By Bruce Nelson

Circus trains once were common in the United States, and the state of Wisconsin boasted nearly three dozen communities which served as the point of origin or winter quarters for all types of circus troupes between the 1840s and the 1960s. A Coup and Costello circus train pulled out of Delavan, Wisconsin in 1870 which served as the basis for the P.T. Barnum overland circus, and in 1890 the Ringling Brothers United Monster Railroad Circus, Museum and Menagerie, Roman Hippodrome and Universal World's Exposition left Baraboo for a road trip. Thus over time, Wisconsin became America's circus capital state. At Baraboo, home of the Circus World Museum, the tradition of commemorating and preserving circus memorabilia and colorful circus train equipment has become legend. In 1965, the museum began operating a circus train that, except for one year, ran through 2003. With different routes and different consists, these Circus Parade Limiteds, Old Milwaukee Specials and Great Circus Trains thrilled children and adults as it brought big smiles to hundreds of thousands of on-lookers.In these pages, the Circus Train is brought back to life again through text and photographs that capture the thrill and excitement of these rail journeys that made both the Milwaukee and Chicago circus parades successful. The trials and tribulations, fun and adventure of these exotic trains is all brought back to life here in this volume.All Aboard—the Circus Train is coming down the track!