This might be old hat to most of you but I was wondering how would you model the RBBBB cicus train for a layout?
A half-century or so ago, when I was a beginning model railroader, circus train modeling was an area of interest for a lot of the folks who contributed to MRR. Later, the interest faded away.
The starting point for ANY modeling is research - specifically, finding good photographs of the subject. For some reason, the name Baraboo, WI, popped up in my mind as a probable location for such information.
Sorry I can’t be more specific, but circus trains have never been one of my areas of interest.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
Chuck is correct. Baraboo WI would be a good place to start. It was the winter home of the Ringling Brothers Circus and is the home of the Circus World Museum. This is the same museum that puts on the Circus Parade in Milwaukee.
Books:
For a time Walthers had a Circus wagon and car series that they produced and those can still be found on Ebay. Prices have gone up since I started collecting them for my wife.
Streamline j1e, I don’t know if you are looking for any cars but my LHS has some for sale. It not something I am modeling but PM me and I will send you the phone number. They do not ship but I will help.
Cuda Ken
Actually there are two seperate RBBB trains the red and the blue train, except for the stripe color both consists are similar in makeup, most of the occuiped cars are former UP and PRR lightweights, some have been so modified as to be difficuilt to determine specific orgin with changes in wndows/doors and replacement body panels. suffice to say the builders and orginal owners wouldn’t recgonize the interior changes as well, lots of fake wood paneling and sea foam green shag carpeting -hey it was the 70’s after all!
The tunnel cars are unique, some are fromer Autotrain, others were custom built for the job and will soon be due for replacement due to age and use. Former TTX trailer flats are numerous, some used for containers others in the traditional piggyback mode and one modified to carry portable generators.
Elephant cars and horse cars were custom built for this application, they sure look like some offerings from ACF in particular and are what one would call lightweight except for the 6 axle trucks for most applications, I had the red train trip a wide load detector once, darned if we could find the offending car, an oldtimer among the crew suggested we investigate the elephant car for the culprit, sure enough one of the access doors was left ajar and and the critter was widly swinging his trunk out this opening! SP had special instructions to monitor these cars for listing and protruding elephant parts when under way, thus their position towards the front where they could be closely observed and be in compliance with federal laws regarding movements of live animals.
Normally they operate in 3 sections on a close headway, livestock, support equiptment and living quarters, once we took a 92 car combined red train over Beaumont due to a shortage of power at Indio.
The question is of which era your goinf for. Traditionally, the RBBB is the older and the current train is the RBBX, but I have seen them interchanged. I can wlak you through the latter of the two with what I have so far, The Hickory Creek era train is 70s era, I’m modelling the post 2000 train. PM me, I’ll send you he decals I’ve made. (Due to licensing, Ringling does not allow selling of the decals. I just made these for me, and I won’t sell them. you’d be wise to not do so as well. 
Both are alive. Sandy is on the Grand Luxe American Orient Express. From my reading of the HC restorations, the Sandy wasn’t a circus car. She went to somepne else from NYC befroe AOE. For more random trivia, I’ve been told the Hickory also went to the James Strates. I have not the pictures to prove it though
By the way guys, Ringling is npow based out of Florida. I don’t know when the moved, but it’s been a while. Baraboo may still have some neat stuff, but for the Ringling trains of now, there won’t be as much.
Also, Baraboo is no longer operaing the circus train. Due to the age of the flat cars, and the costs to update them, the train was shelved for the museum grounds.
Cuda: I saw those cars when I was there. They are nice, but those are largely for Baraboo. I haven’t seen much of any RBBB in those cars, and they, like my train, are generalizaton cars, not detail appropriate. Then again, I don’t trust myself whacking up 40 Walthers coaches to put a door in the right spot.
Anyway. All of the current RBBX flat cars are 89ft. Good news, is that the Accurail cars and Atlas are 89. The accurails are getting rarer, but they come unnassembled. That’s about 16-20 flats, possibly a modified auto rack
Streamline - Over the years several HO and O scale manufacturers, including Walthers, have offered extensive lines of circus rolling stock and equipment. Much of this periodically surfaces on auction sites like eBay. As there remains a small but rabid group of circus modelers out there, these auctions often tend to be hotly competitive.
There is currently at least one manufacturer offering RTR HO circus train cars (earlier examples were mainly kits). Run some searches on Google and such and you should come up with indications of what is, or has been, available.
CNJ831
Interesting discussion thread. I am looking out the office window at the RBBB Circus Train right now. Its in Grandview Yard in Columbus…elephants walk in about 1/2 hour.
Rick
Hey everyone the information was great looks like I need to get a vid cam to get the train from end to end and when I am working on it using film or tape or what ever going from one scene to another to get the research for it. Thanks for the info.and hope to get more.
Hi … I don’t have much to say… I just wanted to post some pics of my Circus train. Unfortunately only one pic came out. I did buy the Florida Coast liners they are the circus colors of red and yellow, as someone has mentioned above. But anyways… I found this… and some others on Ebay… if you wait… and have the money… N scale Circus cars do come up. HO is I found more on ebay… but N scale is a tad harder to find.
Oh, and one more random piece fo trivia for ya, when loading trailers on a circus car, everything is in order of the show, first scene, act one at one end, the last performer at the rear. The “front” of the show then corresponds to how the circus is unloading at the next stop. The wagons are all pulled on by a vehicle at the front of the party, guided by a bobcat at the end (think helper locomotive) and then the front vehiocle of that set stays on the flatcar until ti;s time to unload the show.
Oh, God, I remember when the Rock Island serviced the Minnesota State Fair, for the Royal American Shows. Circus wagons galore as well as the elephant parade down Como Ave! What we knew will never be again. We carry these memories in our minds and they are GREAT!!! Do something colorful and unique and, remember, it’s YOUR RR, so be creative! Do us proud.
Jimmy