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Beginning of my circus train. More cars and wagons acquired, yet to be photographed. Some wagons bought, some built (kits, mostly). Contemplating a circus name.
Bought multiple copies of Little Circus World mag (all their plans are on line) for info.

Have to decide what to use for performers cars.....maybe repurpose Williams pullmans.

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Beginning of my circus train
Last edited by rex desilets

That's great work, Rex! Those wagons are beautiful. I keep the Indiana Jones "Last Crusade" Dunn & Duffy circus train idea at the back of my mind, and have a list of the cars made up. A pipe dream at the moment, but you never know. I'm mildly surprised somebody didn't produce it commercially at the time, but reality is reality.

Top 5 Edited Scenes in an Indiana Jones Movie | Art of the ...

Last edited by Firewood

Thanks, Firewood.

This thing started with a visit to Baraboo all the way back in 1979. My wife fell in love with the wagons and I've been building and accumulating them for years: of course, a proper train is necessary. The good news is that this is one aspect of my infatuation that she approves of.

The Circus World magazine had an article on a representative six-car train that is appropriate for a limited-size O scale layout...although I'm far beyond that now.

David Nissen posted:

The first picture is a McCoy circus layout that belongs to our family.

The second picture is a Marx train with flat cars loaded with early

Globe model circus wagon kits. I think that K-line later used the globe

molds to remake the circus wagons

DSC09509FlatsWithCircus

David,

What super circus layouts!!! 

On the McCoy layout, did McCoy make those circus tents or did you and your family make them?

Bob Nelson

The Super Circus was a Marx product, my father bided and bought mine at an Action back in the late 50's.

My Globe kits I purchased in the 80's at the Circus World Museum in Baraboo Wi. An original RB & BB advertising car is at the Museum also. My flat cars for the Circus Wagons were made from Lionel double stack auto carriers with the second layer removed.

In November of 2018 there were several RB & BB cars sitting on the tracks leading into the Steamtown Park in Scranton Pa.   

Re the Globe/whatever kits. You can only have so many Lion and Gladiator wagons. However, the kits are inexpensive and the bits, especially the 5th wheel, are useful fodder when scratch-building other wagons. Plus, of course, wheels.

FWIW: The Circus Model Builders site has listing of 415 plans. Some are straightforward, some are not. Anyway: https://www.circusmodelbuilders.club/model-plans
For example
Plan 0122

Another note: The old Walthers, etc, kits are abundantly available on ebay. However, I have found that many  of the smaller wood piece parts (stripwood) are degraded (if they were ever any good). So if you intend on that path, lay in a good stock of nice, fresh Kappler stock.

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  • Plan 0122
lee drennen posted:

Bob. Thanks for posting those pics

Thanks Lee. I used to watch the train go through my town every year. The train basically shut the whole town down since the tracks run right through the middle and shut down all 7 main north south roads. Once parked the next attraction was the parade of elephants to Nassau Coliseum.

Big piece of Americana gone forever......

Last edited by RSJB18

The tents on the McCoy Circus Layout were made by my brother and our mother. They went through several iterations of patterns using old bed sheets until they could get the tents to hang right. The layout was made by my brother. He passed away in 1986 and the layout remains in our family. The layout has no permanent home and is set up by our family and friends about once every two years. It takes ten people about six hours to set it up. Attached is a video of the last time it was set up. The next time will be at an upcoming  TCA convention.

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Circus Layout

The Marx Super Circus was named after a TV program with the same name and was sold by Sears. There was a competing TV program called Big Top. Marks also made a version called Big Top that was sold by Wards. I found the Globe circus wagon kits on ebay. I mixed and matched from about ten kits to get the color combinations that I wanted. A couple of years later I found also on ebay a set of Globe draft horses.

Globe Circus Wagons

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  • Globe Circus Wagons

Here I am, self-quarantining like a good subject and this threa has provided an excuse to indulge in a favorite subject.

I haunted ebay for a time to get back issues of Little Circus Wagon magazine for really useful background information. Many of the plans now available for free were published there with useful photos. Plus all sorts of material on wagons, etc, that members built. If you are serious-to-OCD on the subject, I recommend a similar search.

One issue (haven't located mine yet) described a representative six-car train; I'll post a copy anon. Meanwhile, the guru Gordon Carver (July-August 1990) posted his idea for a ten-car train. Herewith my copy:

Representative ca. 1925 10 car circus train

Assuming 72-ft flats with 6-in. separation between wagons:

  1. Advance car
  2. Cookhouse, 16 ft wagon length
    Horse, 14
    Water and cookhouse, 10
    Side show menagerie top and poles, 15
    Office, 15
  3. Three cages, @12 each
    Three cross cages, @6 ft width
    Concessions, 15
  4. Two wagons for performers’ props and trunks, @15
    Two seat planks, @13
    Jacks & stringers, 18
  5. Props, 13
    Dressing top-padroom canvas & poles, 13
    Big top canvas, 14
    Poles, 30
  6. Stock car
  7. Stock car
  8. Coach
  9. Coach
  10. Coach

Not all these cars need be included: the advance car, one of the coaches, etc. You might drop or substitute for a wagon or two, such as the side show menagerie wagon. The props and baggage wagons can be parade wagons with fancy sides, like some of the Globe models.
My train is pulled by a steam engine or a diesel set, so the1925's version is a bit of an anachronism. If you model into the Fifties, Ringling Brothers covered many wagons with canvas tarps; where's the fun in that? Furthermore, I dislike, aesthetically, the more modern truck tires: it ain't pretty without painted wagon wheels.

@TURTLE 2 posted:

The fun part of the layout!!DSC02755DSC02750DSC02766DSC02765DSC02700DSC02792DSC02758DSC02759

Great to see photos of your layout posted again. In your 2013 Post under topic "Let's see your Circus Trains" you had a similar overall view of your layout but with a red boxcar with a yellow elephants design spelling out "CIRCUS". It had some markings on it "BLT PVP 11-04?" hard to fully make out date so it's a guess. The PVP maybe was indicating it may have been made by Newbraugh Brothers-Pleasant Valley Process. Can you tell me anything about it? Was it a stock or custom piece ? Did you sell it? I've never seen another like it, just curious about it's origin so I could try to track one down for my circus collection. Thanks again for sharing your photos. Andy

@lehighline posted:

Bill,

The top two you don't see very often. The middle one is rare indeed. Don't know anything about the bottom one.

Chris

LVHR

The bottom set was done by KRIS.  He purchased the car sets from Williams and added the decals.  The middle one took some effort.  At first I obtained a four car set with the AA's.  Later I was able to purchase a partial set and get the fifth car.

Last edited by Bill DeBrooke

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