Why the Circus travelled by train - Circus Trains

[@TrainFactGuy]

I swear I made a thumbnail for this video, idk what happened. I can't fix it for the time being because I'm away from my computer. Whoops

[@stupidhead6879]

dw

[@AnimalsVehiclesAndMore]

Maybe you could've put Casey Jr. and his train in the thumbnail since he's a pretty well-known circus locomotive, even though he's fictional.

[@JoeltheSwedishDragon]

@@AnimalsVehiclesAndMore I second that motion! ✌

[@kenrickman6697]

As an engineer, I’ve run both the red and blue RBX trains several times. Most train crews hated them because of the special handling they required and the time they would take to load and unload. I actually enjoyed running them, because it was a rare opportunity to use my best old school (and generally forbidden) train handling techniques, and I received several comments and compliments on the quality of the ride I delivered. Most freight engineers aren’t used to handling passenger trains, and passenger engineers aren’t used to handling something the length and weight of a freight train.

[@thomasrengel5577]

But did the RR's charge Good $$$ for the extra trouble? THAT would make cents!

[@ismaelsegoviano9824]

I here a little bit of TF2 reference in the beginning

[@jackscribner7249]

Every year Royal American Shows rolled into Brandon Manitoba in Canada.3 sections and at that time pulled by steam. Flat cars unloaded by chain drive Mack trucks They did a Canadian circuit, and then returned to the U.S. As you can see I am 1 old train nut, but have a great memory!

[@kobyleggio5334]

The museum i volunteer for has three ringling bros & barnum and bailey cars, two dorms and a horse car (which may have actually held elephants), so its nice to see you do a video on them. Thanks!

[@James-kv6kb]

Wow that's very cool come from Australia but still love Ringling Brother's have a poster somewhere from the 70s

[@offrails]

Sixteen of the Ringling/Bailey coaches are preserved here in Florida at the Kirby Family Farm in Williston. The original plan was to use them for dormitories (and Mr. Kirby was expecting to only get a couple of cars to do so), but that never came to fruition for various reasons. They are not open for tours at the moment, but they can be viewed while riding the narrow gauge railway (originally from California's Great America and sometimes driven by yours truly) during any of the farm's seasonal events.

[@azuma892]

Wow old timey American style passenger coaches with buffers? Beautiful things, wish more got preserved.

[@Pandagun.]

I went on one of the coaches for the Greatest Show on Earth in 2017. It was small but amazing. I didn’t get to meet any of the actors but it was still fun.

[@genevarailfan3909]

In the 1800s, circuses tended to stop traveling for the winter. For some reason, many of them (including Ringling, B&B, and Greatest Show on Earth) would spend the winter in small town Wisconsin, particularly the towns of Delevan and Baraboo. Baraboo still has a large circus museum (including a show!) and stores a circus train. The train used to make an annual trip to Milwaukee to transport circus wagons and animals to a parade, but that sadly ended some years ago.

[@sirbarongaming2138]

I went to a Ringling brothers circus when i was young, it was pretty cool

[@princessmarlena1359]

Same. Loved it.

[@felixtheswiss]

Circus Knie in Switzerland ended with Railtransport last year!

[@PuzzlingHousing56]

Guess the circus decided that clown cars wouldn't be able to do the job

[@ThomasSpettel]

"An elephant pushed me! And elephant whooshed me!" Henry grumbled.

[@robrice7246]

Gordon: First the rain, then an elephant. Whatever will you be afraid of next?

[@harrisonallen651]

Thomas: Never Mind Henry, I thought you were brave today and really reliable too! @@robrice7246

[@MatthewsBranchLine]

*Insert the sound of wind blowing though several stacks of pipes*

[@wolfraider577]

HELP! Shouted the workmen and the ranout

[@JP_TaVeryMuch]

My most cherished model railway wagon was inherited from my dad. I've yet to see it anywhere on the one or two YT train channels I might just be addicted to either. It's a circus long wheel base box car you'd call it I s'pose. Doors in the centre which is also where there is a roof hatch. Sticking out of that is a beautifully realised head and neck of a Giraffe. Even better, it is an operating model. As if by magic, as the circus train approaches an overbridge, the giraffe ducks down! At least my dad contrived to keep me inraptured by setting it up out of my eyeline. Dads are good like that sometimes, aren't they‽ Yes, even though I worked out that the strange ramp thing that had appeared in the middle of the track before the bridge was the key, it still brings a great big smile to my face several decades later.

[@roadwarrior114]

Triang R348A?

[@JP_TaVeryMuch]

@@roadwarrior114 Now that I've dug through my shamefully boxed up layout, excuse being we're moving house, you are spot on. I then did what would have been easier in the first place and looked it up and was surprised to find that you can change your railway modeller son's life (or your own) for a mere fifty quid!

