Since, as listed in an earlier post, the circus crews are removing the RBB&B markings, the cars will not be able to carry the lettering and logos so the new owners will have cars without any exterior indications that they were ever circus cars, other than paint colors. As for the interiors, they have functional use in some capacity however you wouldn't know you're in a train car or a Motel 6. Having said that, it's good value for a railroad car and a creative owner has the right to do whatever they want; including the arduous task of restoration or upgrading it to a Holiday Inn.

I live adjacent to the LIRR secondary siding where the RBBX train parks for shows at nearby Nassau Coliseum for the past several years. I visit the train every year, and earlier tonight I made my first visit shortly after the train rolled-in. I spoke to two RBB employees alongside the consist, and they confirmed most of the equipment has been sold. At the conclusion of the final Coliseum show, the train is headed for NJ to drop-off most of the consist. Only flats are returning to FL. Oddly, Blue Unit was here in 2016; Blue Unit cars have returned (again) for these final 2017 shows (this would normally be a Red Unit year here).

CSX train 967-09 is rolling south on CSX bound for Florida with what's left of the Red Unit train: four "passenger" cars (including a power car) and nineteen flat/spine units, for a total "car length" of 51 cars.

Shot last night by Steve Barry:



In further discussion, it seems apparent to me that at least SOME entity--the so-called "national" rail museums, the circus museums, etc.--would want to save at least some token RBBX cars (passenger or freight) as a last example of what used to be an "American institution." If so, RBBB markings and their preservation are crucial to the mission.

I suspect that RBBB markings have to be removed for anyone wanting to continue use of the car as, say, a UP or N&W sleeper or private car, but might be preserved as a museum relic--the exact same situation as arises with the sale of surplus military equipment (you can't pass off your Jeep or Humvee as still being military; you can't pass off your murder mystery train as a RBBB enterprise).

It is somewhat surprising to me that the railfan Interwebs haven't been overloaded with pictures of the other cars. Where are they? I didn't see any stragglers in Oak Island this morning, but I certainly could have missed them. Have they yet to move to the new owners?

One would think a bunch of passenger cars on the move, lettered or not, would be a hot topic.

Rob

I love the original, traditional stuff. That said, most of those cars probably shouldn't be operating in daily service if you want to keep them original. You don't have to look any further than our beloved Strasburg RR to see what can be done with cars that project the image of "old-timey", but have been rebuilt with modern materials and techniques. That's what you need for daily service.

The former RBBB cars have their original frames, shells, and probably some truck components. Adapting them for use in heavy-duty, weekly passenger service makes it possible for truly historic equipment to be kept out of that type of wear-and-tear. A lot of those cars, like the former MARC commuter coaches, were on their third or fourth renovation from as-built anyway. These are the cars that can be used with a generic tourist railroad operation, where moving people through a scenic location is the primary attraction, rather than the train itself.

How many of these cars are stainless?

Well at this point three more are spoken for... Seaview Transportation has acquired RBBX 42018, 42019 and 43011 out of the red unit and they are on the property as of today.

For those wondering:

Quonset Business Park in Davisville, Rhode Island.

The latest posts regarding the ongoing disposition of Red Unit cars pretty much explains why Blue Unit cars are here (on Long Island) for the final Uniondale, NY shows, and not Red Unit equipment, which, normally, would have arrived for the 2017 season. One other interesting note (possibly worth mentioning, for those who follow RBBX consists)...Ringling's "house numbers" -- assigned to each car -- have, in the past, been sequential in each consist. On this final RBB consist, "house numbers" are in complete disarray...cars are simply coupled in a haphazard order (or so it seems). The two RBB employees I spoke to yesterday offered no explanation for this!

Not too far from home so I went to grab a few shots

It will be interesting to see who bought what as more info becomes available. Anyone heard of the Class I's buying any of these? (So many are ex-UP aluminum-sided cars, so that road in particular wouldn't be a surprise.)

43011 = Coach (St Louis Car 1964, formerly UP)
42018 = Coach (Pullman 1950, formerly UP)
42019 = Coach (Pullman 1950, formerly UP)

I was hearing that Amtrak put out bids for most of the flats from someone there btw.

In regard to an earlier query about why the Blue Unit cars were not in their normal sequential order, today's TRAIN Newswire has a photo taken in Charleston, WV with a caption saying the cars were switched in order of their pending setoff when the Blue Unit makes its final trip back to Florida. It went on further to say that this is the first time some cars have been uncoupled in years.

Pictures of the cars purchased by Seaview show them in full RBBB lettering, so it appears my source saying all cars would be "unmarked" after leaving the circus was incorrect.

Rob