Thursday, March 27, 2014

1941 Soldier Field #3



Richard Reynolds says - - - Here is a blow up of the menagerie et al. part of the aerial view. Near the upper left corner can be seen the three giraffe wagons spotted outside very close together. That means that the giraffe island was up and running in Chicago. We also know it was set up in the Windy City because Gordon Potter was there and described it to me and others. Also the Parkinson Lib/CWM has a number of photos of giraffe island, likely taken by Atwell during this date.

In the right center toward the big top we see the white Two Jesters steam calliope.

Along the bottom, at the edge of the lot are (l-r) one of the 5th section tractor-trailers, the bell wagon (painted white) and a white personnel bus.

Posted by Buckles at 3/27/2014 05:34:00 AM

1 comments:

Richard Reynolds said...

The tractor-trailer units (2 of them I think) went overland a-la a truck show outfit. They were called the 5th section Bob MacDougall had photos of them.

The semis seem to have carried a lot of the Bel Geddes designed decorations. The '41 show could not have hauled all that extra stuff on the 53 flat cars they used in '41. To get to that number they had to cut-down some Barnes stock cars and convert them to flats.

Following the Chicago date the Ford ice truck also had to go overland because its place on the train was taken by a new cat crawler tractor with crane attached which was delivered in Chicago.

Also we must figure that the gasoline truck went overland. I know it did in '43 because I saw it on the lot awaiting the arrival of the 1st section.

So, the present RBBB use of tractor-trailers to comprise a so-called "Flying Squadron" has a precedent from 1941 in the form of the "Fifth Section".

The '41 show was, in the words of the late Col. Bill Woodcock, the largest circus he ever saw. Though I was only a small boy, I concur.

27 March, 2014 20:30

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