Hey Doc,

The circus train equipment was considered freight. Yes it did have passenger equipped cars but that was it.

The circus train had a 90 lb brake pipe, just like any freight on the SP. The cars all warnings on the outside, "Caution: 90 Pound brake max"

All other SP passenger carried 110 lb brake pipe. When ever you picked up an official car on the rear end of a freight, it had to be bled a couple of times so it would set & release on a 90 lb BP.

I was called west out of SLO as the fireman on the circus train in 69. We had to add an engine to the point. Well, the first thing the hogger did was crank up the feed valve to 110 lbs. Back then, you didn't dare tell the hoghead anything (except orders, etc.)

Well we got over into the yard and the switchman coupled us up. There we sat and sat and sat while the hogger was trying to get an air test. Finally, the Conductor came up, walked over to look at the gauges and grabbed the feed valve, screwed it back down to 90 lbs. Then he plugged the train. Had the hogger pump it back up and plugged it again. By then the Circus Train Trainmaster was up in the cab. It took one more dumping the air before before we could get a decent air test.

Yup, its freight equipment.



Nudge