bros Circus Shutting Down: CIRCUS TRAIN!

http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/ar ... 858441.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Ringling Bros. will close down its circus tour after 146 years. The end comes with the final shows at Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale May 12-21.

A message from Kenneth Feld, chairman and CEO of Feld Entertainment, the producer of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey:

After much evaluation and deliberation, my family and I have made the difficult business decision that Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® will hold its final performances in May of this year. Ringling Bros. ticket sales have been declining, but following the transition of the elephants off the road, we saw an even more dramatic drop. This, coupled with high operating costs, made the circus an unsustainable business for the company.

Nearly 50 years ago, my father founded our company with the acquisition of Ringling Bros. The circus and its people have continually been a source of inspiration and joy to my family and me, which is why this was such a tough business decision to make. The decision was even more difficult because of the amazing fans that have become part of our extended circus family over the years, and we are extremely grateful to the millions of families who have made Ringling Bros. part of their lives for generations. We know Ringling Bros. isn’t only our family business, but also your family tradition.

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® Presents Circus XTREME will conclude its tour at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center in Providence, R.I., on May 7, 2017, and Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® Presents Out Of This World will conclude its tour at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, N.Y., on May 21, 2017. We hope you will come to celebrate this American icon for one last time before our tours conclude.

I'm guessing the rail equipment will be divvied up between OCS trains and museums. Certainly the end of an era.

RBBB Circus is pulling the plug on The Greatest Show on Earth in May. Can thank the bunny huggers for that.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2017/01/15/ri ... years.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

After 146 years, the curtain is coming down on "The Greatest Show on Earth." The owner of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus told The Associated Press that the show will close forever in May.

The iconic American spectacle was felled by a variety of factors, company executives say. Declining attendance combined with high operating costs, along with changing public tastes and prolonged battles with animal rights groups all contributed to its demise.

This may become the end of the Garden/Mitchell Secondary,and possibly Garden Interlocking as well.

R36: Interesting but sad news - it may well be an incentive to see the RB B&B Circus this spring...
Interesting that Nassau Coliseum will have the distinction for the final farewell shows...

This last Long Island visit is the Blue Unit with the "Out of this World" circus version...

It will be interesting to see what becomes of their rail equipment roster after the touring ends...

BSH: Not necessarily...The Garden/Michel Secondary has other "Nassau Hub" freight but in this
case they will be losing arguably the most well known customer that this line-or perhaps the entire
LIRR/NYA freight service operation has...

MACTRAXX

One more train trip on the MBTA and--for the very last show @ Nassau Colisseum--LIRR before it's all over. Get your money's worth out of your SLR cameras this spring.

Funny how recently there was a display ad in The Times placed by Feld Entertainment for a Transportation Coordinator, which was highlighted with the tagine "Ever want to run away and join the circus??"

I suppose that position if filled will have a share of "mop up" to do after the final performance, including shipment of the animals to whatever sanctuary they will go to. There of course the stage props that I'd guess will be auctioned and then transported.

Finally, regarding the railcars. The ex-NYC "Sandy Creek" was saved and is now part of the NS "Executrain" fleet. Some of the others, as Mr. UrbEx notes, could enhance the "PV" fleets. But as a TRAINS article a while back noted, the cars' one time interiors have been "gutted" extensively. While I'm sure the top billed performers were provided hotel accommodations, the "Lesserlings" lived aboard the train. But somehow I think the "Pie Car" turned out more edible fare than does Amtrak today.

Today the circus, tomorrow the zoos. Very sad and very ignorant.

So at some point we'll see a large auction of equipment. Anybody want to buy a baggage car that still smells of tiger poop?

Dutch, GBN and Everyone:

This is the third forum that mentions the "end of the line" of the Ringling Brothers Barnum and
Bailey Circus - and most interesting to many of our members - the Circus Trains...

There is mention at the LIRR and New York State Railfan posted on the same subject and if I may
suggest that a single combined topic be placed in the "General Discussions-Operations" Forum.
From reviewing our various forum titles it seems that this is where the RB B&B subject should be.
I discovered that is where past discussions of the RB B&B Circus Trains can be found...

Update: After further searching the RB B&B website I found that four New England venues
will be the final locations for the Red Unit and their "Circus Xtreme" performances:
April 14-16 in Worcester,MA at the DCU Center
April 21-23 in Manchester,NH at the SNHU Arena
April 27-30 in Hartford,CT at the XL Center
May 4-7 in Providence,RI at the Dunkin Donuts Center

See: http://www.Ringling.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; (look in the tickets/schedules section)

MACTRAXX

Everyone:

After noticing that there are topics on this same subject in the New York State Railfan and New
England Railfan forums I will suggest after reviewing our various forum titles that this subject
on the end of the RB B&B Circus and trains be placed in the "General Discussion-Operations"
forum section so they can be together in one place. I do agree with the mention of this being
the end of an era with the last runs of these well known Circus Trains this year...

I discovered after further searching that is where previous discussions about the RB B&B
Circus Trains can be found. It only makes sense to keep this subject in the same Forum...

MACTRAXX

Straight from the source: http://www.Ringling.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

MACTRAXX

Mactraxx I would like to leave this topic in the LIRR forum. The circus train is an important annual event for the LIRR and this being the last year of it should be included in LIRR discussion.

LC: Agreed...Just the fact that the very last RB B&B performances being scheduled at the Nassau
Coliseum in May justifies this...I expect that there will be much interest in this final visit from not
only us rail enthusiasts but from the general public at large witnessing literally the end of an era...

MACTRAXX

While of course children.of all ages went to the Circus. This one time child went once (@ former MSG); once was enough.

But here is a Ringling that is more in my memories - Ringling MT along MILW Lines West:

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