The Wild, Wild West

[Roy]

I'm led to believe the train was called The Wanderer back in the TV series days. I've seen a lot of the episodes of the TV show, mostly in syndicated rerun. I've never heard the train named. In the movie, Wanderer was prominently spelled out on the engine tender.

My questions are: when, and where, was the name The Wanderer first used, in connection with The Wild, Wild West? Was it ever heard or seen on the TV series?






Above photos courtesy Wanderer.JamesFouchard.com

[Roy]

The locomotive that pulled The Wild Wild West train also starred in Disney's The Great Locomotive Chase, as the Texas. It had previously been the Virginia and Truckee Inyo, built by Baldwin in 1875. It was the historical real deal, as well as a movie star.

The big star of 1960s TV locomotion was Sierra no. 3, which starred in Petticoat Junction and Iron Horse, and had guest starring roles in Tales of Wells Fargo, The Big Valley and other series. With it's extended smokebox and steel cab, it served, but is less accurate as a mid-nineteenth century engine, compared to the Inyo. It's a tribute to the production values of The Wild Wild West that they chose Inyo.

[Roy]

Full size image: https://metvcdn.metv.com/t61an-15161379 ... west_5.png

So, how do you model TV's most authentic, and coolest, old west train? AHM/Rivarossi made the V&T 4-4-0s in both HO and two rail O scale in the past. I wouldn't repaint or convert one that's in collector condition, but you might find one that's already been repainted, or is otherwise not so nice. Using current product, you could get close with the HO Bachmann Jupiter, or the O gauge Lionel Jupiter, although the latter is eleven hundred dollars. You can modify a can-motored Lionel General, but it's not a one night quickie.

Now that Lionel makes the railroad-roofed passenger cars, it might be fun to model West's and Gordon's private car interior, complete with pool table, President Grant, etc.

[Varnish Car]

Roy: Thanks for sharing some photos and information from my webpage. In answer to your question, the name "Wanderer" was never uttered in the four season run of "The Wild Wild West". It was only mentioned onscreen in the movie version. The name of West and Gordon's private train originated from the pilot script for the TV show written by Gil Ralston. In the stage directions the end of that script, he mentions the name "Wanderer" emblazoned on the rear platform railing of the private railroad car as the train pulls off. Such plaques with the name were made and installed on the end railing and car sides of the coach dressed up as the private car and used on location on the Sierra RR in December 1964, along with film veteran Locomotive #3 ( numbered "5" for the filming). It also shows up in publicity photos taken with Robert Conrad taken at that time. After the show was picked up by CBS and regular season filming started using Virginia & Truckee #22 and cars rented from Paramount, the plaques were not installed on the car. One "Wanderer" plaque does show up mounted on the end railing of the coach used in the reunion TV-movies of the show filmed at Old Tucson with V&T engine #11 "Reno".

Here is the link to my webpage on "The Wild Wild West" Train:

http://wanderer.jamesfouchard.com/All_A ... _PAGE.html