Winterquarters/Car Shops for circus and showtrains

[joe circus]

This magnificent wagon is the Ringling Bell Wagon.

Ringling went from a horse drawn show to a full on railroad show in 1890, this wagon was produced in 1892 and likely was the first wagon produced especially for Ringling.

Moeller Wagon Works held the order, Centennial Bell Foundry produced the 9 bells that totaled 43,000 pounds. ( Note my model only has 6 ) The amazing carvings were provided by Milwaukee Ornamental Carvings.

The operator road the seat at the rear of the wagon and played ( Al Ringling was rumored to prefer church tunes ) the bells via levers attached to clappers.

While you've read stories here of pretty complicated trails of ownership of some wagons, this is not the case with the Bell Wagon, for 92 years it has remained under Ringling control.

It paraded until about 1912, went into storage ( likely in Baraboo and then in Sarasota ) until 1934. when it did a year with the Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus, which was under Ringling ownership. A year or two afterwards, it was back to Sarasota.

I didn't realized it had so many color schemes ( maybe 9 ) and wheel/tire changes over the years.

The wagon was placed on loan to the Circus World Museum in 1984 by Kenneth Feld, owner of the RBBB, where it enjoyed parade duties and a complete restoration before making its way to Feld's new winterquarters in Ellenton, FL in 2013, which would explain why I didn't get a photo in 2015.

 

[joe circus]

It's time for what is my favorite wagon, and I assume yours as well, The Golden Age of Chivalry Wagon.

In 1903 Barnum & Bailey had 13 wagons made by the Sebastian Wagon Works of NYC. By 1910, it's height had been reduced by 15". Evidence suggests, but doesn't confirm, that the last parade use was in Asheville, NC, in 1913.

December, 1925 brought a sale of "Chivalry" and 20 other former wagons of RBBB by George Christy.

Whitlock, Inc., antique dealers of New Haven then acquired the wagon, around 1933, from the Fairfield, CT landlord where Christy had been storing the wagons he wasn't using. She was quickly sold to Gorganigo Museum of Antique Autos in Princeton, Massachusetts. There is a report from 1947 of its still good condition there.

However, when Gene Zimmerman purchased it in 1965, time was taking its toll, missing dragon head, rotting dragon body, wheels wasting away.

When Walter Heist, Jr. realized what wagon it was, he contacted Chappie Fox at the Circus World Museum, which lead to the arrival of the Golden Age of Chivalry at CWM in 1967 and its restoration to its original 1903 green, red, and gold for the 1968 parade.

 

[joe circus]

Some time ago I posted an elephant wagon and described it as the Al G Barnes Elephant Tab and said I had others we would see later. I long assumed I had the Barnes, the Sells-Floto, and the Hagenbeck-Wallace Elephant Tabs.

Research for today's post lead me to another conclusion.

After studying pix from the internet, it now seems that I have two Barnes, one Hagenbeck, and no Sells-Floto

While the Hagenbeck has a few distinct features, elephant at rear of the wagon, two figures in the middle, some decorative details on the front third, and a distinctive "squared" off roofline, the Barnes and Sells are much more similar.

Both have the elephant in the middle, with a Howdah ( that's "a seat or covered pavillion on the back of an elephant" to ride in ) on top of a blanket or rug, with fringe, a palm tree at the rear of the wagon, arches on the front and back "thirds" of the sides, and a rounded "rooflike" ornamentation that I assume represents a particular building or building type where elephants roam. My google fu just isn't cutting it today.

So, the differences between the Barnes and Sells; the Barnes has one figure in front of the elephant, the Sells has two figures, one in front and one behind the elephant. The figure in front of each elephant has nearly the same pose, of what I'm guessing is a Mahout ( the trainer/tender of the elephant ), on the Barnes the rear wheels are under the body, on the Sells the rear wheels are outside the body. The other differences I can see, are minor at best.

I do like the wheels better on the Sells-Floto. Both the placement and the design.

You'll note on my two ( the one on the left is a resin casting and the one on the right is CTM-13, which is pewter ) versions of the Barnes, the wheels are outside the body instead of under.

The Al G Barnes is at the Circus World Museum, The Sells-Floto is at The Ringling, and the Hagenbeck was likely dismantled at Peru, IN.

 

[joe circus]

I have a green cage wagon here. While it "resembles" a couple of wagons in the book about the wagon collection at Baraboo, I don't think it's a match to any. I don't see any online that are a reasonable match.

