Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Eddie Allen #4


Scan10863, originally uploaded by bucklesw1.

Posted by Buckles at 10/28/2008 02:33:00 PM

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Is the steep incline of the ramp [was it termed a "run"?], reaching from the car floor to a lowered area adjacent to the roadbed, the reason for the elephant kneeling while leaving the car? Or, was that SOP?

What were the boards spanning the crosswise width of the run called?

29 October, 2008 09:24
Anonymous said...

"Runs" were used at the ends

of cars to load rolling stock

These ramps were intentionaly

short to avoid needing central

supports and the cross strips

were called slats or spreaders

Chic

29 October, 2008 20:47
Anonymous said...

Why was the run was placed at the car floor, and not at the storage bracket height? Had the ramp been stored inside the car? Or were the brackets attached to the side sill missing in this case? It took extra work to lift the end of the run from the storage bracket below the frame to the floor. It also increased the angle with the ground, especially where the land next to the roadbed was lower, as in this photograph. The higher the angle, the more difficult the egress of the animal. The only other reason I can think of to cause the high angle is that the adjacent track might have been occupied or a running track, thereby limiting the distance that the run could extend away from the car.

"Run" was used in the literature to describe elephant car ramps by 1888, so there was dual usage of the term. Sometimes what's in the literature differs from what is used in everyday use by showmen. Thanks for the verification.

30 October, 2008 09:00
Buckles said...

The Train Master spotted the elephant cars at pretty bad location this day.
Elephants are quite nimble tho and after sizing up the situation, this one simply dropped down on her knees and will proceed downward like Albert Rix' bears if need be.
Coming out of the car is easy, loading up that night will be a little harder.
The elephant standing in the doorway is "Nellie" recognizable by the wart over one eye.

30 October, 2008 10:16
Anonymous said...

I'm sure that the word "runs"

was used for different items

over the years but my reference

is from the early sixties through

the eighties on several shows

I remember the crossover plates

that linked the cars for loading

also called connector runs

Chic

30 October, 2008 11:11
Anonymous said...

The recollection of terminology is much appreciated.

30 October, 2008 20:26

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