NCDOT Circus Train Sits Alone in Nash County | Eastern North Carolina Now

Publisher's note: This post appears here courtesy of the Carolina Journal, and written by Don Carrington.

Images of circus attractions remain visible on the rail cars NCDOT bought and stored in Nash County. | Photo: Don Carrington/Carolina Journal

    Editor's note: This story was updated Monday afternoon with comment from the Spring Hope mayor.

    P.T. Barnum once said there's a sucker born every minute.

    Step right up, North Carolina.

    Part of a train once owned by the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus is sitting on an abandoned rail line in Nash County woods.

    The N.C. Department of Transportation bought the circus train about three years ago, and before Carolina Journal got a tip about the train's location, few people seemed to know it existed.

    Markings on the train cars - deep into the woods and not easily visible from any road - indicate it's part of "The Greatest Show on Earth." There's no locomotive.

Markings on rail cars deep in Nash County wood show the NCDOT-owned train once belonged to Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. | Photo: Don Carrington/Carolina Journal

    The cars, nine in all, sit on tracks about 4,000 feet from the town limits of Spring Hope. Ringling Bros. closed in 2017.

    NCDOT spokeswoman Katie Trout told CJ as part of a Strategic Transportation Initiative in 2017, NCDOT bought the nine rail cars for $383,000. The cars rest on state-owned track due to limited space at the active rail facilities in Raleigh.

    After buying the circus train, NCDOT applied for and was awarded a $77 million federal grant to purchase new rail cars.

    "At this time, NCDOT is evaluating its rail fleet and will make recommendations on the department's rail fleet future needs, including the disposition of nine rail cars purchased in 2017. The assessment should be complete by the end of this calendar year," Trout told CJ.

    Spring Hope Mayor Buddy Gwaltney said the train has become the talk of the town, though he isn't sure why it's there. He first heard about the lonesome train last week.

    "We haven't seen any elephants or giraffes running around ... monkeys swinging in the trees yet, but we've got our eyes open," he joked.
Go Back


Leave a Guest Comment

Your Name or Alias
Your Email Address ( your email address will not be published)
Enter Your Comment ( no code or urls allowed, text only please )




Primary Daily Totals (Early Voting) for February 24 Carolina Journal, Editorials, Op-Ed & Politics Major N.C. Supreme Court Rulings Remain Unannounced as Election Approaches


HbAD0

Latest Op-Ed & Politics

President Joe Biden took direct aim at Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas during a recent interview, referring to him simply as “the guy who likes to spend a lot of time on yachts.”
The best way the county and city can help hold down inflation is to resist all tax increases
Pope Francis lambasted leftist gender ideology during an address this week, warning that it presented an extreme danger to mankind.
amnesty would just encourage more illegal aliens to storm our borders
The Christmas candy was barely off the shelves when the Valentine’s candy appeared. Red and pink hearts with caramel and nut-filled chocolate goodness caught our eye. We are reminded of how we love love. Young love, especially.

HbAD1

far left sugar daddy has also funded anti-Israel groups and politicians in US
Be careful what you wish for, you may get it
America needs to wake up and get its priorities right
Former President Donald Trump suggested this week that if he becomes president again, he might allow Prince Harry to be deported.
It's a New Year, which means it's time to make resolutions — even for prominent evangelical leaders. The Babylon Bee asked the following well-known figures in the faith what they hope to accomplish in 2024:
Vice President Kamala Harris will visit a Minnesota Planned Parenthood clinic, reportedly the first time a president or vice president has visited an abortion facility.

HbAD2

An eight-mile stretch of the Blue Ridge Parkway near Asheville has been temporarily closed due to a string of “human and bear interactions,” the National Parks Service announced.

HbAD3

 
Back to Top