Update – March 2020 I posted about “The Circus that rolled into town and nobody knew it!” Two years later tragedy strikes. Below, I’ve created a timeline of the history of the nine decommissioned Ringling Bros. railroad cars hidden in the woods of Spring Hope, North Carolina.
May 2017 – End of the Ringling Bros Era
The NCDOT purchased the Ringling Bros. cars for $383,000 with plans to convert them back into passenger cars for the state commuter train. Since purchasing these cars the state received federal grants to get brand new passenger cars. These cars were left to be forgotten on state-owned the end of a line railroad track in Spring Hope, North Carolina.
February 2020 – Three years later and people didn’t even know it was there.
I first visited these cars back in March of 2020 after learning about them in a story posted by the Carolina Journal. At this point, some of the cars were already vandalized; spray painted, windows busted out and who knows what damage was done on the inside.
This $383,000 investment was left, abandoned in the woods. After the article was published, the news spread like wildfire across all the media outlets across the state. Hundreds of people walked down the abandoned railroad line to see these forgotten circus railroad cars.
“The train has become the talk of the town”
– Spring Hope Mayor Buddy Gwaltney | Carolina Journal
December 2020 & January 2021 – Auction after Auction
Later in 2020, these cars would make news headlines again when the state put them up for auction. The minimum bid was $45,000, with no bites. The state once again put them up for auction in January 2021 and still no interest. Almost a year later they are still sitting at the end of the line to be vandalized more.
March 10, 2022 – History set on Fire
Shortly before 7 AM on March 10, 2022, Nash County Fire Tone out a reported fire on a rail car. Stations 6 and 17 and EMS 10 are dispatched to the scene. As the first responders arrive on the scene they learn it will be impossible to get a normal fire truck anywhere near the burning rail cars. One of the responders suggests getting a Carolina Coastal Railroad locomotive to pull these cars to the railroad crossing.
The future of these rail cars?
Looking at the video it seems the following cars are completely damaged:
- RBBX 43010 | Red Unit | Animal Dept Residential Coach Car
- RBBX 60001 | Blue Unit | Shop car
- RBBX 43012 | Blue Unit | Residential Coach Car
Reports are indicating at least 3 of the 9 railcars are completely damaged. What will happen to the remaining cars? I suggested this in my first blog entry… Would the North Carolina Transportation Museum be interested in saving the remaining cars if they were given to them? Only time will tell what will be the fate of the remaining 6 decommissioned Ringling Bros railroad cars.
Scanner Audio
Listen to the scanner audio as fire crews try to reach the burning three rail cars:
Note – Audio edited for time
Historic Former Ringling Brothers Train Cars on Fire
Credit – Mark A Cone, Southern Nash News
Historic circus railroad cars catch fire in Nash County
Credit WRAL-TV – Raleigh, NC| Reporter Byran Mims
