Sunday, October 23, 2011

Flatcar # 62

The History of Flatcar # 62

This flatcar is 70’ long and was built by the Mt. Vernon Car Manufacturing Co. sometime between 1921 and 1927. The original owners are unknown. This particular car was identified to be from the Sparks Circus that bought Mt. Vernons in 1921 and 1923 and that they were bought from Ringling in 1936 or 1937 after Ringling had bought the American Circus Corporation that included the Sparks Circus.
It is uncertain as to just when the World of Mirth Shows acquired this car and from whom. While it was on the World of Mirth Shows it was # 91.
This car was purchased by the Joseph Schlitz Brewing Co from the World of Mirth Shows for the Circus World Museum on Sept. 21, 1964.
Once in the possession of the Circus World Museum, the car was refurbished and painted Silver with red Letters and a Blue Outline being titled Clyde Beatty Circus on one side and a Silver car with Yellow Letters and a Red Outline being titled Sun Bros. World’s Progressive Shows on the other side.
This car was in rather poor shape and was only used in the 1970, 1971, 1972, and 1973 parade trains. It was never used again.
This car was scrapped in the early 1980’s with a couple other flatcars. Two of the four cars are accounted for in an inventory taken by Bob Parkinson in August of 1986. I have been assured by former employees that this car was gone before Bill Schultz left CWM in early 1985.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Your last two sentences are inconsistent. One or the other is in error, or both.

Bob Cline said...

Well, you are right, I didn't word it very well but they are both correct. The couple flats were scrapped and gone before Bill Schultz left. The inventory in 1986 verified they were gone.
Bob