Specific Item Information: Three cars:
- 50 Foot Stock Car #6,
- Covered Hopper, 3-Bay, PS2 2893 #25
- 50 Foot Flat car #62, w. 2 Piggyback trailers (TOFC) #31 and #86
- 50 Foot Stock Car #6,
- Covered Hopper, 3-Bay, PS2 2893 #25
- 50 Foot Flat car #62, w. 2 Piggyback trailers (TOFC) #31 and #86
Prototype History: A mixed freight train is a train that hauls a variety of different freight cars or wagons. A mixed freight depends on the locale and industries. The train will be carrying cars to be brought to a yard where a local will bring them to the various industries. The location determines the industries, and the industries determine the cars.
Which cars are in which trains is determined by the waybills they are assigned - which is close to a totally random process. For example, through freights simply run from up staging to down staging and back, stopping long enough to trade out 30 percent of their cars and change from steam to motor (catenary) or vice-versa. Thus freights will have a variety of cars, changing each time they pass through a switching yard.
Which cars are in which trains is determined by the waybills they are assigned - which is close to a totally random process. For example, through freights simply run from up staging to down staging and back, stopping long enough to trade out 30 percent of their cars and change from steam to motor (catenary) or vice-versa. Thus freights will have a variety of cars, changing each time they pass through a switching yard.
Road Name History:
The Sparks Circus began in the 1890s as the John H, Sparks Old Virginia Shows, it was a wagon show that toured the southern United States.
The circus grew in size and by 1916 was a 15 car railroad show. Charles Sparks, the adopted son of John H. Sparks was now manager and the show continued to grow. By the mid 1920s the circus was moving on 20 railroad cars.
Charles Sparks had resisted the show being sold to the the American Circus Corporation however in 1928 the show was sold to a buyer, Charles not knowing the buyer was actually the American Circus Corporation.
The ACC then sold the circus to Ringling who continued to operate it through 1931.
Historical information from Circuses and Sideshows.

The circus grew in size and by 1916 was a 15 car railroad show. Charles Sparks, the adopted son of John H. Sparks was now manager and the show continued to grow. By the mid 1920s the circus was moving on 20 railroad cars.
Charles Sparks had resisted the show being sold to the the American Circus Corporation however in 1928 the show was sold to a buyer, Charles not knowing the buyer was actually the American Circus Corporation.
The ACC then sold the circus to Ringling who continued to operate it through 1931.
Historical information from Circuses and Sideshows.
Brand/Importer Information:
Ak-Sar-Ben Hobby Co
Information on AkSarBen Hobby and their history is sketchy at best. Of course, AkSarBen is Nebraska spelled backwards so one might assume that they got their start in the Husker state. The most recent evidence of their existence, however, was in the 2010 Model Retailer Hobby Industry Directory listing them in Jacksboro, TN. The phone number listed is disconnected, so, who knows for sure? What is known is that AkSarBen Hobbies was owned by Allen Miller and got their start in the 1980's producing very high quality custom, limited edition HO and N Scale products. They probably have left the model train business for more than 20 years ago.

Information on AkSarBen Hobby and their history is sketchy at best. Of course, AkSarBen is Nebraska spelled backwards so one might assume that they got their start in the Husker state. The most recent evidence of their existence, however, was in the 2010 Model Retailer Hobby Industry Directory listing them in Jacksboro, TN. The phone number listed is disconnected, so, who knows for sure? What is known is that AkSarBen Hobbies was owned by Allen Miller and got their start in the 1980's producing very high quality custom, limited edition HO and N Scale products. They probably have left the model train business for more than 20 years ago.
Item created by: Alain LM on 2020-02-01 06:07:27. Last edited by Lethe on 2020-05-07 00:00:00
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