Before his death in 1965, Carl J. Sedlmayr, often regarded as the king of the amusement industry, had built the largest carnival in the world. Sedlmayr's Royal American Shows proudly held the title of being the world's most beautiful show and the world's largest carnival midway. It was also the largest show to ever travel by train, boasting a massive convoy of 90 railroad cars during its heyday. This enormous train had to be split into two separate sections for transport. The first section contained 37 flat cars, two stock cars for equipment storage, one pie car for employees to eat and socialize, and seven sleeper cars. The second section included 20 flat cars, two concession supply cars, two private coach cars, one dining car, and 17 sleeper cars.
Royal American's success was partly due to its strong route, primarily playing state fairs in the United States and large regional expositions in Canada. Growing up in Mobile and Pensacola during the seventies and eighties, I remember visiting midways like Century 21, Goodings Million Dollar Midways, and Conklin but never experienced Royal American Shows as they had lost the contract with the Pensacola Interstate Fair to Goodings years before I attended. Royal American was known for its spectacular and massive midways, and anyone who witnessed it in its glory was truly fortunate. The entire show traveled by train until 1982, when the railroads' expenses forced Royal American to switch to trucks. Brightly painted equipment, including the show train and trailers, showcased Sedlmayr's circus-style flair.
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| Royal American Show's spectacular midway |
In 1983, Royal American began traveling by truck, converting all rides to over-the-road status. During their Shreveport dates, they had the Space Wheels and Rod Link's Skywheel set up simultaneously, a sight to behold! In 1993, I visited the Royal American midway in Shreveport. Though not as large as before, it remained one of the most impressive carnivals I've seen. Their classic Rock-O-Plane ride still looked great and attracted many visitors. This was the 60th year for Royal American at the Louisiana State Fair, but sadly, it was their last for a while as they lost the contract to Bill Dillard Shows. They replaced the Shreveport date with the Greater Baton Rouge State Fair.
From what I recall, Royal American had the following show-owned rides on the midway in 1993: 36' Chance Merry-go-Round, 90' Majestic Scooter, Rock-O-Plane, Winky the Whale, Round-Up, Scrambler, four Hamptons, Dumbo Ride, Yo-Yo, Crazy Dance (the one from Problem Child 2), Hi-Roller, Go-Gator, SkyDiver, Gravitron, Spider, Swinger, Koncord Kastle, Kiddie Scrambler, Cycle Jump, Little Eli, Tilt-A-Whirl, and Four by Four. They also had several rides booked-on from other shows. Unfortunately, I never got to see Royal American after they closed for good in 1997, and their assets were auctioned off in 1999.
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