by Joe Tracy, Editor of Theme Park Magazine
Max had been searching for years.
Growing up visiting his grandparents in Las Vegas during the 1990s, he remembered the excitement of Buffalo Bill’s Resort & Casino in its heyday. But one memory nagged at him: a train that seemed to vanish from history itself.
“I found this a while ago when looking for old footage of the resort,” Max wrote in an email to Theme Park Magazine.
Attached was a link to a 1995 television commercial that would finally solve a mystery we’d been investigating for months.
At the 13-second mark of that grainy commercial, there it was: a steam-style locomotive with open-air passenger cars chugging across a wooden trestle bridge. For just a moment, the “ghost train” of Buffalo Bill’s was captured on film.
The Mystery We Thought We’d Never Solve
On July 2, 2025, Theme Park Magazine published an article about the closure of Buffalo Bill’s Resort & Casino, which ended its 24/7 operations on July 7, 2025. During our research for that piece, we’d stumbled across tantalizing references to a train that may or may not have operated at the resort in the 1990s.
The evidence was so sparse, so contradictory, that we dubbed it a “ghost train” (uncertain if it had ever carried passengers at all). We found confusing mentions in online forums and comment sections. Some sources suggested there was a train connecting the three Primm casinos. Others claimed it was just the monorail system that linked the properties.
Physical evidence was limited to some abandoned tracks and a trestle bridge that theme park enthusiasts had photographed over the years.
The few firsthand accounts we could find were maddeningly vague. People claimed to remember riding “a train” but couldn’t provide details that would distinguish it from the functional tram systems. Without concrete proof, we couldn’t definitively say whether this mysterious attraction had ever existed. Some said the train was in the plans, but never opened.
We ended that article with a question: had anyone actually ridden this mysterious train? The answer would come from an unexpected source.
The Evidence That Changed Everything
Max’s email came with more than just the commercial. He’d been studying Buffalo Bill’s since childhood, and his research revealed a crucial detail.
“At roughly the 0:13 mark, you’ll see the train make its way across the top of the outside of the casino which may have been a possible station,” he explained. “It looks like it passes a small building with a moving water wheel, which you can still see in pictures today.”
But the commercial wasn’t the only proof. Upon receiving Max’s email, Theme Park Magazine did more in-depth research and uncovered a 1995 brochure from the resort that shows a picture of the train. Further in the brochure, it states:
“Western-style trains connecting to Whiskey Pete’s and Primadonna.”
The plural “trains” suggests there was more than one locomotive serving the route.
Contemporary newspaper coverage from 1995 provides even stronger evidence. The Grand Rapids Press reported that “an open carriage Old West railroad links all three casino resorts.” The Los Angeles Times was more specific, stating: “A train connects Buffalo Bill’s with the neighboring Primadonna… The train also spans the freeway from Buffalo Bill’s to Whiskey Pete’s.”
Both newspapers used present tense, describing an operational attraction, not a future plan or abandoned project.
A YouTube Comment That Confirmed It Wasn’t a Dream
The lack of information on a train running at Buffalo Bill’s had some who had ridden it wondering if it was true or a false memory. No where is this more apparent than a YouTube comment on the 1995 commercial.
User @douggoud wrote:
“I can’t believe I’ve finally found something of proof showing that train that would go over that old bridge on the north side of Primm! I rode that train and that Ferris wheel when I was like, 3. I could never really find proof of either, and was debating if it even existed, lol.”
This comment perfectly captures the train’s enigmatic legacy. A childhood memory so specific (referencing the bridge visible in the commercial) yet so uncertain that even the person who rode it questioned whether it was real.
The Old West Railroad: What We Know Now
Thanks to Max’s shared discovery and additional research, we can now piece together the story of Buffalo Bill’s lost train attraction. The Old West Railroad was a themed ride that operated very briefly in the mid-1990s, completely separate from the resort’s later functional tram systems that many confused it with.
It’s crucial to understand that Buffalo Bill’s actually had multiple rail systems. The resort featured high-capacity trams built by Schwager-Davis Inc. using their UniTrak technology, automated people movers designed to efficiently transport guests between the three casino properties. These trams, with their enclosed air-conditioned cars and concrete guideways, could handle 2,200 people per hour in each direction.
The Old West Railroad was entirely different (and earlier). It featured a classic 19th-century American locomotive design with a smokestack and pulled several open-air passenger cars. This was conventional narrow-gauge-style track, not the modern guideway system of the trams. Its purpose wasn’t efficient transportation but thematic immersion and entertainment.
Gary Primm’s vision for the resort included what he called “kinetic architecture,” a three-dimensional tapestry of moving attractions. The Desperado roller coaster, which opened on August 11, 1994, roared on its elevated track with its electric-yellow rails woven directly through the casino building. The Adventure Canyon Log Flume achieved something no other water ride had before: its channel flowed directly through the main casino floor, where riders floated past slot machines before climbing outside for a 50-foot splashdown.
