Nostalgia & History > Frisco and the Circus

On this month 39 years ago my dad caught the circus coming into Tulsa the old school way, with GP's and a caboose. He caught the train coming downhill through Verdigris, OK at what looks like a high rate of speed. Which is no surprise in this area. Sadly this now can't be done even with the GEVO's of today anymore.

1) SLSF GP38 667 leads a three unit consist on the RBBB train coming west though Verdigris, OK on the Cherokee Sub. June 1979

2) RBBB passenger cars roll down the main with my dad's mode of transportation to the right.

3) Coupula 1212 brings up the rear of the train with the cars and trailers.

Daryl McGee photos from June 1979 in Verdigris, OK
Patrick M.

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Great photos of the Frisco.

Ronda Thomas

Posted from Android

Great photos--I remember those oscillating lights on the units--cool train too.
Brian Stevens

I remember the circus coming to Carbondale by train when I was little.  Downtown smelled like elephant poop for a week!

Mary McPherson
Dongola, IL
Diverging Clear Productions

Your dad did a great job.
This is the first time I've seen the circus train on the Frisco.
Gary

We took the SLSF route just about every year I was on the show; it was BN when I first joined the Red Unit in 1985 -- which is the train shown in your photos, denoted by the red "globe" logos near each coach vestibule, and the red line down the sides of the coaches as well.  (Later BNSF power came to the line, and both the Red Unit and Blue Unit Circus trains grew dramatically in size:  1985's Red Unit was 42 cars; by 2016 it was up to 60.)  SLSF was the chosen route from east to west for most of the long-jumps (such as Philadelphia to El Paso, in a single, 4-day move back in June 1987).  We would usually (not always) take Conrail west to TRRA's yard in E. St. Louis, then cross Merchant's Bridge, roll slowly along the riverfront and end up going by the Amtrak platform in downtown.  We would interchange to BN, then roll out on the SLSF.  I would, on subsequent runs on the line, always keep my eyes out for those awesome Cascade Green BN gondolas on a siding at Cuba, MO.  (I like that color.) 

On the 1987 El Paso run (which has been cronicalled here on TO.COM and other websites), we were in Springfield by dawn the 3rd morning, then took the line south through Madill, en route to a U.P. interchange that next evening in Fort Worth TX.  All the runs over the SLSF were great, in my experience, as were the BN employees running the line when we plied the SLSF during the mid-to-late 80s and early 90s.  The last year I rode the Red Unit out west of the Missississpi, I recall going through one town with a dramatic, banked curve in the middle of town (maybe St. Clair?) and we were FLYING .... great track, great BN engineer, and great run.  That entire route was terrific, and with parallel highways it was also a lot of fun seeing how many people slowed up enough to pace us here and there along the way.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/29/18 14:17 by rbx551985.