Here is one more photo for the teary eyed readers. This is an Al Halpern picture taken in 1948. One other conversation came about last night that pointed out the third section of flats was actually loaded before the second section because it carried the guts of the big top such as the seat wagons, bandstand etc. The second section carried the Big Top poles, canvas, stake drivers etc, that was of great importance the first thing in the morning.
6 comments:
OK Randy. I bet Bob posted this one just for you!
Flint
Hi Bob,
The #130 in this photo is actually the old 4 wheeled hard rubber tired wooden light plant.
The wagon in your earlier posts was built in 1950. It was constructed from one of the performing animal cages from 1947. They cut the wagon down from 16'to 12'. In 1952 they used another of these cages and cut it down and made it in to the cook house generator.
They built 5 of these cages in 1947 for the performing animals. After they introduced the low profile cages in 1948, they sold two of the '47 cages to the Biller Bros. Circus and used two for the train generator and the cook house generator. The fifth one was probably placed in the wagon graveyard.
Dom
This is the train light plant from the Al G.Barnes show that replaced the old train light plant #220, which was also 12' long. Don Smith told me that wagons 130 and 220 were numbered that way as to the time they hoped to be finished up with loading. Back in the 20's and 30's both the second and third sections would be loaded at the same time. Third section being loaded with the 21 lumber wagons(3 jacks,4 stringers,2 blue planks,6 chair wagons,and 7 bible back wagons). These along with ringcurbs,stages,and some wardrode wagons made up the 3rd section, and would not be needed till last in tomorrows town. But would come to the runs before the bigtop and dressing room tops were down and loaded. The second section was all the poles and canvas for the bigtop, stake and chain wagaons, sideshow wagons, and the light dept. including #111 midway and menagerie light plant wagon,#112 bigtop light plant wagon, and #110 backyard light plant wagon. The light dept. also used two regular baggage wagons #113 and #114. Also on the 2nd section would be the ring stock dept and canvas. The last wagons off the lot would be one of the light plant wagons and the bigtop pole wagon. The bigtop pole wagon and the small train light plant would almost always load last.
This fine photo looks like they are moving the flats to another location. The runs and jacks are just sitting on the end of the flat. It was not uncommon to come in on one railroad and leave town on another, and it was alot better to move the cars over to the other railroad's tracks during the day. Sometimes it would only be a couple blocks diffence of were the runs would be.
That may be the story with the photo from the other day with the train light plant being loaded in the daytime.
p.j.
AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH.....THATS BETTER,NOW I FEEL GOOD.....
After looking again at the photo from the other day (Sept.3, 1950), it does appear to be a daytime loading of the show and not just a movement of the cars.
p.j.
Randy,
In the current "Band Wagon" there is a reference to a Clyde Beaty light plant in the box telling what happened to many of the train show wagons.
Bob Kitto
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