The Circus train

RBBX Logo

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus train

The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus maintained two circus train-based shows, one each on its Red Unit and Blue Unit trains. Each train was a mile long with roughly 60 cars: 36 passenger cars, 4 stock cars, and 20 freight. Rolling stock belonging to the circus displayed the reporting mark "RBBX" and a five-digit serial number. The Blue and Red Tours presented a full three-ring production for two years each (taking off the month of December), visiting alternating major cities each year. Each train presented a different "edition" of the show, using a numbering scheme that dates back to circus origins in 1871 — the first year of P.T. Barnum's show. The Blue Tour presented the even-numbered editions on a two-year tour (beginning each even-numbered year), and the Red Tour presented the odd-numbered editions on the same two-year tour (beginning each odd-numbered year).

In the 1950s there was one gigantic train system comprising three separate train loads that brought the main show to the big cities. The first trainload consisted of 22 cars and had the tents and the workers to set them up; the second section comprised 28 cars and carried the canvasmen, ushers, and sideshow workers; the third section had 19 sleeping cars for the performers.

On January 13, 1994, a circus train, en route from St. Petersburg to a three-day stand in Orlando, derailed about four miles south of Lakeland near U.S. Highway 92. Several of the 150 to 200 train passengers were injured, and two were killed, those being clown Ceslee Conkling and elephant trainer Ted Svertesky. Circus animals were shaken up but not injured. The heavier horses and elephants, which could derail the train if carried in the middle, were in the front cars. Lions, tigers, bears, and other animals were at the back of the train.

From 2003 to 2015 the circus also operated a truck-based Gold Tour presenting a scaled-back, single-ring version of the show designed to serve smaller markets deemed incapable of supporting the three-ring versions.

After May 21, 2017, the train and its cars were either auctioned off or sold to scrappers. In March 2018, Kirby Family Farms, a 501(c)(3) educational facility, located in Williston, Florida bought some of the cars to preserve history, which visitors can see and tour.

As of December 2020, the North Carolina Department of Transportation is attempting to sell nineteen of the Ringling rail cars it purchased with an eye towards rebuilding them for commuter rail service. A federal grant to purchase new commuter rail cars rendered the Ringling rolling stock, mostly dormitory cars, redundant.