Friday, April 18, 2008

Ringling-Barnum 1930's- 40's #3


prb2, originally uploaded by bucklesw1.

Posted by Buckles at 4/18/2008 06:30:00 AM

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is really a rather unusual photo taken in 1939. It shows a D2 CAT which was being tried out by the show. The year before North had bought a couple of RD4's and RD7's. The D2 CAT proved just a little too small for use by the show.
Flint

18 April, 2008 10:54
Anonymous said...

Looks like that little cat is being used for a "pull a way" instead of a pull a way horse team. I believe in the MacLain days elephants did it all along with horses.

18 April, 2008 16:41
Anonymous said...

Mr.Flint,
How long did they keep this unit on the show in 1939? Did it make the entire season? Maybe why they had the Case tractor from Peru on the show in 1940 that was posted the other day.
regards,
P.J.Holmes

18 April, 2008 18:43
Anonymous said...

Dear PJ-
This particular CAT was on the show 1 day for trials. It didn't work out as it was too small. The Case units (3 of them) made their appearance in 1939 to be used at the runs. They were not from Peru, IN but were licensed thru the Peru, IN office, which was owned by RBBB. I believe the licensing may have been cheaper in IN than Florida. Hagenbeck-Wallace didn't have the Case units but rather 1 single CAT that Bary purchased.
Flint

18 April, 2008 19:31
Anonymous said...

I agre with Johnny. The chain which is hooked to the cat leads me to beilive that they did not have standard height poles, or the swinging up or down poles of later years. Also, the wagon on the runs must have been held there by the snubber, waiting for the first wagon to clear the runs, a very unusual use for the snubbinging rope from my recollections (which may have gotten scrambled in latter years). The brakeman on the wagon seat would be because of the chain hookup.
Bob Kitto

18 April, 2008 19:41
Anonymous said...

Mr.Flint, Thank you for the information on the D2 CAT as I didn't have any information of it being on the show in 1939. Do you remember what town this photo was taken in?
Somewhere I have a list from either Don Smith or Harold Dunn about the equipment that went to Fla. after they closed the Peru Quarters. That must be where I keep getting the idea about the Case tractor. Maybe they only used them to load out the wagons going back to Sarasota. Was thinking a couple of the Macks came from Peru also for the 1940 season. They had added the three Macks from the Barnes show in 1939. And then had a few more for the 1940 season. The photo the other day of the Case had it hooked up to the new White canvas truck which was always having transmission prolems. They only kept it for a few years if I remember correctly. You can tell the difference between the Case Tractors and the later Ford's by the lower core support being different in the front.
thanks for all the help,
P.J.Holmes

19 April, 2008 17:15

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)