Tuesday, November 02, 2010

Circus Trains #6


Circus Trains-6, originally uploaded by bucklesw1.

Posted by Buckles at 11/02/2010 05:55:00 AM

3 comments:

JACKIE said...

These photos were publishes in 1947, but were not the 47 cars. These cars were last used in 46. In 1947we all had the steel hospital cars that the show bought from the government, that were used to transport the military. They were painted silver and it made them much harder to find in the railroad yards as the lights reflecting on them paint made them look like regular train cars, not circus. Jackie LeClaire

02 November, 2010 22:38
JACKIE said...

I am being questioned about the color of the coaches in 47. Kenny seems to believe they were red and I could have easily mixed up in my mind on those years. There were definately silver by 49, we both agree. There was even question about when the hospital cars came. I still believe it was 47 as that year Kis De La Grange worked center ring only one year in the production aerial number. She became famouse for breaking out one of the heavy solid windows in the coach to let in air. The windows did not open. The jealosy windows did not come in until the second year of the new hospital coaches. THey were designed with possome bellies that could be filled with ice and fans would blow over the ice to cool the cars. Two stories about why the show did not supply the ice, one was that most of the towns did not have a big enough supply to fill the bellies and the other is that it could be the show did not want to pay the tab, as that would have been an extra cost. So many performers would go out and try to sleep in the grass on the banks of the tracks, and there were many left there sleeping as the train pulled off. Left with nothing but their pajamas. THat really happened. Oh, show business in the circus world was such a great time for every one. Jackie LeClaire

03 November, 2010 13:56
Dick Flint said...

Great, great story! I can't imagine the lack of ventilation in those new cars that first year. I've heard about people not getting on a show train until it started to move and so blow out the hot, stale air but not having windows to open...whew!
Jackie LeClaire, thanks so much for contributing to Buckles blog!
Dick Flint
Baltimore

03 November, 2010 18:21

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