Another highlight of the weekend was a visit by the remarkable O-scale Lutz Brothers Circus Train. The train was built by George Lutz in the 1950s. George was a member of the Paper Valley Model Railroad Club, when it was an O-scale club in the former Milwaukee, Lake Shore & Western (MLS&W) depot in ‘the Flats’ at Appleton, Wis. In addition to being a model railroader, he was an aficionado of the circus as well.
When George built his circus train, he named it the Lutz Bros. Circus, in honor of his three sons, Warren, Gary, and Wayne. A friend built a beautiful, custom-made, wooden case to store the circus train.
Warren Lutz and his family stopped by to display the train and to share some of its history. Warren recalled how George often took his family to visit various circuses. Warren remembers one time when his father woke him up at 2 a.m. to drive to Illinois to chase a circus. Warren fondly remembers meeting Emmett Kelly, the Flying Walendas, and other prominent circus performers. He also recalled his father taking him to a farm in Grand Chute where a man from India trained elephants. Warren got to ride them.
Warren will set up a time to bring the circus train back to the club in the near future and run it around our layout.