This is from the Dan McGinnis collection as taken in 1969.Sunday, October 23, 2011
Flatcar # 63
The History of Flatcar # 63
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. Speculation could be that they were 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. The Cole Bros. Circus had Mt. Vernons also. Their train was a compilation of former show equipment including the 1925 Robbins Bros. Circus, the 1924 to 1926 Christy Bros. Circus and / or the 1925 to 1927 Miller Bros. 101 Ranch Wild West show.
It is also 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 # 61.
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. It was used as a run car.
Once in the possession of the Circus World Museum, the car was refurbished and repainted a Red body with White lettering being titled The Mighty Haag Shows on one side and a Red body with White lettering being titled W.W. Cole’s great New York and New Orleans Zoological and Equestrienne Exposition. This car was used from 1965 until 1973. It was never used again.
As of Sept. 2007, it was still sitting on a spur track at the Train Sheds located just west of the Circus World Museum.
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. Speculation could be that they were 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. The Cole Bros. Circus had Mt. Vernons also. Their train was a compilation of former show equipment including the 1925 Robbins Bros. Circus, the 1924 to 1926 Christy Bros. Circus and / or the 1925 to 1927 Miller Bros. 101 Ranch Wild West show.
It is also 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 # 61.
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. It was used as a run car.
Once in the possession of the Circus World Museum, the car was refurbished and repainted a Red body with White lettering being titled The Mighty Haag Shows on one side and a Red body with White lettering being titled W.W. Cole’s great New York and New Orleans Zoological and Equestrienne Exposition. This car was used from 1965 until 1973. It was never used again.
As of Sept. 2007, it was still sitting on a spur track at the Train Sheds located just west of the Circus World Museum.
Friday, October 21, 2011
Flatcar # 64
The History of Flatcar # 64
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. Speculation could be that they were 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. The Cole Bros. Circus had Mt. Vernons also. Their train was a compilation of former show equipment including the 1925 Robbins Bros. Circus, the 1924 to 1926 Christy Bros. Circus and / or the 1925 to 1927 Miller Bros. 101 Ranch Wild West show.
It is also 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 # 61.
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. It was used as a run car.
Once in the possession of the Circus World Museum, the car was refurbished and repainted a Red body with White lettering and a Gold Outline titled Howe’s Great London Circus with Van Amburg’s Trained Wild Animals on one side of the car and painted Maroon with Yellow Letters and an Orange Outline being titled the Greater Norris and Rowe Show on the other side.
This car was used from 1965 through 1973 then when the parade train was resurrected again in 1985 through 1991. It was never used after that.
As of Sept. 2007, this car was resting on a spur track by the Train Sheds located just west of the Circus World Museum.
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. Speculation could be that they were 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. The Cole Bros. Circus had Mt. Vernons also. Their train was a compilation of former show equipment including the 1925 Robbins Bros. Circus, the 1924 to 1926 Christy Bros. Circus and / or the 1925 to 1927 Miller Bros. 101 Ranch Wild West show.
It is also 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 # 61.
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. It was used as a run car.
Once in the possession of the Circus World Museum, the car was refurbished and repainted a Red body with White lettering and a Gold Outline titled Howe’s Great London Circus with Van Amburg’s Trained Wild Animals on one side of the car and painted Maroon with Yellow Letters and an Orange Outline being titled the Greater Norris and Rowe Show on the other side.
This car was used from 1965 through 1973 then when the parade train was resurrected again in 1985 through 1991. It was never used after that.
As of Sept. 2007, this car was resting on a spur track by the Train Sheds located just west of the Circus World Museum.
Flatcar # 64
This is the show title as applied on one side of the car. This is an Earl Finger photo from 1990.
Flatcar # 64
This is the lettering on the other side of the car. This is a Carter Siegling photo from 1988.Flatcar # 64
I took these next few pictures in 2006. The car is on the storage track beside the car barns.
Flatcar # 65
The History of Flatcar # 65
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. Speculation could be that they were 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. The Cole Bros. Circus had Mt. Vernons also. Their train was a compilation of former show equipment including the 1925 Robbins Bros. Circus, the 1924 to 1926 Christy Bros. Circus and / or the 1925 to 1927 Miller Bros. 101 Ranch Wild West show.
It is also 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 # 41.
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. This was used as a run car.
Once in the possession of the Circus World Museum, the car was refurbished and painted Blue with Orange Letters and White Shading being titled Yankee Robinson Three Ring Circus on one side and a Blue car with Orange Letters and a White Outline being titled W.H. Harris New Nickel Plate Shows on the other side.
This car was in rather poor shape and was only used in the 1966 through 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.
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. Speculation could be that they were 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. The Cole Bros. Circus had Mt. Vernons also. Their train was a compilation of former show equipment including the 1925 Robbins Bros. Circus, the 1924 to 1926 Christy Bros. Circus and / or the 1925 to 1927 Miller Bros. 101 Ranch Wild West show.
It is also 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 # 41.
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. This was used as a run car.
Once in the possession of the Circus World Museum, the car was refurbished and painted Blue with Orange Letters and White Shading being titled Yankee Robinson Three Ring Circus on one side and a Blue car with Orange Letters and a White Outline being titled W.H. Harris New Nickel Plate Shows on the other side.
This car was in rather poor shape and was only used in the 1966 through 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.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Flatcar # 66
The History of Flatcar # 66
This 70’ long flatcar was originally built as a Stockcar by the Warren Tank Car Company in 1938 for the newly formed Tim McCoy Wild West Show. The Tim McCoy show didn’t last long. The Stockcar was acquired by the Iron & Steel Works of Chicago, Ill. At some point in time between 1941 and 1945, the World of Mirth Shows got this Stockcar. It is believed that the World of Mirth Shows were the ones that cut the top off of the car making it into a flatcar. While on the World of Mirth Shows, it carried the # 26 on it.
This car was bought by the Joseph Schlitz Brewing Co. to be used by the Circus World Museum in November of 1965. It arrived in Baraboo on January 7th, 1966.
This car was refurbished and painted Silver with Red Letters and a White Outline with the title of Circus World Museum Baraboo, Wisconsin. It was only used in 1970, 1971, 1972, and 1973. The Train crew members have told me this car walked all around the tracks when moving. It had lost a lot of its engineered strength when the top was removed. In 1989, the Circus World Museum donated this car to the Mid Continent Railway Museum in Wisconsin. In 1993, it was severely damaged at the Railway Museum and was eventually scrapped
This 70’ long flatcar was originally built as a Stockcar by the Warren Tank Car Company in 1938 for the newly formed Tim McCoy Wild West Show. The Tim McCoy show didn’t last long. The Stockcar was acquired by the Iron & Steel Works of Chicago, Ill. At some point in time between 1941 and 1945, the World of Mirth Shows got this Stockcar. It is believed that the World of Mirth Shows were the ones that cut the top off of the car making it into a flatcar. While on the World of Mirth Shows, it carried the # 26 on it.
This car was bought by the Joseph Schlitz Brewing Co. to be used by the Circus World Museum in November of 1965. It arrived in Baraboo on January 7th, 1966.
This car was refurbished and painted Silver with Red Letters and a White Outline with the title of Circus World Museum Baraboo, Wisconsin. It was only used in 1970, 1971, 1972, and 1973. The Train crew members have told me this car walked all around the tracks when moving. It had lost a lot of its engineered strength when the top was removed. In 1989, the Circus World Museum donated this car to the Mid Continent Railway Museum in Wisconsin. In 1993, it was severely damaged at the Railway Museum and was eventually scrapped
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