Winterquarters/Car Shops for circus and showtrains

[joe circus]

Another fine wagon example!

 

[joe circus]

Love the interior details!

 

[enjineerbill]

And finally for tonight, a scratch-built triple headed stake driver. HO scale.

 

[enjineerbill]

Congrats on the retirement! 4 grandkids here.

I got a couple of baggage cars I was hoping I could pay you to convert into the GCT open air observation cars for me...

The you know my friend they keep you busy! I have 4 as well and the oldest, Aiden is getting into building at the age of 7. I turned all my older plastic LL and Walther's GCT wagons over to him and he's having a ball. Sure he'll get better, but at least I got him building...lol.

 

[joe circus]

Great looking stake driver!

 

[joe circus]

Since you have to have some chairs for your ticket buyers to sit in Walthers went with a Chair Wagon for the next installment, #93-1364. Still a red resin casting, same decal set. A "canvas" cover on top that looked good with some paint attached.

Edited to add: If you're buying these for your collection they are often confused with the canvas wagon, the appearance is very similar. The chair wagon is longer.

 

[enjineerbill]

I'm gonna go through some more current stuff that I'm digging through in photos. I am modeling a train from the late 40's - early 50's. It's about a 40 car train. The cars are yellow with silver roofs and trucks.

 

[enjineerbill]

Trapino Bros. is unique in that it has 3 advertising cars that travel with a small promotional elephant and Big John, a huge draft horse from when the circus used to use them in droves. Here are the three cars.

 

[enjineerbill]

All sorts of older unused equipment can be found on the property. The crew painted up some of the older stocks for display at winter quarters.

 

[enjineerbill]

All sorts of old equipment finds it's way into and out of the yard. Of note here is the old Advertising cars in the collection and the Circus World Museum stock cars.

 

[enjineerbill]

Old Lear's Circus stock being dismantled.

 

[enjineerbill]

First cut of loaded flats waits to be double up the hill to the train.

 

[enjineerbill]

I have built 3 HO scale American Freedom Trains over the years. All I have left is this showcase car which carried displays the were viewed from out side the car. I think it makes an interesting conversation piece.

 

[enjineerbill]

This is the diorama I'm currently working on. West leg is 24 feet long and the North leg is 14 feet long.

 

[joe circus]

Don't those TB&BB cars look great in their Yellow and Silver!?!

 

[joe circus]

What a neat idea, doing a dismantle on the Lear's stock car! Looks awesome!

 

[joe circus]

Liking the look of the loaded flat. Really like the added detail of the pole numbers!

 

[joe circus]

I always wanted to do a "high line" on the back of the module, someday...lol Your rocks look amazing, and I love the excess equipment along the rocks! Makes for a great scene!

 

[joe circus]

The next wagon to be produced for the Great Circus Train was #933-1365, the Plank Wagon. I started collecting stuff for the train in 1992, this one has been one of the most difficult for me to acquire. I don't know if they didn't produce as many, or if they were producing other series' by the time this was released, or collectors liked this one, or it was too expensive ( to me ) on that auction site, or what, but I only have a couple of these.

 

[joe circus]

Walthers mixed it up a little for entry #933-1366, the Wardrobe Wagon, it was not a full body resin casting but was a plastic on sprues like a building kit. Much lighter, hollow when assembled.