Nickel Plate Road, Steam Locomotive #779 in September, 1919

ID# 37,330

The Greatest Show on Earth

ID # 911

THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH

In 1919, a few years after Ringling Bros. took over Barnum & Bailey, the two biggest tent shows in the world began operating as a unit. At one time they boasted 100 brightly painted and unusually long railroad cars. This equipment was divided among four sections of what was technically called one train, each section having a separate locomotive. Contrary to popular belief, the first "big top" to use trains for transportation was not Barnum's, but Spalding & Rogers in 1856. Today, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Combined Shows, reduced to a 15-car train, is North America's only railroad circus. As in this much earlier setting, slap-happy clowns and acrobats, snarling tigers, white Arabian horses, elephants from India and gorgeous girls in tights and spangles still ride the rails with the "Greatest Show on Earth."

CIRUS WORLD MUSEUM

Vacation in the Pine Scented Lakelands of Canada

ID # 1,097

From the August 3, 1919 issue of Adventure Magazine.

New York Central Railroad Steam Locomotive #1038 at Rochester, New York in August, 1919

ID # 2,185

Built by the Schenectady Locomotive Works, April, 1890, builder # 3065.

New York Central Railroad Steam Locomotive #1770 at Rochester, New York in 1919

ID # 2,137

Built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in June, 1900, builder # 17776.