 

[goscrewyourselves]

Interesting little wagon

 

[joe circus]

I think I've gotten through all of the CTM wagons that are not in the repair shop or are waiting to have the kit built.

I think I've gotten through all of the random plastic and resin wagons where I don't know the manufacturer.

So, I think we'll go to the wooden wagons for a bit. I believe them to be mostly Circus Craft or Simmons.

Since I'm about to have lunch, why don't we start with the cookhouse wagon?

I posted a dining wagon the other day, so no story today, just two wagons.

 

[joe circus]

Today's subject started life as a cage wagon in the 1890's Forepaugh-Sells Bros. Circus. The new owner, The Christy Bros. Circus, gave it a remodel in 1920 into a Tableau and it was used for the carrying of equipment and the all important parade.

The Walt Disney Studios donated the wagon to the Circus World Museum.

Note that mine is missing its skyboards.

All the pictures I have seen of the Beauty Tab are showing it wearing red/white/silver/gold. The day I was at CWM, it was blue/silver/gold.

 

[joe circus]

One of the things that interests me the most about the circus, and the train, is that they were really a traveling city. Everything needed for set up, operation, tear down, animal and performer day to say needs and supplies, even the gear for fabrication and repair moved every day!

I believe this to be a mobile blacksmith wagon.

My usual sources provide little to no history on "work" wagons.

 

[joe circus]

When the train rolls into town after it's overnight trip from the previous show no one gets to just plug a cord into the local power grid. They have to carry their own power too.

This would be a generator wagon, since it's an older wood kit I'm guessing, based on next to nothing, that it's modeled after a Ringling prototype.

 

[joe circus]

This appears to me to be a stake wagon.

 

[joe circus]

It took a lot of water to serve all of the needs of the animals and crew. The circus even had to transport tanks of water to the fields where the show went on.

 

[joe circus]

While I contend that the dining wagons may be most important vehicles in the circus roster, more conventional wisdom would likely suggest the ticket/office wagons were the lifeblood of the operation.

This wagon is the RBBB #123, ticket wagon and office.

I can't find the birth date of the wagon, but it got a rebuild after the fire at the Bridgeport, CT winterquarters in the early '20's. Because of the importance of the records and money the rebuild was with 1/4" aluminum.

This model wears pneumatic tires, which means it represents 1938 or later after horses left the show, she had wooden spoke wheels prior to that time.

As an aside, this was the office of the "Greatest Show on Earth", think for a second about some of the names that must have been inside this wagon over the years...

 

[joe circus]

I should've posted this water wagon with the other one.

 

[joe circus]

This one looks to me like a generator wagon with the door still closed. If that's an exhaust pipe on the roof, it's def smaller than the previous one.

 

[joe circus]

I've posted a dog wagon before, without much story as I couldn't find much, but this one is interesting with the visible compartment for dogs at the front of the wagon.

I wonder if this might be one of Johnny's builds, based on the mesh and added eye for tie downs?

 

[Jaz avalley]

Omg I love your layout, I could throw up 00 animals if you are interested, but as I have never spoken to you before will not, I have a build for a travelling caravan if you are interested, or I could upload on mine so you can see if it’s of interest, love it lots.

 

[joe circus]

Welcome Jaz. And before I say thanks for the compliment, please be aware that this thread was started by Johnny almost 11 years ago, and many of the layout and wagon pix are his, several others have posted their collections as well, and I have no way of knowing which pix you are complimenting. I have a few layout pix along the way and started posting my wagons in 2019. I still have a lot to get through! Some great stuff is coming.

That said, Johnny always said anything related to show ( circus/carnival ) trains etc, like Johnny's hypothetical winter quarters or my town/farms the Great Circus Train passes through, is welcome here.

So, post away. We're all here to remember, learn about, and enjoy the "show", real and modeled.

 

[joe circus]

Today we're looking at a pair of hippo wagons, we did that history a while back. I believe these are Circus Craft kits.

I think these are longer than the previous model I posted and feature the "water tank" for the hippo to enjoy.

 

[Jaz avalley]

Today we're looking at a pair of hippo wagons, we did that history a while back. I believe these are Circus Craft kits.

I think these are longer than the previous model I posted and feature the "water tank" for the hippo to enjoy.

View attachment 165308

View attachment 165309

I particularly like the wagons that represent real ones with moulding on the side
i’ll show you my caravan, which can be adjusted, but represents the homes of the staff and some copies are used by holiday makers, love the hippo

 

[Jaz avalley]

Cont’d…
needed reins saw these, quick upgrade

chimney

cotton reins

on the layout