Eastern Railroad Discussion > The Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Red Circus Tr

The Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Red Circus Train.

BNSF 7605 NS 9613, at Michigan Avenue crossing, about half way between Three Rivers and Schoolcraft, Michigan. On the Grand Elk Railroad.

Tuesday, September 16, 2014, at about 3:55 P.M. en route to Grand Rapids, Michigan.


Ron



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/05/20 01:49 by Ron.

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Heh! That train is as long as an oil train! If the RB&BB
really wanted to recruit new employees, they'd put a steamer
on the front of that train ;-)

Nice going, Ron.

John K. Herreshoff aka jkh2cpu

I had no idea the train would be that long. Great video.
John

60 Cars = 4 Stocks, 35 Coaches, 2 COFC, 19 Flats. (Total 256 axles less power)

Information provided by Blackcatd9



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/17/14 06:37 by kd0086.

How interesting... The blue unit moved from Sacramento, CA to Stockton, CA yesterday, also with a BNSF and NS unit for power.

Just a hint.If you stand on the other side of the road
the signal will not be in your way.Plus,if traffic stopped
near the road mark they would be in your way.Move over.


Uncle Joe,Seffner,Fl.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/17/14 10:57 by retcsxcfm.

jkh2cpu Wrote:
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> If
> the RB&BB
> really wanted to recruit new employees, they'd put
> a steamer
> on the front of that train ;-)
>
> Nice going, Ron.
>
> John K. Herreshoff aka jkh2cpu

A STEAMER? Try THIS one on for size: it's from Sept. 28, 2010 -- and I was on the other RBBB train, the Blue Unit, and STEVE LEE was to be our engineer for the run down U.P. from Speer, WY to Denver -- with HUNDREDS of chase vehicles, a helicopter, and thousands more at trackside. UP had 4 extra coaches up front, and the Blue Unit had 61 of its own cars behind -- and it was about THE MOST AMAZING adventure I've ever been on with either RBBB Circus Train! And WOW, are there lots of YouTube videose with this move.... (Photos by: RBBB employee DAVE GRAHAM.)

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How many of you guys noticed that the Red Unit's 21st car was actually a Blue Unit car? (--see the "Globe logos" near the vestibules--) They swapped GENERATOR CARS early this year so the Blue Unit could borrow Red Unit's Gen-car, which is California Air Standards Compatible. That sure does make for a (slightly) more colorful passenger train, even if it's just one car!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/17/14 13:19 by rbx551985.

rbx551985 Wrote:
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> How many of you guys noticed that the Red Unit's 21st car was actually a Blue Unit car?

I did!!!

RBBX 63007

I took three different videos of this train on Tuesday. The one shown here, one crossing the CN at Schoolcraft, and another north of Kalamazoo.

The one at Schoolcraft was way too long to post. It was 6 minutes 39 seconds. The one north of Kalamazoo was 3 minutes 56 seconds.

Ron

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retcsxcfm Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Just a hint.If you stand on the other side of the
> road
> the signal will not be in your way.Plus,if traffic
> stopped
> near the road mark they would be in your way.Move
> over.

But inasmuch as the train was running due north and it was mid to late afternoon, a shot from the other side would have been looking directly into the sun.

retcsxcfm Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Just a hint. If you stand on the other side of the road the signal will not be in your way. Plus, if traffic stopped
> near the road mark they would be in your way.
> Uncle Joe, Seffner, Fl.

Uncle Joe....yes I know what you're saying. But across the road on the same side of the tracks was not really a good place to stand, or park. I have this little clamp that I use to hold my camera stationary that clamps onto my partially rolled down window. (I'm rather relaxed when chasing these trains that I tend to try for locations that I do not need to exit my vehicle.) Also, I didn't have much time to prepare before the train got there.

The train was travelling due north, and the sun was really bright and I was trying to shoot away from the sun, the best I could.

Later that day at another location exactly what you are saying could happen ...did. I'm all positioned to get video and when the flashers start a red pickup stopped almost as close to the tracks as he could be, without getting hit. He did back up a smidgen, but was still in the frame.

All in all, I'm quite satisfied with the way this video turned out. If anything, I should have adjusted the camera so the image was a little bit darker, not lighter.

Shooting a moving target like a train can be a hit-or-miss attempt. Whenever I know that there will be a train coming that I want to film, I always try to take a few test photographs to see if the light and coloring is going to look good. But when the train shows up, the clouds could have moved, and I could now be in the shade, or even later in the day, the sun could be disappearing. And unlike Hollywood...... I can't yell "CUT" ...... let's do it again!

And I'll be the very first to admit....I'm still learning, everyday!

Ron

FIRST SHOT: Here's a grab-shot taken by NATHAN HALL early this year in Richmond, Va. of the dual Circus Train "Globe logos" while the train was stopped. I'm on the left in front of the Blue Unit's generator car, and Red show's Trainmaster is at right in front of Red Unit's Pie Car. The generator cars will be SWAPPED BACK again for next year's tour (after 2014's tours end) so that the Red Unit will have the "California Air Standards Compliant" generator car back for its move to that state in the latter part of 2015.

SECOND SHOT: the next day, during a snow storm, Nathan Hall photographed the Red Unit Circus Train as it was heading out of Richmond on its way to the next town -- and once more we see the two [dual 'Unit] cars as they roll by at "Green Bay" Virginia. Quite a pair, those two. Imagine, if you will, what it might look like if there were ever a legitimate reason to COMBINE BOTH TRAINS for a move to some town they were both head to...? TWO miles of Circus Train, with over 700 people aboard the combined shows' train.... (WOW).



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/18/14 13:45 by rbx551985.

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