2010 Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus Train - Blue Train

[chris_wlkr]

(ER= Enroute)

It's that time of year again when we start tracking the Ringling Bros. & Barnum and Bailey circus train (RBBX) as it makes it's way from city to city in the area's we cover.

The all new blue train show Funundrum reaches Colorado Springs, Colorado today. Their next jump takes them to Las Vegas, Nevada where they open a 4 day stay on the 17th of June.

This year they are changing things up with their tour yet again. I do not recall a show in Tuscon, AZ last year. Please correct me if I am mistaken there.

Last year they added a show in Ontario which they did after their stay in Anaheim, CA. From their they went south to San Diego, CA.

This year they have moved the Ontario shows after the Los Angeles stay. From Ontario they will go to Anaheim. Their is no scheduled show for San Diego, CA this year.

Last year it seemed like the Red train squeezed in a show at the last minute, but the schedule this year does not leave room for that possibility.

Also the train goes all the way up to Kent, WA and then comes back down to California for the Sacramento and Stockton shows.

From Stockton they head east.

Below is the current schedule for our area of coverage. I have included the Colorado listing even though we do not cover that area, but it will give an indication of when the train will make it's jump to sin city.

Colorado Springs, Colorado
Jun 10, 2010 - Jun 13, 2010

Las Vegas, Nevada
Jun 17, 2010 - Jun 20, 2010

Phoenix, Arizona
Jun 23, 2010 - Jun 27, 2010

Tucson, Arizona
Jun 30, 2010 - Jul 04, 2010

Fresno, California
Jul 07, 2010 - Jul 11, 2010

Los Angeles, California
Jul 14, 2010 - Jul 18, 2010

Ontario, California
Jul 21, 2010 - Jul 25, 2010

Anaheim, California
Jul 28, 2010 - Aug 08, 2010

Oakland, California
Aug 11, 2010 - Aug 15, 2010

San Jose, California
Aug 18, 2010 - Aug 22, 2010

Everett, Washington
Aug 26, 2010 - Aug 29, 2010

Portland, Oregon
Sep 02, 2010 - Sep 05, 2010

Sacramento, California
Sep 09, 2010 - Sep 12, 2010

Stockton, California
Sep 16, 2010 - Sep 19, 2010

Here is grab of their tour map just for fun.
   

You can find an interactive version of this map at http://www.ringling.com in the Tour Schedule section of their site.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out in Southern California as they are taking things out of the normal routine with the Ontario show and lack of San Diego show.

For those interested, here is a link to our coverage of the 2009 Red Train tour. (Also our all time top thread in regards to post and views)

http://www.westcoastrailforums.com/thread-1669.html

~~~~
Chris

[SF3751]

Thanks for starting up this thread Chris, always is nice to have this train running around CA. Hope to see it before I head out to Denver again. NOT looking forward to the guessing game of who (UP vs BNSF) will take the train out of Bakersfield to Fresno...and then back south when they head to LA. That always gives me a headache. Will just have to wait for that time to come I suppose! TO members are decent at tracking this train, will post anything new from there on here to help out when the time comes.

-Alex

[chris_wlkr]

If you want better updates then join the Yahoo Group for Circus Trains. Much more reliable and their post are just re-posted onto TO anyways. Met some outstanding people on that group and have been a member there for years.

I have all the tracking and routing data from last years train archived by the way... but routes will be a bit different this year.

Guessing Game..? where is your spirit for the sport of railfanning. Cmon' now don't get lazy already.

Chris - Tired and Sleepy @ 1:24 am

[CoasterMike2105]

I wonder why no stop at San Diego this year...

[SF3751]

(06-12-2010 12:25 AM)chris_wlkr Wrote:  If you want better updates then join the Yahoo Group for Circus Trains. Much more reliable and their post are just re-posted onto TO anyways. Met some outstanding people on that group and have been a member there for years.

I have all the tracking and routing data from last years train archived by the way... but routes will be a bit different this year.

Guessing Game..? where is your spirit for the sport of railfanning. Cmon' now don't get lazy already.

Chris - Tired and Sleepy @ 1:24 am

Wow Chris, way to keep up a positive attitude all the way into 1 AM! I actually am a member of a good number of yahoo groups (the Circus one being one too), its just with the school year I had, I got pulled away from all of them and haven't really made a strong come-back to any of them yet. I believe I've been a member of that group for 2 years now, but don't take that as a fact from me (just since 08 when I caught the train for my first time I believe?).

In the spirit of railfanning I would much rather wake up at 530AM knowing where the train will be so I don't have to make the jog over to Fresno and just wait at the Calwa diamond LOL. Either way I'd see it then! Rather enjoy a chase down the 99 on the UP or just sent up somewhere locally to see it roll through on BNSF. Just my 2 cents! Hopefully we'll get a nice daylight run over Tehachapi this year, compared to last year when I believe it made it over the pass at nightfall and departed Bakersfield in the early morning.

That did make me chuckle Chris, I'll give you that

-Alex

[chris_wlkr]

That was my intent... had to say something funny or I was just going on a bash TO rant... will leave it at that.

I have no love for the Empire either.

Chris

[Lionel3751]

What! No show in San Diego!

[chris_wlkr]

Looks like an early AM hour arrival into Vegas tomorrow morning. Train reported currently in Utah.

Train symbol is SCSLV-14 for those interested.

Chris

[chris_wlkr]

Got reports of the train getting into Vegas before midnight last night. Anyone confirm?

[chris_wlkr]

Train is now in Phoenix, AZ.

Arrived there yesterday afternoon after travelling through Cajon Pass and out of West Colton yard.

Guess nobody caught it in Vegas this year that participates here?

Chris