Barnum and Bailey Paris 1902?

[rue_d_etropal]

Currently working on some designs for the train from Barnum and Bailey Greatest Show on Earth European tour(1897 - 1902), and some of best photos I have seen are of the train in Paris , with Eiffel Tower in background. Just wondering if there are any more photos out there, or guides from the show in Paris or other parts of France.

Am I right in thinking it is on same site as 1900 exhibition as it looks similar. Also how did trains get to location, are there standard gauge sidings that near to the Eiffel Tower?

First photo in this web page is interesting

https://www.themetrains.com/rbbb-circus-trains-roster-1897-1902-the-barnum-and-bailey-european-train.htm

 

Also any info on how the train toured Europe in particular France.

[jivebunny]

I can't answer for the rest, but regarding the Eiffel Tower question a number of stations with fairly short lives were built on the Champ de Mars for the 1867, 1878 and 1900 Paris Expositions. The first lasted barely more than a year, the second one just shy of 20 years (meaning it was still around for the 1889 exposition and inauguration of the Eiffel Tower) and the one you're interested in was built in 1900 and demolished in the mid-30s (a small affair with a mere 20 lines and 2 turntables!)

 

The first two stations were accessed via a connection at Grenelle-Ceinture (present-day Javel station on the RER C) and the third and final station had a connection at Henri-Martin, to the north of the site. Looking at the Champ de Mars today it's hard to believe it spent the best part of 60 years as a rail terminus...

 

The 1877 station building is still standing, albeit having been moved to Asnières and now in a terrible state for a listed monument...

 

Alan

 

Edit: found a Wikipedia article in English 

 

Edited August 24, 2020 by jivebunny
Added link

[rue_d_etropal]

thanks, knew someone would come up with info.

[Seacat]

G'day Simon.   Just sent you a PM regarding this topic.

 

Cheers

Col

[Joseph_Pestell]

Until the 1970s (perhaps even 80s), there was still a large goods yard just to the south-west of the Eiffel Tower. Now the site of a large high-rise housing complex.

[rue_d_etropal]

had not realised freight yars were there. makes sense in the age when freight went by rail and passengers were just an extra, something we need to look at again seriously.

I visited Paris around about 1981 and don't remember seeing any railway yard, not that I was looking though.

Found a part copy of one of the brochures online, with map showing location in Paris. It shows the two stations nearest the site. I have a couple of old travel books aout Paris, I will hae to dig them out.

I also found a copy online  of the book written at the time about the tour up to but not including Paris. Interestingly it has the photo taken In Paris with the horses near to the Eiffel Tower. The maps are not that clear(unfortunately not helped being printed in lack and white), but the itinery is included.

 

A TV series following in the footsteps of the UK and European tour would be interesting, possibly an idea for Great Continental Railway Journeys.

 

Edited August 26, 2020 by rue_d_etropal

[DIW]

3 hours ago, Joseph_Pestell said:

Until the 1970s (perhaps even 80s), there was still a large goods yard just to the south-west of the Eiffel Tower. Now the site of a large high-rise housing complex.

On google earth, the goods yard can be seen using the 'Historical Imagery' feature. Views are available for December 1943 and June 1949.

[Pacific231G]

On 24/08/2020 at 20:36, rue_d_etropal said:

Currently working on some designs for the train from Barnum and Bailey Greatest Show on Earth European tour(1897 - 1902), and some of best photos I have seen are of the train in Paris , with Eiffel Tower in background. Just wondering if there are any more photos out there, or guides from the show in Paris or other parts of France.

Am I right in thinking it is on same site as 1900 exhibition as it looks similar. Also how did trains get to location, are there standard gauge sidings that near to the Eiffel Tower?

First photo in this web page is interesting

https://www.themetrains.com/rbbb-circus-trains-roster-1897-1902-the-barnum-and-bailey-european-train.htm

 

Also any info on how the train toured Europe in particular France.

Hi Simon

There was a temporary double track branch line from the Petite Ceinture to a goods and later passenger terminus at Champ de Mars for the second Paris Exposition Universelle of 1867. The branch was dismantled after the exhibition but reinstated  with a more substantial passenger terminus for the third exhibition in 1878. That also served the CF de l'Ouest's left bank line and lasted until 1895 having also served the 1889 Exposition where its site was beneath the new Eiffel Tower as seen in this postcard from that time. 

 

Just before the 1900 exhibition the CF de l'Ouest extended the line to their new Invalides terminus with a through station at Champs de Mars (which still exists) but there was also a large temporary terminus for the exhibition. After the exhibition, all passenger services went to Invalides.

 

The pattern seems to have been to build a fairly large goods yard to deliver material and exhibits to the exhibition site before it opened and turn part of it over to a passenger terminus for the duration of the exhibition itself.

 

After the 1900 exhibition The goods yard became most important for coal (though clearly handling general goods as well) and survived as such until 1935 when its traffic moved to a new goods yard on the Petite Ceinture at Vaugirard (you'll have seen this yard in the movie Le Train- it's from where the "art train" left Paris) as well as to the yards at Grenelle and Moulineaux. It would have been that yard that  Barnum and Bailey used for their circus- a very common location for circuses. 

After 1935 part of the site was retained as an EMU depot for the Invalides-Versailles R.G. services and the rest returned to the City of Paris for development.

 

You'll find out more about the extensive railway building associated with the 1900 Paris Exhibition when you read Michael Bunn's article in the September French Railways Society  journal (It's at the printers now) 

[rue_d_etropal]

One of my other interests has been collecting old travel guides, and I have some on Paris. Unfortunately can't find them at the moment. Some are definitely at my house in France , so can't get at those.