In 1944 and 1945, during WWII, the US Army commissioned 200 hospital cars in various configurations for transporting war casualties. By 1947, their mission was nearly complete and the Army sold off the first half of them.

Ringling purchased 25 of the former ACF-produced WWII US Army Hospital Cars to replace their aging fleet of former WWI hospital cars. Eleven arrived in 1947. Fourteen of them arrived on the Ringling property January 3, 1948.

For many years these new steel 6-axle cars would make up the bulk of the Ringling passenger railcar fleet. They dominated from 1947 to 1969 when the Blue Unit train came along, adding a second train made up mostly of former New York Central and Rock Island cars.

From 1947 to 1956, the former hospital cars were lightly modified and used as sleeping cars. Their Army-green paint was immediately replaced by a solid red paint scheme in 1947 -- which soon gave way to solid silver (with a thin red stripe above the window line) for the 1948 season and beyond.

After the end of the tented shows in 1956, the circus tried running by truck over the highways from arena to arena. The train was reduced to three animal stock cars. The scheme quickly proved too expensive, but reverting to the passenger train cars in their current condition wasn't ideal either. Playing arenas meant the circus was now a year-round show. The passenger cars would now need heating, among a thousand other things. It was decided to continue with the trucked show another year or two while a major redesign and reconfiguration of the former hospital cars was undertaken.

With the help of their original manufacturer ACF, seven of the hospital cars were gutted to become tunnel cars for transporting circus wagons internally. Others were converted fully to sleepers. Still more became stock cars for the animals. (One was retired to Baraboo, WI and the Circus World Museum. When they finally hit the rails again in 1960 (with new numbers and no names), it was like a new train. When the Ringling Blue Unit train made its debut in 1969, the former WWII hospital cars simply became the Red Unit train.

Only with the advent of Amtrak -- and the arrival of surplus passenger equipment from the Union Pacific in 1972 -- did these former US Army cars enter their twilight. They retired rapidly, mostly, though a few hung on for several years.

Still, their story wasn't over -- fourteen of them quickly came out of retirement to serve as structures within Ringling's Circus World theme park (1974-1986) near Orlando, FL beginning in the 1977 season. Many of them served three more years within its successor park, Boardwalk and Baseball (1986-1990). Two of those went on to serve for decades as Grandpa's Steakhouse in Cocoa, FL (1992-2018).

This list is based on the 1947 train, the year the transition to the WWII Hospital Cars began. At 108 cars in 4 sections, the 1947 train was the largest Ringling ever fielded to support a single show. The cars listed here (in different and smaller combinations) made up the entire train from 1947 to 1956, when the tented shows ended and the circus switched to arenas - and mostly the use of highway trucks to move the show. Only the WWII Hopsital Cars and the private cars returned in 1960 when the show again took fully to the rails.

This list is a work-in-progress -- and probably always will be. Any additions or corrections, please email.

These cars were produced by ACF in 1944, part of a 100 car order from the US Army delivered as USAX 89300-89399. When the Army sold them off in 1947, Ringling took 25, Alaska RR 32, Monon got 28, Southern Pacific bought 5, and ACL picked up 10. During their first year of service (1947) they were augmented by as many as 14 existing Ringling passenger cars from the WWI era.

Joseph J. Kaspar literally wrote the book on the 1947 version of the Ringling train. It can be found at the Circus World store by clicking here.

Sleeping Car 38 ALABAMA was originally built by ACF in1944 as a WWII US Army Hospital Car in the 89300 series. To Ringling in 1947 as 38 ALABAMA. Later 38 INDIANA. Renumbered to 121 INDIANA in 1953.

Sleeping Car 39 MARYLAND was originally built by ACF in1944 as a WWII US Army Hospital Car in the 89300 series. To Ringling in 1947 as 39 MARYLAND. Renumbered to 122 MARYLAND in 1953.

