Passenger car collectors, tourist railroads, and others now have the opportunity to bid on passenger cars, flat cars, and other pieces of equipment through a new online portal. There are a total of 127 railcars available for bid.
Interested parties will have the chance to bid on multiple pieces of equipment at once using a pull-down menu on a newly created web page. The page includes a spreadsheet-like format that shows car specifications, builder information, and built-date, as well as reporting marks and images of each railcar.
The deadline to bid is by the close of business on Friday, March 10.
Feld managers are also assembling a list of running gear parts for passenger equipment. That inventory will be able for bid in the coming days.
The company’s circus trains will continue touring for another two-and-a-half months before the equipment is deadheaded to a to-be-determined location for disposition to winning bidders in late May.
How large a rail customer was Ringling Brothers?
Amtrak, are you reading this? Might be a possibility for you! Also, it’s clear a number of people raising questions and commenting on this topic HAVE NOT read the April issue of Trains. Try it, you might learn some impressive stuff.
Stan, they had that back in the 70s and 80s, it was called Circus World, Circus World Showcase, then converted to Boardwalk and Baseball and now it is a Target. It was at the NE corner of I-4 and US 27.
Why the big rush to sell it all off. You could wait at least another month for the word to get out. That would still leave plenty of time to position the sold equipment.
Other stories indicate that loss of the elephants had a big role in driving off customers, thus hastening the end of the travelling circus show.
I agree with Paul. The traveling circus may be over, but don’t be surprised if you don’t see a “permanent” home in the Orlando area. The Ringling Brother’s name still has corporate value, and establishing a 12-month home and performing venue (circus camp, anyone?) in the family entertainment capital of the nation.
Well, anyone who has dreamed of owning their own vintage (if remodeled) passenger car will never have an opportunity like this again. Wish I has an extra 100K laying around doing nothing …
Circus Sarasota
That was fast. They aren’t wasting any time liquidating the assets, even before their last show.
Why is the circus going out of business after 100 plus years? Did they finally fall victim to 500 channels of cable TV, and other forms of entertainment that people have flocked to? But, are there other circus companies out there besides Ringling Barnum? Maybe more local, smaller companies? But they were the biggest. Guess the millennials and up (those born 1980 and up) are too spoiled by technology that they can’t appreciate a real live show.