[@Iron_Blood_Enjoyer1933]

7:15 This is near Tyrone, PA. I live not to far from there & there is a plaque along the road near the old trackbed.

[@MM-fe9mz]

A great movie showing circus trains is "the greatest show on earth 1952" it was filmed with both real life units of the barnum and baily circus

[@lukechristmas3951]

I'm glad that you touched a bit on the International part of Circus Trains as being an American, I am familiar with circus trains running between cities only in the US and Canada. I would love to see a German circus train, past and present. In the mean time, I know a place where I can see a model of an American circus train every April.

[@harrisonallen651]

These trains were essential as both Henry and Casey Jr found out

[@markst.germain9286]

I saw them put seven motorcycles inside of one of those balls. When you add the dancing elephants,It truly was the greatest chill on earth.

[@yeoldeseawitch]

The last steam hauled circus train in the united states was pulled by the union pacific challenger 3985. The circus was the ringling bros

[@AnimalsVehiclesAndMore]

Not exactly, there's a video that was posted 14 years ago of Soo Line 1003 pulling a circus train.

[@zanethompson6087]

Ill never forget the time i found some old film picture my grandpa had taken and watched them as a slide show one Christmas in a perfect patter for about 50 slides was, circus train, 8foot long snake, back to circus train

[@Eddy2730]

Being both a clown and railway enthusiast, I can't think of a more appropriate video than this. Thanks for uploading it!

[@martincraw7698]

To me, the most famous circus steam engine will always be Casey Jr from Disney's Dumbo.

[@swordkirbyfilms7747]

I believe Union Pacific Challenger 3985 pulled the Ringling Brothers Circus at some point during the early 2010s. Also dagnabbit I hear the Meat Circus from Psychonauts in the background.

[@Arkay315]

Moral of the story- don't run off and join the circus, trains are cool

[@ronnichols884]

Every so often, I used to see the Ringling Brothers circus train stopped on the railroad trestle west of downtown Houston over the I-10 freeway. I don't think the circus is in business anymore.

[@toastnjam7384]

I recall hearing that the German army studied the circus trains of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey for how they organized and moved so much so efficiently.

[@Trainfan1264]

bro didnt think about adding a thumbnail

[@JohnJCB]

He got distracted by the circus

[@moistnugget1178]

What a clown ay

[@ThatChargerPursuitGuy]

Wasn't another issue with Circus trains incidents also related to Railroads running them as Specials and thus didn't conform to the timetables. Or is just me mis-remembering

[@TankEngine97]

Casey Junior' comin' down the track

[@JoeltheSwedishDragon]

Comin' down the track, with a smokey stack~🎶

[@ConorDaRobin]

@@JoeltheSwedishDragon Hear him puffin', comin' round the hill, Casey's here to thrill every Jack and Jill!

[@uncralph4354]

I remember when the circus train came to town in the 50s and 60s, every young boy that could was at the train yard watching the unloading. Not really sure how but the word of the train traveled faster than the internet does now LOL

[@mayanays5163]

"Does it make sense to combine the two?" Yes. Not sure why that could ever be surprising.

[@HyperCat72]

4:11 where can I find more information about the preserved example?

[@charlenevarada--Stargazer]

I fondly remember when the circus train would come through New Berlin in Wisconsin. EVERYONE went down to the tracks to see it. It was such a thrill then. 😊

[@christopherpuylara6355]

My wife and I worked as carnies for Strates Shows for 2 years,we lived on the train.

[@unclerichard6729]

When the Civic Center Music Hall, in Oklahoma City, was originally constructed train tracks were laid right up to the loading dock just for this purpose. There were even huge steel rings built into the walls of the back stage area to be able to chain up the elephants when they were inside. When it was remodeled in the 90s (I think) the tracks and rings were removed.

[@rottenroads1982]

Nice use of Psychonauts Aquato Family Circus music.

[@johnd8892]

Australian Circus train included in this circa 1946 Circus short film : kzbin.info/www/bejne/oaLUgqmoetyGbsksi=42ul2MMoxtIxIj1L I beleive the earliest colour film of Steam trains of the Victorian Railways. Includes the use of converted high roof cattle wagons suitable for use by elephants. Circus had the use of the oldest passenger carriages still in use then. From a search for NFSA Behind the Big Top.

[@robrice7246]

9:07 Henry: You look silly enough to be a clown. You should join the circus.

[@FunAngelo2005]

Yup

[@primrosevale1995]

Percy: “Oh. So you’ve heard the news.”

[@robrice7246]

@@primrosevale1995 Gordon: What news?

