flamo
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Sunday, May 20, 2012 3:23:07 PM
I received a PM about the Collins show
Here is what I remember and I missed a bunch I'm sure.


This is all from memory when I was about 22 maybe 23 years old. I saw an ad in the AB, wanted, wheelman, twin wheels, salary, no object. ( I must have misread it. Should have said... Salary NO, I Object) I hopped a bus from Middletown CT to Minneapolis, MN.

On the side of the red ride trailers was the Logo... W T Collins Shows ...World’s Largest Motorized Midway.... We had a 25 to 30 truck convoy.

That winter Bill had bought a new umbrella ride for Areoaffiliates, ground mounted loaded on an 18’ old Ford straight job. That was to be my truck pulling the center of the new AH Twister. Bud Harkins was the kiddie ride foreman, his job to handle it. Mac would foreman the Twister and Haul it. Bob Jennings would be his second man. (All major rides had a foreman and at least one second man.) Mac was a wheelman but Bill wanted him on the new Twister. Lefty who had been the ruffy for the show joints was to haul and handle the new Meteor. The first few weeks I was second man on the wheel. Glen Joplin was the ride supt. I don’t remember much about kiddie land but I will try to list the majors. We rarely put up both #5 wheels with the front.
Scambler.....Smokey and steve.
Funhouse.....Homer ( He had family on the Olsen show)
Octopus....... Blank there
Paratrooper (TM) Jerry
Scooter ( Home made with Dodgem cars) Irish
GM Rock o plane ... Ringo
22’ Round Up.... Shorty
Looper.....Ronnie
Tilt...Indian Johnny
GM Rollo Plane ( did not lay over)...Cowboy
AH 3 abreast MRG Yellow and Jimmy Jackson.
2 Eli 5 wheels
AH Twister
Meteor
5 lite towers copied from Royal
Main Gate
Pot wagon, the show had almost all rides on gas engines.
Big girl Revue featuring Lexus and Bob Bon the Candy girl. The talker was Red and the rest is blank.
Granny strip show.... No Comment
Can’t tell you anything about the joints but the show cook house was owned by Leonard Guest and they served great food. The grille in front was done by a guy by the name of Penny.

Each ride had its own ticket box with tickets in rolls. Won’t tell you much about that either.


Booked: Bud Humphreys ..Flying Coaster, glass house
AH Turnpike Blank there too
Dark ride, belonged to Buster Brown handled by Jim Whitman.
Marcello’s Globe of Death
Ward Hall’s ten in One

For the record, I was paid $40 a week plus a $10 bonus per week. Less than half way through the season Glen Joplin, the ride supt blew taking a half dozen key people with him. Kenny Reveling, a girl show candy butcher was made the ride supt. The office was run by Jim Hirsberg and his wife. (Hope I got the name right. Bill and his wife, Mickey as well as their adopted son, Mike were there as well. Mike was only 12 or so then.

Some of the spots played were Fargo, Grand Forks, Minot, Devils Lake, Lacrosse, Lincoln, Muskogee , Tulsa, Ulkmulgee, and two spots in MN that were 35 miles apart, can’t remember them. Just a partial listing.

In Lincoln we had a review nite. Shorty raised the round up and hit a 14,000 volt power line. Which landed on the Tilt lighting . Luckily nothing and no one was hurt.

Bud Humphrreys stated to run his Flying Coaster with no muffler, drew a bigger crowd that way. Old Bill saw what was happening and made him put the muffler back on. It was cool to hear the ride run withouth it though.

Bill was invited to got to Puerto Rico that winter. Yep I went too. We took the umbrella ride, Twister, Round Up, Paratrooper, Scrambler and Fun House. The funhouse had the air jet on the exit, those girls down there wore skirts. The rides went by barge, we flew. Spots were 2 months in San Quan, a mont in Ponce and 10 days in San Herman, Aracibo, Aquadilla and Buyamon. Bill made money. Jim Whitman was the ride supt down there and we were booked with rides the “Palisades Park’ locally owned. We found a strange thing down there. If people wanted a reride they would pay the operator. If you didn’t take the money they wouldn’t come back. Nuff said about that.

