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5/17/2024
 
 
 
 
 
By:Tom Beckett
Dates:10/1/1985 - 1/1/1990
Album Info:For a couple of years, I was able to get the Ringling Brothers train following its run at the Nassau Coliseum. This is what I saw as the train made its way to either Long Island City for handoff to Amtrak, or to be spotted for its run at Madison Square Garden.
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Circus train at Garden
Title:  Circus train at Garden
Description:  The Ringling Brothers circus train comes off the Mitchell Field Secondary, which it used to get access to the Nassau Coliseum, at Garden Tower, and is now on the Hempstead Branch
Photo Date:  12/6/1985  Upload Date: 7/29/2012 12:32:07 AM
Location:  Garden City, NY
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  Station,Action
Locomotives:  LI 166(MP15AC) LI 154(MP15AC) LI 159(MP15AC)
Views:  1013   Comments: 0
Circus train at Harold
Title:  Circus train at Harold
Description:  The Ringling Bros train rolls through Harold interlocking in Sunnyside as it head for Long Island City and a power swap to Amtrak E 60s for the trip through Penn Station.
Photo Date:  12/6/1985  Upload Date: 10/14/2014 3:03:08 AM
Location:  Sunnyside, NY
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  Signal,Action
Locomotives:  LI 166(MP15AC) LI 154(MP15AC) LI 150(MP15AC)
Views:  819   Comments: 0
Circus train going away
Title:  Circus train going away
Description:  The Ringling Bros circus train made an annual trip to Long Island, playing a string of shows at the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale. The train would use the Mitchell Field Secondary to stage for the shows. Here we see it rolling through Forest Hills with the only instance I can think of where "foreign" equipment ran through onto Long Island-a Conrail caboose.
Photo Date:  12/8/1986  Upload Date: 2/12/2012 7:46:53 PM
Location:  Forest Hills, NY
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  RollingStock,Station,Signal,Action
Locomotives:  LI 166(MP15AC) LI 154(MP15AC) LI 159(MP15AC)
Views:  1107   Comments: 1
Circus train
Title:  Circus train
Description:  The Ringling Brothers circus train has passed Garden Tower and is now headed west on the Hempstead Branch. Lead unit 166 seems to have lost its "P" designation since last year's train, though it got a new "M" on the nose.
Photo Date:  12/8/1986  Upload Date: 7/29/2012 12:29:02 AM
Location:  Garden City, NY
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  Action
Locomotives:  LI 166(MP15AC) LI 158(MP15AC) LI 150(MP15AC)
Views:  1182   Comments: 0
On the Hempstead Branch
Title:  On the Hempstead Branch
Description:  The Ringling Brothers train passes Nassau Blvd station en route to the Main Line at Queens, then on to Amtrak for a trip through Penn Station to its next gig at the Meadowlands in Rutherford NJ
Photo Date:  12/8/1986  Upload Date: 7/29/2012 12:34:10 AM
Location:  Garden City, NY
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  Station,Action
Locomotives:  LI 166(MP15AC) LI 158(MP15AC) LI 150(MP15AC)
Views:  733   Comments: 0
Circus train and classic station
Title:  Circus train and classic station
Description:  The Ringling Brothers train passes Forest Hills on its way to an Amtrak connection in Long Island City.
Photo Date:  12/8/1986  Upload Date: 12/19/2014 3:48:16 AM
Location:  Forest Hills, NY
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  Station,Action
Locomotives:  LI 166(MP15AC) LI 150(MP15AC) LI 158(MP15AC)
Views:  731   Comments: 0
Ringling Brothers train
Title:  Ringling Brothers train
Description:  The Ringling Brothers circus train passes Nassau Blvd station on the Hempstead Branch after leaving Nassau Coliseum on the Mitchell Field secondary en route to Amtrak at Long Island City
Photo Date:  3/22/1988  Upload Date: 10/8/2011 3:24:08 AM
Location:  Garden City, NY
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  Station,Action
Locomotives:  LI 161(MP15AC) LI 166(MP15AC) LI 160(MP15AC)
Views:  2158   Comments: 0
Getting out on the main
Title:  Getting out on the main
Description:  Not exactly main line running, but close. The Ringling Brothers train has permission onto the Hempstead Branch at Garden, and is clearing the Mitchell Field Secondary as it gets underway to Long Island City to spot the train for the circus visit to Madison Square Garden.
Photo Date:  3/22/1988  Upload Date: 7/3/2015 5:01:58 AM
Location:  Garden City, NY
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  Action
Locomotives:  LI 161(MP15AC) LI 166(MP15AC) LI 160(MP15AC)
Views:  582   Comments: 0
Bright wagons
Title:  Bright wagons
Description:  The circus train is partly intermodal, as all of its roadway equipment is loaded on trailer flats and run to the next venue. Here are some of them in this going away shot at Garden.
Photo Date:  3/22/1988  Upload Date: 7/3/2015 5:04:02 AM
Location:  Garden City, NY
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  RollingStock,Action
Locomotives:  LI 161(MP15AC) LI 166(MP15AC) LI 160(MP15AC)
Views:  611   Comments: 0
Nassau Blvd
Title:  Nassau Blvd
Description:  The Ringling Brothers train approaches Nassau Blvd in Garden City, its train stretched out back into downtown. Looks almost like a real intermodal train.
Photo Date:  3/22/1988  Upload Date: 7/3/2015 5:26:43 AM
Location:  Garden City, NY
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  Action
Locomotives:  LI 161(MP15AC) LI 166(MP15AC) LI 160(MP15AC)
Views:  608   Comments: 0
Track 4
Title:  Track 4
Description:  Sometimes the LIRR would run the circus train across to track 1 at Queens, as it runs the Main Line to Harold, where Amtrak power takes over. Today, the movement director has decided to run it on track 4, since it will go to Yard A, and not be handed off to Amtrak. It will take the freight bypass tracks on the south side of Jamaica station, then run the Montauk Branch, entering Sunnyside Yard A to back down to the old staging yard for the LI City ferry. There it will spot the cars for unloading.
Photo Date:  3/22/1988  Upload Date: 7/3/2015 5:11:04 AM
Location:  Queens Village, NY
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  Station,Signal,Action
Locomotives:  LI 161(MP15AC) LI 166(MP15AC) LI 160(MP15AC)
Views:  550   Comments: 0
Down the ramp
Title:  Down the ramp
Description:  The Ringling Brothers train rolls down the ramp on the secondary from Bliss as it enters Yard A at Sunnyside. That's the Chrysler Building directly behind the power.
Photo Date:  3/22/1988  Upload Date: 7/3/2015 5:15:26 AM
Location:  Sunnyside Yard, NY
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  Yard,Action
Locomotives:  LI 161(MP15AC) LI 166(MP15AC) LI 160(MP15AC)
Views:  637   Comments: 0
Spotting cars
Title:  Spotting cars
Description:  The Ringling Brothers train is being spotted by the MP 15s here in an old ferry yard. The equipment and livestock will be unloaded here and taken through the Midtown Tunnel, then across 34th St to the Garden.
Photo Date:  3/22/1988  Upload Date: 7/3/2015 5:18:07 AM
Location:  Sunnyside Yard, NY
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  Yard,Action
Locomotives:  LI 161(MP15AC) LI 166(MP15AC) LI 160(MP15AC)
Views:  593   Comments: 1


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