[@primrosevale1995]

@@robrice7246 Percy: The circus has arrived!

[@robrice7246]

@primrosevale1995 James: Percy, what are you talking about?

[@avlisk]

We grew up in the 1960's, 100 feet from the rail line into Boston. A yearly treat would be seeing the circus train go by on its way to Boston Garden.

[@WesternOhioInterurbanHistory]

Casey Junior's coming down the track...

[@daffers2345]

Casey Junior's back, Caswy Junior's back!

[@MagiTailWelkin]

Time for Lemonade and Crackerjack.

[@K4sleeper]

Casey Jr back! Casey Jr back!

[@ivanthevaluable2559]

Every time his funny little whistle sounds...

[@K4sleeper]

@@ivanthevaluable2559 everybody rushes to the circus grounds

[@Brickticks]

And yet we still have no circus trains for our Lego Cities. Darn shame. Oh well, I’d assume that Lego isn’t too keen on making a Circus Train for Lego City any time soon. Rockatoa, Brickticks out!

[@princessmarlena1359]

Right?

[@alaeriia01]

Build your own? It _is_ LEGO, after all.

[@ianthezombiefighter5377]

All I’m seeing is the young Indiana Jones on the top of that circus train in last crusade AND that poster that was in Thomas and friends

[@Spud607]

I think the thumbnail is missing mate. Just thought I'd let you know in case you havn't noticed. :D

[@gearandalthefirst7027]

8:56 A trailer, made to look like a passenger car, transported by flatbed. Huh

[@Tom-Lahaye]

The trailers are a single performer/family living quarter, by being a trailer it can be unloaded and towed to the circus field even when it is some distance away from the railroad, the train cars are mostly hired from the railroad or hire companies in the remaining circus trains in Europe, this means the train is fully unloaded at the destination and vehicles and equipment are transported to the circus field. They are not allowed to stay and live on railway property during the show week for safety reasons as quiet goods yards are far and apart these days. Many of the gipsies and other travellers used to live in such trailers in the past, originally with wooden wheels and horse drawn but later these would grow larger, have rubber tyres and they would not be on the move all the time because laws regulated the places where these people could stay. Since the 1980s most of these gipsy trailers have sadly disappeared and are replaced by modern unit homes sometimes even resembling a manor house, needing disassembly by a crane and trucks to move them, they just have a set of dummy wheels so that they can be called a trailer by law.

[@daffers2345]

I think the old circus train cars are really beautiful works of art. (I guess most things in that era were definitrly made for style and beauty as well as function). I knew the main reasons why the circuses used trains, but it is fascinating to me that they didn't own their own locomotives, instead relying on the local railroads. It makes sense of the "Casey Junior" song from _Dumbo_ as the locomotive would have been borrowed or chartered, so it gets the chance to "sing."

[@Huvada]

Recently rewatched the train scene of the original dumbo movie. And now you release this… I’m no conspiracy theorist, but…

[@trevorthesorcerer]

If you like train scenes watch The Greatest Show On Earth 1952.

[@calimom3lestudios931]

The Complete Lore of Casey Jr.

[@valmarsiglia]

What else were they supposed to take, hot-air balloons? Trains in the 19th-century US were the fastest, most efficient, and often the only way to get places. All performing artists used trains to get around, as did anyone else who needed to travel.

[@IronHorse-oe9mr]

As I try to picture a British locomotive pulling a circus train made of American-looking rolling stock across a British railway network, the idea feels very jarring. It would have been very odd, and therefore, eye-catching, which I guess is what the circus organizers were going for. Still, very jarring to picture American stock on British rails, let alone a circus one.

[@twistedaxles9126]

Casey Jr.

[@tubepiraten3032]

I realy love this video Becouse i work at the circus and i realy love trains Also fun to hear the most famous names like Roncali realy good video mate love it😊

[@davidkimmel4216]

Thanks for the memories

[@TheSrSunday]

A circus train made an appearance on the James Bond flick Octopussy.

[@dannypipewrench533]

I was just thinking about that.

[@thomasrengel5577]

Well how else would the circus get around? Horse-drawn wagon?

[@bgw33]

Thanks. Great fun. ❤

[@princessmarlena1359]

When I was little, I used to dream about running away, hopping aboard a circus train and joining that circus. But I eventually outgrew that dream.

[@EdwardChan.999]

It is sad to see how much railroad connections the US had in the past...

[@dannypipewrench533]

We still have them, they are just mostly used for freight, which we are arguably the best at.

[@subnormality5854]

Stoke-on-Trent mentioned

[@alaeriia01]

Home of the UK's only elite coaster (Nemesis) and a bunch of losers who think said coaster will cause their cattle to bear malformed young.

