Micro-Trains - 993 21 170 - Passenger Train, Steam, North American, Transition - Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey - 4-pack

Specific Item Information: As early as the late 1800s excursion trains were used to bring in patrons from surrounding towns to see the circus. The use of these special passenger trains proved to be very successful and quickly became common practice for the circus. In fact, excursion trains not only generated a significant amount of business for the circus, but were also a bonus for the local railroads as well.
This decorative specialty train set features a 2-8-2 steam locomotive*, RPO, 12-1 Sleeper and an Observation car, all decorated in black with gold filigree. Don't miss the next big show; grab your round-trip excursion tickets and climb aboard the Ringling Bros.™ Excursion Train!

*Locomotive is a Model Power® engine equipped with Magne-Matic® couplers
©FELD ENTERTAINMENT
www.Ringling.com

Model Information: Micro-trains Table Top sets are boxed sets that contain working locomotives. Sets that contain only rolling stock (and dummy units) are considered normal "Runner Packs" for this classification purpose.

Table Top Sets may or may not contain track and/or a transformer.

Prototype History: During the transition period (1939 - 1957), it was common to see both steam and diesel motive power on North American railroads. However, it wasn't the case that the only steam locomotives were leftovers from the war. Many new model steam engines were produced during this period. These were the latest and best technology that steam technology produced. These were especially common on coal hailing routes where fuel was plentiful, but steam was also common on passenger routes.

One example was the Norfolk and Western J class. These pulled some of their flagship named trains such as the Pochontas, Powhattan Arrow and the Cavalier. Steam passenger service continued well into the 1950s when N&W started the dieselization process.

Road Name History: Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus was an American traveling circus company billed as The Greatest Show on Earth. It and its predecessor shows ran from 1871 to 2017. Known as Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Combined Shows, the circus started in 1919 when the Barnum & Bailey's Greatest Show on Earth, a circus created by P. T. Barnum and James Anthony Bailey, was merged with the Ringling Bros. World's Greatest Shows. The Ringling brothers had purchased Barnum & Bailey Ltd. following Bailey's death in 1906, but ran the circuses separately until they were merged in 1919.

From Wikipedia

Brand/Importer Information: Micro-Trains is the brand name used by both Kadee Quality Products and Micro-Trains Line. For a history of the relationship between the brand and the two companies, please consult our Micro-Trains Collector's Guide.