Ringling Bros. Circus Train, quite the show!

[jettrainfan]

Nothing like seeing the circus, I went once quite a while ago, and was a good show, story line was interesting (a "random" family got to be apart of the circus and the young boy used his imagination to create the circus or something... i forgot what tour that was.) Well, I always remember that show whenever I see pics or videos of the Ringling Bros. circus train. I was able to catch it once, on a miserable April afternoon, about a year ago, when I had a bike, and I was bored enough to railfan the NKP line, 2 blocks away from my house. Long story short, Norfolk Southern pulled a hat trick and sent it rolling down the NKP, when it was suppose to take the Chicago line from Vermillion to Rockport yard, then take the cloggsville down to the NKP in Cleveland. I was a really happy guy, even though the weather was absolutely damp.

Now, I usually check my phone whenever I get out of school and get in my car. First thing I notice is a text from one of my railfan friends saying that the circus train is coming through, and should be at Rockport around 4-6 P.M. for a crew change. It's only 3 P.M. (ok... 3:06 P.M.) so I go home and get my buddy, Daisy. I don't know whose bright idea was to bring her, but I had to go get my camera from my home anyway, and she isn't that bad. So I pick up her, and she's thinking I'm buying her Dairy Queen and checking the signals on the NKP to see if a train is coming. Boy was she wrong, but I'm sure the little ceasers pizza we shared and the track side fun was a welcomed change to ice cream and one boring auto rack train 

Figuring Berea was going to probably be a mess (usually isn't on weekdays) I went to Olmsted Falls, Ohio to wait across the street from the CV&WS model railroad club (I'm a member there). I walk daisy down to a bench, and we just sat there, listening to random chattering on the scanner and eating pizza. First train that passes is 15K, which is surprisingly short. I've had a couple of incidents of catching a heritage unit on 15K, but no luck today with him, just usual GE power. An hour later, the silence was broken with what my dog and I have been waiting for. "NS 047, Clear... CP 195... west, out" This is the fun part, sense the curve is at CP 195, so when I got up to look, there it was, 3 lights, and a black smudge followed by silver. SHOW TIME! Getting my camera ready, I set up for the shot, and roll film so I can take a couple of snap shots on my phone.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDcXiXhnIeQ

Beautiful day, beautiful weather, and a beautiful train. I took a few glances at Daisy and to be honest, she was in pure amazement, never looking at me, just watching the strange cars that she has never seen before roll by. The train ends, and I look at Daisy as she looks at me before grinning. I think she enjoyed seeing the circus train, and one of these days I gotta get her to see one of Norfolk Southern's heritage units, I think she's ticked she hasn't seen one yet 

Just a note: The high and wide was NS 053 (I think... don't quote me on this) with 2 transformers. I didn't like most of the shots from that day, so I decided to add some icing to the cake for the circus train video. 

[RAM]

Good going, you got the red train.  Maybe next year and can catch the blue train.

[Jhanecker2]

Takes a lot of equipment to put on a circus, and this method of transportation saves an awful lot fuel and is safer than driving all materials and personnel to  various areas . J2

[longhaul]

Thanks Jeff, good stuff, I worked in your area for a few years at the Fruehauf plant in  Avon Lake.