Friday, April 20, 2007

Royal American Shows 1950 #3

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Posted by Buckles at 4/20/2007 05:43:00 AM

2 comments:

Bob Cline said...

Buckles,
Once again you have provided a terrific group of photos of a world of Entertainment we will never see again.
Royal American bought all the flatcars that were left from the Ringling show in 1960 I believe, including the Thrall flats that were built to haul the RBBB seat wagons.
They bought some of the Cetlin & Wilson flatcars in 1968 when the Cetlin & Wilson Show went broke then three years later loaned eight flatcars to the CWM for their parade train use. Five of those from the Cetlin & Wilson shows came from RBBB. Three of them are still existance at the Circus World Museum and two have been sold to private individuals by the Sedlmyer family along with 6 of the Thrall flats that CWM bought from the Royal American Shows.
There's a lot of equipment from the Royal American Shows at the Circus World Museum including the two former RBBB doniker wagons, two Mack trucks, Cats, generators, office wagons, water wagon, and the Bandorgan.
The carnival museum in Gib'town has a couple of the Royal American wagons including one of the office wagons with Show papers in it.
Bill Hall has several of the Royal American wagons in his private collection as well.
This was a fabulous show. For those that never saw it, this was the Grand daddy of all Carnivals.
Bob

20 April, 2007 06:20
Anonymous said...

My friend, Ivan Arnold(Arnold's Amusements) owns 27 of the Royal wagons. They are at his winterquarters, about 5 blocks from my house, here in Riverview, Fla. Most interesting one, too me, is the Old Mill Dark Ride. It is deplorable shape, but the unusual cars are not that bad. The wagon, itself, is falling apart fast.
About 3 weeks ago, Fred Heatly, of the Carnival Historical Society visited, Laura Sedlmyer. He is writting a book about the logistics, and the various wagons of the Royal, over the years. He did extensive research, going through the many, many photos and papers, which are stored in the old Royal Publicity Wagon, which is on loan(From Laura Sedlmyer) to the Gibsonton Club's Museum.
I drove Fred past Arnold's winterquarters, and he took many photographs.
Look for his book in about a year. It will have plenty of photos and logistical info( not too much text).

22 April, 2007 12:42

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