Show Trains

L-1 class 2-10-2 with an unknown show train stock car passing Union Manufacturing on Berlin Line.

Photographer and date unknown.

I think this photo is of the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus train on June 17, 1956. 

It's clearly a show train, and the large number of stock/box cars and the placement of the letter boards leads me to believe it's the Ringling Bros. train. DERS-2c No. 529 was delivered on September 3, 1950. New Britain Station was razed at the end of November, 1956. But that same year was the only year that it would be traveling westbound from New Haven (toward Plainville). This would also be the Ringling Bros. last stand in Plainville.

Ringling Bros. (almost) in New Britain

The 1948 season was the first year the Ringling Bros circus performed in Connecticut following the tragic fire in Hartford on July 6, 1944. Joe Tinty of Plainville apparently convinced Ringling Bros. to return to the state, and used his property for the Plainville stand.

The 1948 route included Bridgeport on June 15-16, Waterbury June 17, and Plainville on June 18, and New London on the 19th. The train would be routed via New Britain and the Berlin Line on the evening of June 18. But the June 17 show was originally scheduled at New Britain but the fire marshal declared the lot unsuitable and it was relocated to Waterbury.

Plainville would be a regular stop after this and following the show the train would usually pass through New Britain:

• June 16, 1949 to Wallingford

• June 13, 1950 to Springfield

• June 16, 1951 to Albany (but from Springfield)

• June 26, 1952 to New Haven

  • Ringling Bros. skipped Connecticut in 1953 and 1954, and visited Bridgeport, New Haven, and New London in 1955.

• June 17, 1956 to Willimantic (from New Haven)

Here's a 1953 Ringling Brothers Route Book which includes all routes from 1919-1953.

Here are some videos of Ringling Bros. setting up (no trains):

Plainville 1948

Bridgeport and Plainville 1951

Plainville 1956

Here's a video unloading the train at Hartford on July 5, the day before the fire:

Hartford 1944 

DER-1 No. 0705 and a second handling James E. Strates Shows carnival train at Whiting St., June 1949.

The James E. Strates carnival is the only show still moved by rail today. Numerous photos of the Strates trains were taken in New Haven territory, including many in New Britain. This is the train I should probably start with if I model one.

Jerry Britton has done an excellent series of posts on the Strates trains. Unfortunately, he starts his research at 1956, just after my era. 

Here's his photo album of the train.

During my era it was a 40-car train:

• 34 Flat cars

• 6 sleepers

In November of 1954, Strates purchased an additional 10 Pullman sleepers for the train.

In 1945 Strates had a fire that destroyed most of their rides and wagons, but not the train. As a result, all of the trailers were new for the 1946 and later show. 

O.C. Buck-Model Show Carnival

It's probably not surprising to learn that the show train equipment would frequently change hands over time as shows came and went. 

In 1940 Art Lewis converted his show hauled by truck to a railroad show. He owned five flat cars, and purchased an additional 15 Mt. Vernon flat cars, a stock car, a day coach and a regular coach that had previously been used by the Hagenback & Wallace Circus from Ringling Bros. His show was unsuccessful operating over rail and sold the cars to James E. Strates in 1943.

Strates put together a second rail show with J.C. Weir utilizing 17 flats, 2 coaches and a box car for 1944, but it was unprofitable. Strates then helped finance a new show with Dave Endy, who operated the 25-car show from 1945-1950.

In 1952 Strates again decided to send out a second train, and Dave Endy managed the Model Show for Strates. Due in part to labor shortages caused by the Korean War, in 1953 Strates agreed to pool resources with O.C. Buck, creating the O.C. Buck-Model Show, again with Dave Endy. It started the year with 18 flats and two coaches but may have added an additional 5 flats during the season. It appears to have run only in 1953 and 1954, Strates put the train up for sale in 1954. The show reverted to truck transportation.

World of Mirth train at Whiting St. yard, New Britain

Tom McNamara, June 1957.

Trackside with Tom McNamara has a series of photos of the World of Mirth train in June 1956 at Berlin and Newington Junction.