Osisek Shops Circus Cars?

I have same cars except  circus flat car with human cannonball cannon . Can you post photo of it? Have never seen passenger or combind. 

The cars are a nice set modeled on the Ives standard gauge circus set.

The tube on the cannon looks the same as my NYLINT Electronic Cannon except much shorter. My cannon dates to 1957 so it would be much older than this car. BTW the car is awesome.

Jim,

Thanks!  Interesting you should mention the NYLINT truck.  Prior to my purchase of the Osisek Shops human cannonball car, I was contemplating "kitbashing" a Nylint electronic cannon with an unfinished Osisek Shops Ives flat car to make my own verison of a human cannonball flat car.  I am still considering doing this but using the Nylint cannon with an early black and unstamped MTH 200 series flat car in order to run it with my MTH/Lionel Corp. circus train.  What is the inner diameter of the barrel on your Nylint cannon and what does it fire?

Below are two pictures of my Osesik Shops' Circus Water Wagon flat car, which as you can see has a very different design than the Ives circus water flat cars reproduced by MTH.   I wonder if either or both designs are acurate reproductions of the original Ives circus water car(s)?

Bob

No "water cars" were cataloged by Ives.  Same for the cannonball car.  They are fantasy pieces.

What circus cars did Ives catalog and did Osisek make any other "fantasy" circus cars?

Bob

The sets were cataloged with:

-1 box car

-1 live stock car

-3 flat cars (with rolling cages for animals and ramps to load them)

-1 performers passenger car

and of course the locomotive (typically an 1134 steam type)

I am unsure about any other fantasy cars besides the cannon and water cars....also MTH made a water car I believe.  The only one's I've seen so far are the ones you mentioned.  Also, the general belief is that Osisek cars were made from original Ives cars that were stripped down and then restored.  So in some sense, they are original......original Ives metal anyway. 

Also, regarding the performers car:

It is just any standard Ives passenger car from the year of your circus set.  Typically the shorter 14in. cars are most often found.  Usually a combine or coach. 

So since you are collecting Osisek cars, and he reproduced the 1928 version of the circus set, you would want a 184 combine or 185 parlor.  Colors could be all red, red w/ black roof, or all orange.

With respect to Osisek using Ives metal, IMHO he didn't.  A couple of years ago I purchased some unfinished and unpainted Osisek cars and circus wagons off ebay.  Examination of the tinplate used on these indicates that Osisek did not strip and repaint original Ives cars and wagons but instead used new or possibly used tinplate from other sources.  

As proof that Osisek did not use striped Ives material, attached are some pictures of two unfinished Osisek circus ticket wagons.  Please note the Osisek crown logo stamped into the new tinplate floors of the ticket wagons. Also note the two different types of new sheet metal he used on the body versus the axle suspension on these two ticket wagons.  I have three others in exactly the same condition.  

Bob Nelson

Sorry, I did not mean the wagons/cages

I meant the freight cars themselves.

There are not enough original Ives wagons/cages around for him to refinish originals.

It is believed (by some) that the freight cars themselves were originals that were refinished/rebuilt to make circus cars.  It would be quite easy to obtain beat up flat, stock, and box cars, from the mid 20's to do as such.  Once stripped down, one could easily add the parts to make them appear later (later couplers, journals, etc.).

That being said, I have not studied any of the Osisek freight cars in person.  Do the freight cars bear his mark stamped or embossed into the metal?

Good question.  There is a lot of variation in the Osisek cars I have.  All of the "finished" Osisek circus cars in my collection have been black ink stamped "MADE IN THE OSISEK SHOPS" on the bottom of the car.  In addition to the ink stamp, some of the cars also have the Osisek "crown" painted in gold on the bottom of the cars.  Still others have the ink stamp and the crown "embossed" into the metal of the car.  I believe some may have all three, i.e., ink stamp, painted crown, and embossed crown. 

I am not sure if any of the "unfinished" Osisek cars I own have been embossed or not with the crown.  They are buried away in boxes in our barn and when I find them I will take pictures and post them here. 

Bob

I have the promotional brochure somewhere and was in contact with Vince Osisek a few years ago.  The cars were original IVES production refinished.  Trucks by Rich-Art.  Cages, booths, etc. tent, fantasy items fabricated by Osisek.  Locomotive provided by Rich-Art.

All interesting information.

They are neat cars.