Red Unit funeral train @Ashland, VA

The final run home for what's left of the Ringling Brothers & Barnum & Bailey red unit circus train as seen from our live cams located in Ashland, VA.

[@peggyscott66]

In Richmond, in the 80s, I worked in Scotts Addition area. When Ringling train came through, I'd eat my lunch by the tracks behind all the buildings, to watch it. In later years I worked with a retired Ringling clown who rode the red unit. His stories about being a clown and traveling were so much fun! He also said that their animals were family to them and were never mistreated. Sad that it's gone now.

[@sclm046]

When the circus was in town, the train was often parked in an active rail yard. No doubt some of the performers going to or from their quarters became irritated with yard crews asking them for free tickets. Hated to see the circus trains discontinued. It was nice to see them utilizing rail carriers for their transportation needs.

[@flickinggamer]

It is amazing how much shorter it was after the elephants were dropped from the circus.

[@jerrypolverino6025]

I thought this intersection was only for trains crashing into trucks and cars.

[@leegraves101]

This shift is only for clown cars

[@goodeye03]

Sad to see it end. Kids in the future won't know what they are missing. Even without the animals the acts are really good.

[@josephshields2922]

Yes they will. They can go on their lap tops and see virtual circus or video clips right after their virtual baseball game.

[@pulaski1]

TV and then the internet killed the "wow" factor, and now there are so many other ways to spend your time, and your dollars. Circus audiences were declining for years, and I don't see any way back. A smaller audience would mean a smaller tent and even less "wow". The time for the circus has passed.

[@leehilton9932]

Growing up in Georgia in the 80s and 90s i got to go to this show and got to see the train in downtown Atlanta

[@tamarab5751]

Using AR & VR, people can see everything about those animals without exploiting them & diminishing their wild numbers at the same time. We don't put people in zoos anymore, why not respect animals the same way?

[@goodeye03]

@@tamarab5751 I agree, that's why I said even without

[@davidringo4672]

Every train is a potential funeral train at this crossing actually.

[@wanderlustandsparkle4395]

Thank you for sharing, so sad.

[@WJack97224]

Thanks for documenting this passing of an era. All good things seem to have to come to an end. I remember seeing the movie, The Greatest Show on Earth as a kid.

[@tamarab5751]

This good thing has moved to the virtual world, where animals can be explored & understood without being exploited at the same time by humans who think they have the right to do so.

[@WJack97224]

@@tamarab5751, I eat meat and it is tasty. Training animals to do work is fine. OTOH, politicians using manmade, Satanic, political government force/aggression/violence to exploit/tax people is immoral!

[@bubblelvr1]

I’ve started with Conrail in 1990 and I remember to be called out I buffalo terminal to work I was 25 and new on the railroad I was called as a conductor pilot to help a train enter at that tine the N&W branch line now the NS at CP437 to CP draw low and behold it was the circus train leaving buffalo to go to Cleveland Ohio like wow oh boy I was I aaw. And I I was told they had more than one train they had others as well it was a huge franchise then in yet now that I’m retired with 30 yrs it’s another sad end to see this and my career come to a end I was always exited to see this train even in passing when I was engineering and was hoping one day I could pull such a train but that ended when CSX took over they gave the train to the NS for service and as you know big blue ended Conrail was the number one railroad to work for and will always be that CSX could never be able to top them

[@pashon4percushon]

if so why did Conrail end?

[@bubblelvr1]

@@pashon4percushon Conrail was brought out by Csx but the Norfolk southern started trying to outbid Csx by offering Conrail stockholders more money starting a bid war with Csx so to stop this Csx was told to buy Conrail and give the NS 64 percent of Conrail that’s how Conrail got split up Conrail still exists but not as a class one railroad it’s now a short line I think somewhere in main

[@pashon4percushon]

@@bubblelvr1 Oh wow, Conrail still exists. So it has the potential to remerge as a class I. I thought so, i said this about Jeet Kun Do. I saw a Conrail engine in Tusculoosa, Alambama some years ago.

[@BryanTorok]

True story from Cleveland, Ohio. Many years ago a man came into the police station and wanted to report damage to his parked car. He thought it was a joke that he had found a note on his car stating. "I'm sorry, my elephant sat on your car." It seems the circus had come to town and while the animals were being led into the main arena building, one of the elephants had sat on the fender and hood of this man's car. Best we could figure out, the elephant had an itch and the car looked like a good place to scratch it.

[@garybanglebangle7949]

What a loss to everyone. No more circus train.

[@TexasRailfan21-RailfanRyan]

The Greatest Show on Earth is over and so is an arrow would spend 147 years I certainly hope all those cars and Equipment go to good private owners I would hate to hear if a lot of that equipment was cut up for scrap

[@ChakatNightspark]

from what i heard from friend who worked for them for awhile. He said Certain stuff will be Donated to Museums. Equipment would most likely be Sold. certain things like a couple train cars will be going up in auctions.

