Strates Shows, Inc. is a traveling carnival midway company based in Orlando, Florida. It provides amusement rides, games and concessions for local, county and state fairs throughout the United States. Strates transports their personnel and equipment by train during its annual seven-month season. The equipment train, nearly a mile long, comprises 61 rail cars and 34 trucks plus all sorts of rides and equipment, and they were all in Brattleboro, today. There is a second, passenger train for the personnel.
They just finished up at the Champlain Valley Fair in Essex Junction and were en-route to their next gig at the Lee Regional Fair in Sanford, NC.
Full disclosure: The first photo is mine, taken this afternoon on Rt. 142. The others came from a website: http://www.carnivalmag.com/bonusphotos/category/12-james-e-strates-shows?start=40
I have more pictures, but can’t figure out how to post them.
hey, come back!
Did you know it was coming through, or just get lucky with the camera?
One of my favorite days as a kids was the day the circus trucks would drive down by the end of the street en route to the lakeside to set up. I’d stand and watch the equipment and colorful trailers roll by as long as I could (bedtime usually ended the event).
Brattleboro used to have numerous circuses that would stop and play in town… down where the kiln is, and on the island, especially. Most would start off with a parade “through the major streets” to advertise themselves, then would hold a few shows before moving on.
The shows with animals would usually buy a lot of meat and veggies from local folks, too.
Somewhere on this site is a description of Barnum’s train arriving downtown. Absolutely packed the area.
Strates train
I didn’t know it was coming, but as an old railroad buff, I knew it was something special. It sat in the freight yard all afternoon, departing at about 5pm.
It’s my guess they had some kind of equipment problems.
I didn’t see the personnel train at all, but I did see a video of it arriving in Buffalo in 2014. It was being pulled by a steam engine!
That’s something I wish I could have seen.
steam
I just read yesterday (in Model RR mag) that the end of the steam era was the late 50’s… and wondered if anyone used real steam engines anymore on main lines. I know they are used at theme parks and on short, touristy loops.
Ahh, the days when one could have a private railroad car made, then move around that way. That’s luxury!
Here’s the link to Barnum in Brattleboro info.
In 1885, they moved around like this:
Number of employees, 620
Number of flat cars, 24
Number of stock cars, 11
Number of elephant cars, 5
Number of baggage cars, 1
Number of sleeping cars, 7
Number of advertising cars, 4
Number of baggage and tableaux wagons, 75
Number of animal cages, 25
Number of elephants, 30
Number of camels, 25
Number of horses and ponies, 270
India
When I was working in Saudi Arabia in the mid ’70s, I took a vacation in nearby India.
During the trip, I traveled from Bombay to Agra to see the Taj Mahal on board an Indian luxury train called the Agra Limited and fashioned after the Orient Express.
It was powered by steam with a streamlined engine. (really, an old-fashioned engine with a streamlined shroud).
At that time in India, diesels were just coming into service. Most of the trains were still steam powered.
BTW, HO gauge versions of Strates’s personnel passenger train are available on eBay.
Steam?
By “steam” I assume you mean coal, no?
Can’t wait for a solar train.
You Energy Show guys could figure that one out,
I’m sure.
Coal
I just assumed they used coal. I don’t think India has enough wood. For cooking, the fuel of choice is cattle dung.
Re: solar trains: an excellent idea! (and an easy one to implement) ~ but first, we need trains.
FWIW, air travel is enormously wasteful. Modern high speed trains can get from downtown to downtown much faster and easier than air.
...immense work that go into them
I have never been to a circus, but I have always been fascinated by the concept of them. The detailed circus train composition here really shows the immense work that goes into them.
still out there
A lot of the newer circuses are very theatrical, trying to weave a theme through all the acts.
The old fashioned ones were tied together by the ringmaster, announcing everything, and the band playing furiously along. Each act was very distinct. Always fun when aerial acts got up close to the top of the tent. Some trapeze folks would be practically touching it, it seemed.
A traditional show under a tent… keep an eye out for them.