Winterquarters/Car Shops for circus and showtrains

[joe circus]

The Mack Truck with all the cars behind it looks awesome!

 

[joe circus]

HO scale. A lonely wardrobe wagons sits down by the yards.
View attachment 33908

I acquired some space from the CFO ( wife ) for a yard, 10' by 24" deep. You're making me want to change it from a regular yard to a circus winterquarters.

 

[joe circus]

I have some Ringling cars in my collection, but I think they are Roundhouse.

 

[joe circus]

Excellent rock carving! I struggle with mine.

 

[joe circus]

Nice looking horse car!

 

[joe circus]

Good looking rings on #122, I'm going to start adding those to some wagons soon!

 

[joe circus]

Since Walthers had released a bunch of wagons it was time to release a way to move them about, it was time for #933-1372, the Circus "Cat". Yellow detailed body, came with the blade, which you take off for circus use, and a pin for an umbrella pole with a paper umbrella. It rode on black rubber "tracks".

 

[bob]

Circus World is a great museum and that was indeed a huge winter quarters. I have always wondered though... when they asked “Where should we spend our winters?” how in the hell did they settle on Wisconsin? I mean it could be worse, maybe Fargo, ND, but eventually someone figured out that Sarasota FL was a better option.

 

[enjineerbill]

Circus World is a great museum and that was indeed a huge winter quarters. I have always wondered though... when they asked “Where should we spend our winters?” how in the hell did they settle on Wisconsin? I mean it could be worse, maybe Fargo, ND, but eventually someone figured out that Sarasota FL was a better option.

The Ringling boys (with the exemption of John)called Baraboo their home. They spent a lot of time and money in this town and it was also a convenience for them what with the Chicago and North Western RY having their division HQ's here. Land was acquired and they wintered here until moving to Bridgeport CT at the end of the 1918 season. They moved operations to combine their show with Barnum and Bailey, whom they had acquired years earlier. When some of the other brothers had passed John and Charlie thought Sarasota(which John had a huge hand in developing)would be the best choice to winter the show.

When the boys first started out, they did hall shows in neighboring communities. They came home after the tour and put any profits back into their production. When they first set out as a circus it was all horsedrawn and the route was limited for that very reason. As they grew in size, buildings were needed to house and care for the animals and equipment, including a railcar storage facility and they purchased a parcel of land in the flats down by the river. Every subsequent season it seems, something was added or changed up until 1915 when the camel barn was built, it being the last building constructed on the winter quarters property.

Hope this helps Bob

 

[enjineerbill]

Hey Joe, came across this old shot of drilling out the grab irons on the Walther's cars. Also shows how I cut out the vent windows to insert screen grills for a better look.

 

[joe circus]

Hey Joe, came across this old shot of drilling out the grab irons on the Walther's cars. Also shows how I cut out the vent windows to insert screen grills for a better look.

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Thanks Johnny! That'll help me out. Did you bend those grab irons of buy them ready to go?

 

[enjineerbill]

Thanks Johnny! That'll help me out. Did you bend those grab irons of buy them ready to go?

I bought them.

 

[joe circus]

A new player entered the game with the next installment, Preiser. #933-1373 was the Concession Wagons, yes plural, the kit allowed you to make four wagons. They had a framed wagon enclosure, with some silver "kitchen" gear your could install. A new decal set which was specific to concession wagons, making sure the guest knew what that vendor offered. A great feature was you could build it "closed" for the movement by train, or you could build it open, for selling at the event!

 

[enjineerbill]

A new player entered the game with the next installment, Preiser. #933-1373 was the Concession Wagons, yes plural, the kit allowed you to make four wagons. They had a framed wagon enclosure, with some silver "kitchen" gear your could install. A new decal set which was specific to concession wagons, making sure the guest knew what that vendor offered. A great feature was you could build it "closed" for the movement by train, or you could build it open, for selling at the event!

These wagons you built turned out real nice, great job.

 

[enjineerbill]

I normally don't post shots of my models from above as it doesn't lend a hand to the pictures looking real. But here is one of many, giving the idea of what the diorama looks like. Middle left is the cat barn surrounded by cage wagons. The foreground shows wagons drawn up in lots waiting to be put away for the winter. In the lot where the pole wagon sits will be built some wagon sheds for storage. The diorama goes off 14 feet to the left and runs 20 feet behind where I am standing to photograph the scene.

 

[joe circus]

These wagons you built turned out real nice, great job.

I buy a lot of these kits on that auction site. I also buy a lot that are already built, I think I bought these already built.

 

[joe circus]

I like the overview of the diorama, I also like how the hard road ends but the path carries on.
What can you tell me about those blue Trapino wagons in the background?

 

[joe circus]

The circus would put on their show, please the crowd, usher them out and the crew would tear the show down, put it on the train, and travel, overnight, to the next show. While the crew set up the tents again, there were means to let the townsfolk know that there was a show in town. So Walthers released #933-1374, the Sound Truck, which would drive around the area blaring the loudspeakers with tales of the unbelievable entertainment waiting for the crowds.
Plastic resin yellow body, special decal set, metal rooftop loudspeakers and metal wheels. I must use the wrong glue, I have trouble keeping my metal wheels on.

 

[enjineerbill]

I like the overview of the diorama, I also like how the hard road ends but the path carries on.
What can you tell me about those blue Trapino wagons in the background?

They are scratchbuilt giraffe wagons. I don't have any good photos of them. I need to redo the decals on all four as I don't like the way they lay. Here is a somewhat better picture of one on the train.

 

[enjineerbill]

RBBB red ticket wagon.