That’s glimpse of the Collins show back in the day.
I'm there, Old, Tired, Broke and Henpecked
JustJeff
Sunday, May 20, 2012 4:03:54 PM
Great story Flamo--Love hearing about the "old" days! Anytime you get a hankering to tell a tale or 2 about the early days please do so.You have an eager audience waiting! Thanks !---jeff
Scott
  •  Scott
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Sunday, May 20, 2012 10:55:03 PM
Originally Posted by: JustJeff 

Great story Flamo--Love hearing about the "old" days! Anytime you get a hankering to tell a tale or 2 about the early days please do so.You have an eager audience waiting! Thanks !---jeff




Amen... Thanks so much. I personally love to read about the old days and how things were good and not so good. Give us more flamo.
Benjibear
Monday, May 21, 2012 6:03:53 AM
Thanks for the great story. Hearing stuff like this reminds me why I still check this site out. I would also like to hear more.
It is what you learn, after you know it all, that counts.
canadiancarny
Monday, May 21, 2012 9:55:45 AM
I think we have that round up. Quite the story, love to hear about the good old days.
Sixcat
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Wednesday, May 23, 2012 4:49:07 AM
I have to say. Only a great story from my old friend B. B. AKA Flamo would ever make me want to reply on here again. Awesome story Bobby. Reminds me of the time you and I tore down the four #12 wheels for the World of Mirth that time back in the late 50's or 60's in Lowell and got stiffed. Remember that one?
Sixcats have nine lives
Scott
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Wednesday, May 23, 2012 9:07:37 AM
Six Cat glad to see your back
flamo
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Wednesday, May 23, 2012 11:36:43 AM
Originally Posted by: Sixcat 

I have to say. Only a great story from my old friend B. B. AKA Flamo would ever make me want to reply on here again. Awesome story Bobby. Reminds me of the time you and I tore down the four #12 wheels for the World of Mirth that time back in the late 50's or 60's in Lowell and got stiffed. Remember that one?



I remember it all too well. If you you remember we could only find one pair of gloves. I forgot to tell you I was riding the spokes down. That first trip down was fast, surprised you and scared me. Pin box broke the fall. Many of you may not know this but but you tore those wheels down backwards. The wagons were always behind the ride. The wheels on the towers were on the back side. Wood A frames and props.

In due time I might post little tid bits about our adventures. You know what went on in North Hampton at the corner of your Dad's joint to get money to bet on the races, or maybe Eddie 'No Change' and the fire crackers..............
I'm there, Old, Tired, Broke and Henpecked
Sixcat
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Wednesday, May 23, 2012 1:55:16 PM
Just make sure you think before you give away too many "tid bits" away. 😉
Sixcats have nine lives
flamo
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Wednesday, May 23, 2012 11:52:05 PM
Let me add a little something to the Collins story. The Meteor was the first ride on the midway. Women in PR wore dresses. A woman that was kinda over weight got on the Meteor in her thin strapped sun dress one sunny Sunday afternoon. Lefty started the ride and tipped the turntables as normal. Lefty poked me with his elbow, "Look what I shook." I turned and looked and saw where the strap on one side broke on the ladies dress. Guess what flopped out. Lefty tipped the ride until the turntables scraped the control pipe. We heard a deep chuckle behind us. Sure enough it was Bill Collins using his one good eye to take in the sight. The poor lady was terrified and clung to the lap bar until her knuckles were white. Bill also spent time across from the funhouse watching the operator blowing skirts into air with the air jet.
I'm there, Old, Tired, Broke and Henpecked
Scott
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Thursday, May 24, 2012 10:00:44 AM
Flamo, did Collins not have any Sons that wanted to take over the show?
flamo
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Thursday, May 24, 2012 11:20:29 AM
Originally Posted by: Scott 

Flamo, did Collins not have any Sons that wanted to take over the show?


The only kids Bill and Mickey had was one adopted boy. He was only about 12 then.
I'm there, Old, Tired, Broke and Henpecked
circusguy
Saturday, June 9, 2012 4:31:46 PM
I bought Bill Collins LOOPER in 1972. Bobtailed from Mason, Mich. with a single axle cabover White. The ride had been sitting for a few years, but was basicily a sound ride. Took it back to Mason(Wade Shows Winterquarters), did a quick refurb and had it on the road by fair season. The following year, I bought a second Looper from Bob Ingalls. I then made one good solid ride from the two and sold the second one to a woman in Red Deer, Alberta for $5,000.00.
There are a few more interesting things to tell about my years with the Looper, but I'll save those for another time.
Scott
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Saturday, June 9, 2012 9:53:35 PM
Originally Posted by: circusguy 

I bought Bill Collins LOOPER in 1972. Bobtailed from Mason, Mich. with a single axle cabover White. The ride had been sitting for a few years, but was basicily a sound ride. Took it back to Mason(Wade Shows Winterquarters), did a quick refurb and had it on the road by fair season. The following year, I bought a second Looper from Bob Ingalls. I then made one good solid ride from the two and sold the second one to a woman in Red Deer, Alberta for $5,000.00.
There are a few more interesting things to tell about my years with the Looper, but I'll save those for another time.




Jim I'd like to hear some of your history and stories some time. How can we pull it out of ya
ringmaster
Monday, June 11, 2012 12:02:38 AM
Did it ever occure to anyone on this side of the pond to take two Rollo's and build a divebomber ?
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