enjineerbill
Avid People Watcher
More of the roughed cars...
RBBB Tunnel Cars
Some of the hospital/circus cars were later converted to what were referred to as "Tunnel Cars". These cars were completely gutted(hollowed out), and had only vents and plated windows/doors on them. The cars were designed to accomodate equipment loaded on 'wagons' that would roll into them for travel.
Equipped with a winch for pulling them into and through the cars for loading and unloading, small forklift type tow vehicles called 'jeeps', were employed as well. The cars didn't have a long tenure with the circus as an unforseen pain in the @$$, soon came to play. While the flatcar circus had a relatively easy time loading and unloading wherever the railroads stuck them, the opposite was true for the tunnel cars. With the confines of a true tunnel and the undulating grades and conditions of the tracks designated for the process, the cars need to be jacked at the ends to keep the cars lined up on all four sides. It didn't help that some wagons were very heavy and caused spring compression as they passed from one car to another. Even so, other shows that travelled by rail, most notably, Holiday on Ice, found them suitable and created their own from baggage cars, many seeing use into the 1980's. Those cars had large doors to close and secure the ends while the Ringling cars had canvas curtains.
None the less, I am going to model 4 of them and plan to build the 'loads' for them as well.
Here is a roughed out RBBB #20(B and A ends);
And more shots of added roof detail to the other cars;
RBBB #43
And stock car #30
Have a great weekend all
May All Your Days,
Be Circus Days!!
Johnny
RBBB Tunnel Cars
Some of the hospital/circus cars were later converted to what were referred to as "Tunnel Cars". These cars were completely gutted(hollowed out), and had only vents and plated windows/doors on them. The cars were designed to accomodate equipment loaded on 'wagons' that would roll into them for travel.
Equipped with a winch for pulling them into and through the cars for loading and unloading, small forklift type tow vehicles called 'jeeps', were employed as well. The cars didn't have a long tenure with the circus as an unforseen pain in the @$$, soon came to play. While the flatcar circus had a relatively easy time loading and unloading wherever the railroads stuck them, the opposite was true for the tunnel cars. With the confines of a true tunnel and the undulating grades and conditions of the tracks designated for the process, the cars need to be jacked at the ends to keep the cars lined up on all four sides. It didn't help that some wagons were very heavy and caused spring compression as they passed from one car to another. Even so, other shows that travelled by rail, most notably, Holiday on Ice, found them suitable and created their own from baggage cars, many seeing use into the 1980's. Those cars had large doors to close and secure the ends while the Ringling cars had canvas curtains.
None the less, I am going to model 4 of them and plan to build the 'loads' for them as well.
Here is a roughed out RBBB #20(B and A ends);
And more shots of added roof detail to the other cars;
RBBB #43
And stock car #30
Have a great weekend all
May All Your Days,
Be Circus Days!!
Johnny
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