Saturday, August 01, 2009

Ben and "Anna May" 1960


SAVE2580, originally uploaded by bucklesw1.

Posted by Buckles at 8/01/2009 05:56:00 AM

2 comments:

Harry Kingston said...

Buckles,
I have always wondered about these expanded steel mesh doors on elephant trailers verses the steel beams.
To me if an elephant wanted to give the mesh door a good push with his head or foot he could bend it up good.
Now an I beam would be harder to bend.
Looks like at the top left of the mesh door the elephant has already started working on it a bit.
Your expert opinion would be greatly appreciated.
Harry

01 August, 2009 16:54
Buckles said...

You are right. My dad tried to talk me out of this. Half way thru the season we had to beat on the handles with a hammer to get the screen door open.
I was vindicated a few years later however when Mac MacDonald had Louie Stern buy a bull truck rather than continue to travel by baggage car.
It was the talk of show biz, custom built, diesel tractor and aluminum trailer,all the bells and whistles.
But for some reason Mac decided to dispense with wooden bull boards and use permanently installed sections of pipe that would slide into a slightly larger pipe.
Amid much fanfare, the first engagement the vehicle was used was the Ft. Worth Shrine Circus and Bobby Gibbs later told me that
all the artists and Shriners were out back to witness the unloading, even a High School Band (I doubt that last part).
When the moment finally arrived it was discovered that the elephants had bent the pipes enroute and someone with a torch had to be summoned to cut the pipes out so they could be unloaded.
Seems like the way it's been for the past 100 years works best.

02 August, 2009 09:57

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