I was finally able to photograph the Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey Circus Train during it’s home run to Tampa, FL. I have been trying to catch the train for several years during a jump and was able to catch it today as it came through Knoxville.

2009 Blue Unit Circus Train:
—61 cars (40 conventional passenger-type cars; 21 TTX-[type] piggyback flats)
—4,490 Tons (when fully loaded)
—5,409 Feet (WITHOUT host RR’s power attached; 1 mile = 5,280 feet)

The following links will take you to the two sets of photos I shot today.

North Group – Ringling Bros. Blue Unit

South Group – Ringling Bros. Blue Unit

Additional Reference: Trainorders.com, Yahoo Circus Train Group

The Southern Terminal is railway passenger and warehouse depot located at 306 W. Depot Street in Knoxville, Tennessee. The present depot was constructed in 1903, although previous structures are documented in the city from the 1850s. The 1903 depot was designed by Frank P. Milburn, who had designed train stations throughout the south. It is on the National Register of Historic Places, and lies within Knoxville’s Jackson Avenue Historic District.

The depot is notable for it’s signature corbel-stepped gables. It also has arched windows and coffered ceilings in the former waiting rooms and restaurant. The clock tower was removed in 1945, apparently due to structural problems. The dining rooms, baggage check, and mail rooms were located on the lower level of the facility. Ticketing and waiting rooms were on the upper level.

Photo Gallery: Southern Railway Depot

This Friday’s photo is of the L&N Depot in downtown Knoxville, TN. You can see the gallery of photos by clicking on the photo above or this link.

Today’s photo is of the Loudon Railroad Trestle that spans the Tennessee River in Loudon, TN.
 

This trestle, of high strategic value, was set on fire Sept. 2, 1863, by General S.B. Buckner, C.S.A., in retiring south before the advance of General Ambrose Burnside from Kingston. The Federals ran off a train from the south end Oct. 28, and the Confederates did likewise Dec. 2-3, in successful retirements northward.

Today’s photo is of a Southern Railway caboose that is sitting in front of the old Southern Depot in Loudon, TN.  With the advent of the railroad in 1848, Loudon rapidly began to grow.  Between the years of 1852 and 1856, a railroad bridge was built across the Tennessee River.  The bridge opened for traffic on March 17, 1855.  Soon after, the depot was built just south of the railroad bridge.  The building now houses the Loudon County Chamber of Commerce.