Circus Trains: Power and Routing

General
1

These questions are occasioned by the appearance on the MRR forum Trackside Diner string of a photo of the former Ringling Brothers circus train. Thought it would be best to ask them here.

  1. Did Ringling Brothers and other circuses use their own motive power when on tour or were they obliged - either by ICC/FRR regs or by contract - to use the power of the company that owned the right-of-way?
  2. What was the power that would normally be seen at the head of an RB consist in the '70s? Later on?
  3. How did circus trains arrange their scheduling, particularly over routes that were heavily used for passenger and freight? Were they considered and scheduled as some sort of special frieght drag?

Thanks!

John

2

I don’t think any circus owned its own road power. I would suspect maintenance, insurance, and blue-carding requirements would eat up any prospective savings, and then there would be run-through concerns…