Sleeping Car 40 NEBRASKA was originally built by ACF in1944 as a WWII US Army Hospital Car in the 89300 series. To Ringling in 1947 as 40 NEBRASKA. The car and its name and number can be seen in the 1952 Oscar-winning feature film The Greatest Show on Earth. Renumbered to 123 NEBRASKA in 1953.

Sleeping Car 41 WISCONSIN was originally built by ACF in1944 as a WWII US Army Hospital Car in the 89300 series. To Ringling in 1947 as 41 WISCONSIN. Renumbered to 254 WISCONSIN in 1953.

Sleeping Car 42 FLORIDA was originally built by ACF in1944 as a WWII US Army Hospital Car in the 89300 series. To Ringling in 1947 as 42 FLORIDA. The car and its name can be seen in the 1952 Oscar-winning feature film The Greatest Show on Earth. Renumbered to 249 FLORIDA in 1953.

Sleeping Car 46 UTAH was originally built by ACF in1944 as a WWII US Army Hospital Car in the 89300 series. To Ringling in 1947 as 46 UTAH. The car and its number can be seen in the 1952 Oscar-winning feature film The Greatest Show on Earth. Renumbered to 250 UTAH in 1953.

Sleeping Car 58 BIRMINGHAM was originally built by ACF in1944 as a WWII US Army Hospital Car in the 89300 series . To Ringling in 1947 as 58 BIRMINGHAM. The car and its name and number can be seen in the 1952 Oscar-winning feature film The Greatest Show on Earth. Renumbered to 374 BIRMINGHAM in 1953.

Sleeping Car 60 WASHINGTON was originally built by ACF in1944 as a WWII US Army Hospital Car in the 89300 series. To Ringling in 1947 as 60 WASHINGTON. The car and its number can be seen in the 1952 Oscar-winning feature film The Greatest Show on Earth. Renumbered to 375 WASHINGTON in 1953.

Sleeping Car 63 SARASOTA was originally built by ACF in1944 as a WWII US Army Hospital Car in the 89300 series. To Ringling in 1947 as 63 SARASOTA. Renumbered 46 SARASOTA. Renumbered to 253 SARASOTA in 1953.

Sleeping Car 64 WORCESTER / ADVERTISING CAR No. 1 was originally built by ACF in1944 as a WWII US Army Hospital Car in the 89300 series. To Ringling in 1947 as 64 WORCESTER. In mid-1947 it became Advertising Car #1. It would arrive in a town at least two weeks before the circus. This car has been preserved at the Circus World Museum in Baraboo, WI since 1960.

ADVERTISING CAR No. 1 was originally built by ACF in1944 as a WWII US Army Hospital Car in the 89300 series. To Ringling in 1947 as 64 WORCESTER (See list above). In mid-1947 it became an advertising car. It would arrive in a town at least two weeks before the circus. This car has been preserved at the Circus World Museum in Baraboo, WI since 1960.

PRIVATE CAR 92 JOMAR was John Ringling North's heavyweight private car. Its name was a contraction of the first names of John and Mable Ringling. For years it would run on excursions and with the circus train, painted silver and with louvers on the windows, much like the former hospital cars. It was not painted red for the 1947 season as so many of the cars were.

Circus World Theme Park and Boardwalk and Baseball - After two years on the road for the US Army and another 25 for the traveling circus, the former hospital cars were ready for retirement. But for over half of them, a curtain call awaited. In the spring on 1974 fifteen of the cars were incorporated into Ringling's newest venture, Circus World, a theme park near Orlando, Florida. For the next 13 years they would serve in every capacity from kennel to gift shop. Most of the cars survived to serve another three years at successor theme park Boardwalk and Baseball. Sixteen Ringling cars were sold to a private owner in 1989 - most if not all of them former WWII hospital cars. Two were sold at auction in 1989 and served as Grandpa's Steakhouse in Cocoa, FL through the spring of 2018.

Grandpa's Steakhouse - Two of the four cars that were part of Boardwalk and Baseball 's Salerno Express Restaurant and Lounge in 1990 were put into service in 1992 as part of Grandpa's Steakhouse in Cocoa, FL. They served until the restaurant closed in 2018.