EXPLORE LAGOON: RIDES: Wild Kingdom Train
Opened: 1975
Location: South Midway
Manufactured By: Crown Metal Products
Ride Time: Approx. 4 min
Track Gauge: 24"
Number Of Trains: 2
Number Of Coaches: 4 per train
Ride Capacity: 64 (16 per coach)
Height Requirement: Children under 36" must be accompanied by adult
history & info
Passengers board the train at the station on the South Midway. The tracks lead past the crossing to Tidal Wave and into a long, dark tunnel. It continues through the shady trees along the lakeshore. The east and south sides of Lagoon Lake are home to a wide variety of animals which can be seen from the train.
Past trains at Lagoon such as the Lake Park Streamliner (1947), Lakeshore Express (1951) and Animal Land Train (1967) have also circled Lagoon lake. The Wild Kingdom Train opened around 1975 with two engines. One named Houston and the other known only as "The Green Train". It's been said that a third engine, named Merriweather, originally operated on the Pioneer Village Railroad and was used on the Wild Kingdom Train after the P.V.R.R. was shut down. All three trains have a 4-4-0 wheel arrangement. In 1989, the Deseret News reported Lagoon's plans to connect the Wild Kingdom Train and the former P.V.R.R. tracks to make one long train ride around the lake and Pioneer Village. Obviously, that never happened.
With three trains in use, the park planned to use two trains each year while a third one was switched out for maintenance. One year, when "The Green Train" was scheduled for a season off, it was having problems and couldn't be repaired. A few years later the engine and tender were cleaned up and repainted and are now on display as the Rattlesnake Rapids Railroad. The cars were taken out to the bone yard north of the park where they can still be seen from a distance.
Today, Houston and Merriweather take turns carrying guests around the lake. Merriweather got a new coat of paint in 2005 and Houston was painted to match in 2006. In June of that year, the station was also repainted and a few new animals including kangaroos were added to the zoo. Below you'll find more information on each locomotive.
photos
Click here for a Wild Kingdom Train photo gallery.
locomotives
merriweather
Photo: Rick
Built: 1967
At Lagoon Since: 19__
Locomotive Road Number:
Locomotive Serial Number: 8-54-24
Boiler Manufactured By: Munroe PCH
Boiler Serial Number: 81715
Utah State Boiler Inspection Number: U2309
history & info
This engine has an unclear history. One source says it was first used on the Pioneer Village R.R. which opened in 1976. Another source says it was added closer to 1979. It originally operated at Pixieland in Oregon. It was used on the Wild Kingdom Train beginning in 1989.
Merriweather is the locomotive with the diamond stack. It was originally painted in dark red and creme. Around the late 1980s, it was painted in pink and blue. Here's what a visitor had to say about this odd choice:
"Lagoon's director of the Art, Sign & Paint Department at the time, chose the current color scheme. She researched period color schemes of buildings and found pastels were often used in the early 1900s. She neglected to research period train color schemes and that is the reason for the ONLY pastel colored train in the world."
During 2004 and early 2005 it was repainted and restored. The current colors are red, blue and gold with an eagle on the tender.
houston
Built: 1970
At Lagoon Since: 1975
Locomotive Road Number: 3
Locomotive Serial Number: 0-61-24
Boiler Manufactured By: _____sons MFG Corp
Boiler Serial Number:
Utah State Boiler Inspection Number: U2310-1975
history & info
Houston was custom built for the Busch Entertainment Corporation. It was used at the short-lived Busch Gardens in Houston, Texas.
Houston is the locomotive with the straight stack. The locomotive and tender was originally painted blue with the cars in blue and purple. Before arriving at Lagoon, it was repainted in red and yellow with cars in red, orange and white. In 1979, the locomotive and tender were painted black with gold trim. It remained in these colors until 2006 when the entire train was painted in red, blue and gold with flags on the tender.
rattlesnake rapids railroad (the green train)
Photo: Rick
Built: 1973
At Lagoon Since: 1975
Locomotive Road Number:
Locomotive Serial Number: 3-80-24
Boiler Manufactured By: Munroe PCH
Boiler Serial Number: 95509
Utah State Boiler Inspection Number: U2369-75
history & info
The Green Train was first owned by Orville Gunther, a former president of the Bank Of American Fork. He used to operate it in a field near his home in American Fork. Originally, it was painted red. Before coming to Lagoon the engine and tender was painted green and black with cars in green and yellow. At Lagoon, it was used on the Wild Kingdom Train until 1988. It was later repainted in black and red and displayed as part of the fictional Rattlesnake Rapids Railroad. The passenger cars are now in the north bone yard along with parts of the Roll-O-Plane. One of the cars was used for the Psycho Dave's Junkyard attraction during Frightmares in 2005.
SOURCES
Lagoon
Website Visitors
Deseret News
Bank Of American Fork
Updated 27 May 2008
