As previously mentioned, the cage wagon is towed behind the Calliope truck as a mobile ad for the show, kind of a mini-parade.
The wagon has a wall across the center dividing it into forward and rear cages. Each cage is accessed by a small working door in the front and rear exterior walls of the wagon. There is a slot below the cage bars for sliding food into the cages to the waiting animals. For the exhibitor's convenience, the roof lifts off.
The animals consist of two full-maned lions and a sleek black panther. They are made of a material called "composition", sort of a sawdust and glue casting material that was popular before the modern age of plastics. I recall that Dad also had a chest full of toy soldiers, which included both metal figures and composition ones.
The astute reader will have noticed that the wheels on both this trailer and the Gilly trailer are mis-matched. The rear wheels on both of these trailers are from an older series of Tonka truck, while the front wheels on the cage wagon are from a Buddy "L" truck, a Tonka competitor. This is a fine reflection of what really happens on the full-size shows, as parts are mixed and matched to suit the needs of the equipment being built.
The cage wagon is coming apart at the corners, has some broken and missing parts on the roof piece, has a couple of the cage bars that need to be soldered back on, needs cleaning, and is only detail painted on the back and right sides. In addition, the composition animals are aged and cracked.
Truck number 8, up next, carries the power plant, watch for it.
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