[@littlehelphere]

Circus trains invented roll on roll off

[@Austriantrainguy]

You should make a Video about the Engerth-Locomotives, which were specially made for steep raillines.

[@kennethcollins7665]

Because it’s too hard to fit an elephant into the overhead luggage bins…

[@LBSC70]

Casey Jr's purpose and also when in Europe they had to split it in 3 trains pulled by 2 goods engines each They should've got Casey Jr to pull all of it in one go, he would've done it in his stride

[@K4sleeper]

Casey did pull a 23 car train up a steep hill

[@JoeltheSwedishDragon]

The idea of Casey Junior pulling Circus Trains abroad is instantly amazing. ✨🚂✨ - It'd also be one in the headlamp for BWBA. XP

[@daniellewis1789]

Loading gauge - even a Jr. American locomotive doesn't fit everywhere in the European network.

[@LBSC70]

@@daniellewis1789 good point, but hey he's a cartoon that can bend so he could just duck down in tunnels and stuff

[@BrandonPaez-w9k]

Henry: An elephant pushed me! An elephant hooshed me!

[@jimmypetrock]

I love this channel

[@joshuaW5621]

All aboard the circus train.

[@Ilumenix]

Real life Madagascar 3

[@artistjoh]

I went to The Greatest Show on Earth around 1960-ish. I liked the clowns, but was bored by the animal acts and acrobats. They had elephants, horses, lions, and various primates. I remember there were three rings with different acts on at the same time.

[@Straswa]

Great work ToT.

[@G-Cole-01]

ah yes, the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey 3 & Knuckles Adventure 2 Battle Circus CD

[@mlgodzilla4206]

But were the engines ever driven by penguins

[@danielboone3770]

I'm glad the circus traveled by train and they still should because I have an idea for this.

[@Little-Dewott-2010]

Shame on PETA for shutting down Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey and forcing it to go animal free!!!!

[@merafirewing6591]

They really are very wet blankets.

[@loopwithers]

Circuses work fine without animals. Captive wild animals being forced to perform circus tricks? You get pleasure from that...?

[@Nor-tc8vz]

Cirque de Soleil is a thing.

[@primrosevale1995]

Anyone else think of the engine from Madagascar 3?

[@JRS06]

I thought about it, but I've never been fond of it. I don't mind circuses borrowing locomotives, but it's a bit unnerving to see them be vandalised with garish paint schemes and typography, such as in Madagascar 3.

[@primrosevale1995]

@@JRS06 Pretty sure that circus owned the locomotive since the penguins drove it.

[@catdealer1144]

knarly

[@generybarczyk6993]

Good essay, but the Wringling "broze?" Never heard of them.

[@joshuatoro8977]

Such a phenomenal video but I have to add. Peter must go bye-bye they seem to have destroyed one and too many circuses in their lifetime. I miss the real circus when elephants and tigers and lions were all in the cages and we got to see them up close enough. Nowadays we have to go to a zoo where they're trying to shut that down or a wild animal park which Pete is trying to shut down as well

[@SantaFe19484]

Cars built for North America are not only too large for Europe, but have an incompatible braking and coupling system.

[@brenlc1412]

the twitter train

[@zainmudassir2964]

There should be circus ships and aircraft also

[@alicehodges9964]

I Like It Trains i Think It Is Awesome

[@SeverityOne]

Please don't called the Netherlands 'Holland'.

[@WardenWolf]

Putting the animals at the front of the train. . .I REALLY don't want to know how bad that smelled for the people. I'd have thought they'd do the opposite.

[@jameslawrie3807]

I'm a shooter and lived rural a fair bit so I don't consider myself a fervent animal rights person but something about the way the elephants were treated makes me furious. Pretty much all the circus animals really.

[@trevorthesorcerer]

Ringling Brothers And Barnum & Bailey Circus won all their lawsuits against animal activists which had to pay 16 million in just one case for their slander.

[@merafirewing6591]

​@@trevorthesorcerer which is why I find animal rights as ridiculous.

[@Dkrpan59]

I rode with a carnival on the Rocky Mountain circuit Danny Brown he had to rely on trucks and had to have drivers driver go back and forth picking up rides highways and automobiles suck

[@moparmenace59]

I don't believe they had much of a choice, not too many roads.

A question which did not need to be asked. Elephants in taxis? Giraffes on double decker buses? Lions in Austens? Trains were the only feasible answer, saved myself 9 minutes of life by not watching this drivel!

[@connorholt6965]

Ah thanks peta for ruining my childhood

[@ivoryfields2631]

just commenting to claim my space as 2nd lol nothing useful here