CIRCUS TIME, TRAIN TIME: The Circus Advertising Train Arrives in Deer Crest on The Edge of Town

We are going to have a bit of fun with all the circus stuff being posted. The story line for the next several days will be:

The Circus Comes to the Town of  Deer Crest on The Edge of Town Layout

As I was putting together this whole circus parade scenario, I ended up putting the cart before the horse. Usually, the advertising team would hit town and place posters and placards advertising the coming of the circus. I tried to mimic that with a cobbled together consist whose cars were bought after I had already put together the parade sequence - as you can see by all that activity in the photo below (but that's okay, the next time I do a circus set-up all the  props will be available for a proper sequence of events). Enjoy! Opa Fritz

The Lionelville Circus Special General is pulling a K-Line Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey advertising car. and passenger car full of advertising staff. 

After the advertising has been posted throughout town, that crew would move onto the next town on the itinerary. Then the remaining portion of the circus train would arrive. It's where the tents, gear, wagons, performers, cooks, and whatever else needed would arrive. The train itself is not one long unit, but rather, it is split into separate parts called 'sections' each pulled by a different locomotive. 

Here's a real good example of what a vintage circus  train consist would look like. 

Compiled by Gordon Potter. Bandwagon, Vol. 3, No. 6 (Nov-Dec), 1959, pp. 3-5, 25, 27. 

Ringling-Barnum Train Loading Order, 1932

Train Loading List for 1932

First Section

Stock Cars No. 10, 11, 12 Baggage Stock
Flat Cars - Baggage Cut
109:

12 Baggage stock trapping wagon - 18'
105 Layout wagon - 16'
107 Stake driver - 12'
136 Mack tractor

110:

6 Commissary wagon - 20'
46 Concession dept. wagon - 16'
108 Stake driver - 12'
2 Steam boiler wagon - 16'

111:

7 Cookhouse baggage wagon, meat - 18'
10 Baggage stock canvas wagon - 20'6"
102 Water wagon - 11'
9 Blacksmith shop wagon - 18'

112:

11 Baggage stock pole & rigging wagon - 20'
Station wagon (auto)
128 Mack tractor
5 Cookhouse baggage wagon, dishes, etc. - 18'

113:

8 Cookhouse canvas & pole wagon - 20'
103 Water wagon - 11'8"
106 Stake driver - 12'
4 Cookhouse baggage wagon, dishes, etc - 18'

114:

3 Cookhouse baggage wagon, ranges, etc - 16'
1 Cookhouse water wagon - 15'
132 Mack tractor
14 Menagerie canvas wagon 21'

115:

15 Menagerie pole wagon (poles 42' long) - 30'
104 Water wagon - 11'
13 Menagerie stake & chain wagon - 16'

Cage Cut.

101:

69 Cage wagon, hyenas - 16'
71 Cage wagon, tigers - 15'
67 Tableau cage wagon, nilgai - 14'
88 Hippo cage wagon - 20'

102:

87 Tableau cage wagon, gensbuck & brindle gnu - 14'
Dragon Spec float
83 Tableau cage wagon, kangaroo - 14'
85 Tableau cage wagon, tapir 14'
76 Tableau cage wagon, stork & crane - 14'

103:

97 Giraffe wagon - 16'
96 Giraffe wagon - 16'
92 Giraffe wagon - 16'
89 Cage wagon, monkeys - 15'

104:

79 Cage wagon, chimpanzee & orangutang - 18'
73 Cage wagon, tigers - 16'
80 Cage wagon, puma & black leopards - 14'
84 Cage wagon, brown bear 18'

105:

121 Yellow ticket wagon - 18'
78 Cage wagon, rhinoceros - 16'
74 Cage wagon, rhinoceros - 16'
70 Cage wagon, tigers - 16'

106:

86 Giraffe wagon - 16'
77 Cage wagon, macaws - 15'
81 Cage wagon, deer - 14'4"
152 Baggage wagon for Spec floats - 20'

107:

109 Menagerie trapping wagon - 16'
117 Elephant trapping wagon 16'
82 Cage wagon, lions - 15'
47 Ring stock trapping wagon - 16'

108:

90 Tableau cage wagon, Reedsbuck & audad - 14'
91 Tableau cage wagon, porcupines - 14'
95 Cage wagon, leopards - 14'
53 Prop wagon - 22'
Coaches No. 70 Connecticut, No. 71 Indiana, No. 72 Minnesota, No. 73 Michigan.

Second Section

Stock Cars No. 13, 14, 15, 16, 17. Baggage Stock. Flat Cars.

