A Great day for Circus fans......

[enjineerbill]

The big news on the MadCow Route has been that the Circus World Museum has acquired some old railway equipment from a private owner in Florida. I got the news that two special trains would deliver said cars yesterday. So I grabbed my camera and headed into the canyon at Ablemann to spend a day crawling around the rocks to get some shots as they passed through on their way to their new home.

Still painted in CNW freight colors, 4083 leads the first set of cars from the James A. Strates carnival. This is some older equipment that had been saved when the show upgraded.
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Most of these cars were heavyweight coaches but a nice surprise were these two heavyweight observation cars in really great shape!! Of course the Madison Central of Wisconsin requires a caboose on all it's trains.
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I couldn't believe my eyes at what showed up about an hour later! Five turn of the century cars from the Miller Bros. Wild West Show! Cars like this were thought to be completely extinct, but due to storage in a special building in Florida they have survived. I hear the guy who had them passed on and his estate dictated they be given to the museum.
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Seeing these old cars made me think about how much times have changed since we depended on the railroads to bring the outside wonders of the world to our towns.
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More to follow,

Johnny

[enjineerbill]

Well heres the last two shots I have of the Circus equipment.

These old parlor type cars have truss rods and because of their age required special wavers from the FRA for interchange with other railroads. I think I hear a rattlesnake:eek: !!
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There is nothing quite as beautiful as a wooden parlor observation car, especially one painted in a show scheme.
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Well that's it from the MadCow Division. Every once in a while something exciting like this happens, but for the most part it's pretty quiet. We kinda like it that way.

Hope you enjoy,

Johnny

[enjineerbill]

Great photos! Is that a boxcar... or remains there of... in the ravine?


Thanks Brian, It is, what remains, of a boxcar, part of a four car derailment that happened a few years back.

Johnny

[CSX_road_slug]

Nice work Johnny, glad to see you posting regularly here again!

That wrecked boxcar reminds me of something SteveB did with an old Alco body shell on his former Yarrow Valley layout - except I think his was partially underwater. I bet yours could evolve into a wicked little hobo hangout though...!

[enjineerbill]

That wrecked boxcar reminds me of something SteveB did with an old Alco body shell on his former Yarrow Valley layout - except I think his was partially underwater. I bet yours could evolve into a wicked little hobo hangout though...!

Thanks Ken,

I think I saw that in the photos section. We do have some squatters in the area and from what I hear they have no plans for a pool;)

Johnny

[grande man]

Wow! Those are some great looking trains. I love that trestle too!

[enjineerbill]

Wow! Those are some great looking trains.

Thanks Eric,

I've had the old parlor cars for quite some time and have been looking for an excuse to get 'em out. I have a HUGE interest in circus and carnival RR equipment so I have a lot of it. I even have scratchbuilt some O gauge cars.

Johnny