[@theoldar]

Somehow and in some form they will be back in a few years. The name and fame is too valuable to be left unused.

[@trainfan06]

Yeah

[@fuzzybarnes5124]

Hope, the 10th car is'nt too stressed

[@Hunterwj12]

The blue unit will be heading south also around the 23rd won't it?

[@VirtualRailfan]

I think so, we'll stream Ashland & Folkston again on FB Live.

[@atrproductions5428]

i've only ever seen this train on the RF&P, sad to see it go

[@TheN1Chris]

I actually know where some of their remaining carriers still stand.

[@HenrysAdventures]

THat's a very sad night!

[@jerrysinclair3771]

Did any of the locals remove their hats the funeral train sped by?

[@brayantgamer6506]

I love train

[@trainfan06]

That's a lot of train for 1 circus

[@Alecmoseby]

What the heck is a funeral train

[@JamesEllison69]

23 cars.

[@raptorproductions1639]

What’s the red unit?

[@icedudesk8]

Did you ever get your question answered?

[@katerinakittycat3849]

I'm just wondering, how is the show going to travel without the train? Even without the animals it's a lot of stuff to transport and I don't think the roads can handle that kind of traffic.

[@wtxrailfan]

It isn't going to travel. It's kaput. Fini. Finished.

[@vitissubrailfan2540]

*plays taps*

[@davidnielsen4490]

Another old business destroyed by government interference. Very sad. I remember going to the circus several times. Children will never know the joy and happiness circuses gave. Even the anticipation was tremendous!

[@joshuauriarte452]

This wasn't caused by the government. It was caused by the decline of people being interested in circus's animals due to abuse. They had many alligations and promised to fix them but never did. Then there was the cost of the rail. Something that they admitted was way to expensive for them.

[@tamarab5751]

Like how the government destroyed the slavery business?

[@Big_Bag_of_Pus]

Oh for God's sakes.

[@marshallpoe8087]

Why no whistle before the crossing?

[@colemadonna6284]

The crossing is in a "quiet zone" so trains aren't allowed to blow horns.

[@marshallpoe8087]

Lol, good point. I guess the railroads folks should change the "W" signs to "H" signs.

[@SgtChip]

@@colemadonna6284 Indeed, however in Ashland and other places alike it is allowed for train crews to use the horn in the event something is in the way, or there are people acting blindly around the tracks, like often in Ashland.

[@57thorns]

@@SgtChip Of course the horns/whistles are used in emergenices. It is just that in a built up area there should be fencing and gates to keep people off the tracks (and probably a CCTV camera or four). Horns are for unguarded crossings only Of course, this is only the case in certain countries, not the US.

[@SgtChip]

@@57thorns Yeah, specifically concrete fences, to stop cars, and more cams. The VRF cam works well so far, but dedicated CCTV cams need to be installed.

[@thenewstuffsucks5000]

Can someone explain to me why this is Funeral train?

[@tamitami7396]

The end of the circus, they were on their way home for the last time. The circus had died.

[@thenewstuffsucks5000]

@@tamitami7396 Thats really sad. I guess one more thing is now just a memory

[@josephbennett3482]

@@thenewstuffsucks5000 it was animal activists who complained about circuses that caused it to disappear, but also Ringling Brothers lost a lot of attendance at shows so they chose to close the chapter in their life and the circus owners sent the animals to a sanctuary/conservation to give them a new home until they die. PETA wrecked all businesses in the country which have anything to do with animals , they have even tried to close down zoos but constantly fail miserably.

[@thenewstuffsucks5000]

@@josephbennett3482 ugh its always over sensitive people that have to ruin everything. Another one of the 100 reasons i hate this generation

[@leftintheoxafire]

I go to Ashland to see my grandma

[@vitissubrailfan2540]

Bagpipes anyone?

[@skatpak2967]

so glad to see this era done...NO MORE ANIMALS OR KIDS IN CAGES..thank you

[@STho205]

However YOU are in lockdown /locked-in.

[@STho205]

@@skatpak2967 work at Walmart or Grub Hub huhgh.

[@skatpak2967]

@@STho205 actually im retired and living well..cause i worked all my life...thanks God Bless you as well

[@fyrman9092]

Another victim of cancel culture.

[@MattPat427]

What would have been funny would be if a car was hit (and killed) by a funeral train.

[@racheld2199]

Do you mean ironic?

[@wallochdm1]

Am I the only one who kind of hates circuses?

[@modtomodern]

Always. And zoos and aquariums and hunters and the military and rodeos and sox worn with sandals.

[@alison__16]

Good. Glad it's gone.