116:

119 Sideshow panel front wagon - 20'
120 Sideshow panel front wagon - 20'
115 Sideshow panel front wagon - 18'

117:

36 Performers rigging wagon 15'
123 Red ticket wagon - 18'
Mack sideshow bus
135 Mack tractor

118:

114 Light dept. wagon - 16'
64 Wardrobe dept. wagon - 16'
116 Sideshow panel front wagon - 18'
200 Baggage wagon for auto. 18'

119:

202 Midway lunch stand wagon - 18'
111 Midway & menagerie light plant wagon - 16'
40 Big top side pole & rigging wagon - 17'3"
133 Mack tractor

120:

57 Prop wagon - 22
37 Big top canvas wagon - 21'
42 Big top canvas wagon - 21'

121:

39 Big top stake & chain wagon - 16'
141 Baggage wagon for auto. 19'
137 Mack tractor
129 Mack tractor

122:

58 Prop wagon - 26'
49 Ring stock canvas & pole wagon - 20'6"
125 Prop wagon - 16'

123:

50 Backyard stake & chain wagon - 16'
30 Carpenter shop & ring curb wagon - 15'
38 Big top stake & chain wagon - 16'
112 Big top light plant wagon - 16'

124:

113 Light dept. wagon - 16'
110 Backyard light plant wagon - 16'
45 Big top red quarter pole wagon (poles 33'6" long) 32'

125:

44 Big top blue quarter pole wagon (poles 41' long) 35'
134 Mack tractor

126:

43 Big top center pole wagon (poles 55' long) - 40'
220 Train light plant wagon 12'
Coaches No. 74 Illinois, No. 75 Florida, No. 76 Wisconsin, No. 77 Nebraska No. 78 Maryland, No. 79 Alabama.

Third Section

Stock Cars No. 18, 19, 20 Baggage Stock. No. 32, 33 Supplies & extras. Flat Cars.

140:

101 Wardrobe dept. wagon - 18'
63 Wardrobe dept. wagon - 16'
Spec float
94 Cage wagon, sea lions - 16'

139:

201 Concession dept. wagon 18'
61 Prop wagon - 17'
23 Bibleback wagon - 14
93 Cage wagon, sea lions - 16

138:

41 Prop wagon - 17'
Ford
24 Bibleback wagon - 14'
20 Long side grandstand chair wagon - 19'

137:

65 Wardrobe department trunk wagon - 17'
Ford Taxi
Zacchinis Cannon truck
122 White ticket wagon - 18'

136:

25 Bibleback wagon - 14'
Spec float
35 Extra red seat wagon - 15'
99 Dog wagon (with baggage section at rear) - 18'

135:

51 Trunk wagon - 19'
17 Blue seat plank wagon - 13'6"
16 Blue seat plank wagon - 13'6"
142 Short side grandstand chair wagon - 21'

134:

56 Wild west wardrobe & prop wagon - 16'
27 Bibleback wagon - 14'
26 Bibleback wagon - 14'
54 Stage wagon - 21'

133:

118 Band top & wardrobe wagon - 16'
55 Prop wagon - 18'
48 Ring stock trapping wagon - 16'
59 Trunk wagon, Bradna's wagon - 18'8"

132:

21 Bibleback wagon - 14'
52 Trunk & prop wagon - 14'
22 Bibleback wagon - 14'
143 Short side grandstand chair wagon - 21'

131:

34 Grandstand seat stringer wagon (stringers 38') - 32'6"
19 Long side grandstand chair wagon - 19'

130:

153 Ring curb & stage sill wagon - 20'
29 Seat jack wagon (1/2 blues & 1/2 long side) - 20'
28 Seat jack wagon (1/2 blues & 1/2 long side) - 20'

129:

33 Blue seat stringer wagon (stringers 35' long) - 30'
32 Blue seat stringer wagon (stringers 35' long) - 30'

128:

18 Long side grandstand chair wagon - 19'
100 Amplifier wagon - 12'
66 Wardrobe dept. wagon - 18'
60 Trunk wagon - 18'8

127:

31 Grandstand seat stringer wagon (stringers 38') - 32'6"
139 Seat jack wagon, shortside grandstand - 20'
Coaches No. 94 Atlanta, No. 95 New Orleans, No. 96 Portland, No. 97 Pittsburgh.

Fourth Section

Stock Cars No. 21, 22, 23, 24, 25 Ring Stock. No. 26, 27 Menagerie Lead Stock. No. 28, 29, 30 Elephants.

Coaches No. 81 Louisville, No. 82 Des Moines, No. 83 St. Louis, No. 84 Cleveland, No. 85 New York, No. 86 Worcester, No. 88 Los Angeles, No. 89 Seattle, No. 90 Washington, No. 91 San Antonio, No. 100 Jomar (private car).

Summary

Stock Cars, Flat Cars, Coaches, Totals

Advance: - , - , 2, 2
1st Section: 3, 15, 4, 22
2nd Section: 5, 11, 6, 22
3rd Section: 5, 14, 4, 23
4th Section: 10, - , 11, 21
Totals: 23, 40, 27, 90

A total of 145 pieces loaded on 40 flat cars for an average of about 3.6 pieces per flat car. The lengths given for the wagons are the actual lengths of the bodies, not the space taken up on the flat car.