The Old West Railroad was meant to complete this symphony of motion, creating an unprecedented three-way interaction of rides. As our original article noted, “what’s a Wild West theme without a train? Gary Primm knew every frontier town needed a railroad, and Buffalo Bill’s would be no exception.”
The train’s route was ambitious. According to the newspaper accounts and Max’s analysis, it connected all three casino properties: Buffalo Bill’s, the Primadonna (now Primm Valley Resort), and Whiskey Pete’s. This required crossing Interstate 15 and covering significant desert terrain.
“If the steam train operated as an attraction, it may have done so no later than a single year after opening,” Max observed. “The layout was massive, weaving in and out the front and back of the casino, and even a small bend around the old arcade.”
The Train Revealed: A Chance Rides C.P. Huntington
The mystery of Buffalo Bill’s train deepened when we obtained a clearer image from a 1995 resort brochure (see feature image at top of this article). This photograph revealed crucial details that had been impossible to discern from the grainy commercial footage: the number “268” prominently displayed on the locomotive’s cab and the distinctive design of the engine itself.
Research into this evidence led to a definitive identification. The Old West Railroad locomotive was a Chance Rides C.P. Huntington model, number 268, manufactured for the resort’s 1994 opening. This identification transforms our understanding of the attraction from a vague “themed train” into a specific, documented piece of theme park ride history.
The C.P. Huntington is one of the most prolific park train models in North America, with over 400 units produced by Chance Rides of Wichita, Kansas, since the 1960s. The company’s dominance in the park train market was solidified in 1970 when it acquired the assets of the Allan Herschell Company, effectively making the C.P. Huntington the preeminent amusement/theme park train for decades.
Buffalo Bills’ locomotive would have been a fossil-fuel-powered model, likely running on gasoline, diesel, or propane. These trains operate on 24-inch narrow gauge track and can reach speeds of 12 mph. Interestingly, the large driving wheels that give the locomotive its classic appearance are purely cosmetic, rolling along the track connected to reciprocating side rods for visual effect. The actual propulsion comes from smaller four-wheel trucks at the front and rear of the locomotive.
The Name’s Deeper Meaning
The choice of a C.P. Huntington model for Buffalo Bill’s was thematically perfect. The train’s name honors Collis P. Huntington, one of the “Big Four” magnates who built the Central Pacific Railroad as part of the first transcontinental railroad. The original C.P. Huntington locomotive, built in 1863, played a role in that historic construction project and is now preserved at the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento.
This connection to railroad history aligned perfectly with Buffalo Bill’s Wild West theme. The historical Buffalo Bill Cody himself had deep ties to the railroad industry, earning his famous nickname while hunting buffalo to feed Kansas Pacific Railroad construction crews. His Wild West show later depended entirely on rail transport, traveling on special trains with dozens of cars carrying performers, staff, and animals across the country.
The presence of a C.P. Huntington train at a resort named “Buffalo Bill’s” was therefore a strategic echo of the historical showman’s world, where railroads were central to both the reality and mythology of the American frontier.
Why It Disappeared So Quickly
The train’s brief operational life explains why so few people remember it. Multiple factors converged to make the Old West Railroad what one source called “the first casualty of economic reality” in Gary Primm’s ambitious desert kingdom.
- Capacity Issues: The numbers tell the story. While Desperado could handle 900 riders per hour and the main tram system could transport 2,200 people per hour in each direction, a small train with open-air cars would have had dramatically lower capacity. In a high-volume resort environment serving millions of travelers on Interstate 15, this created operational bottlenecks and poor return on investment.
- Redundancy: The train served as transportation between casinos, but the incoming purpose-built tram systems were faster, more comfortable, and vastly more efficient. The trams offered protection from the desert climate and could move large numbers of people quickly. The train’s function as a people mover became superfluous; its only unique value was atmospheric and thematic.
- Desert Conditions: As Max noted, “I can only imagine that the heat or cold riders had to endure might have been a reason for its closure.” The Mojave Desert’s extreme temperatures (scorching summers and surprisingly cold winters) made open-air cars uncomfortable and potentially dangerous for passengers.
- Thrill Deficit: The resort’s entire marketing identity was built around the superlatives of Desperado, the “world’s tallest roller coaster” according to the 1996 Guinness Book of World Records. Visitors, particularly thrill-seekers who traveled from around the world to ride the record-breaking coaster, were drawn to Primm for adrenaline. A slow-moving, gentle train ride couldn’t compete for attention or ticket sales against a 225-foot drop.
- Economic Reality: The train was expensive to operate and maintain while generating limited revenue. Each ride required staffing for an operator, fuel or power costs, and the significant maintenance that any outdoor theme park ride demands. The per-passenger cost of operation was exceptionally high compared to other attractions.
The train’s closure foreshadowed the broader challenges that would eventually affect all of Primm’s major attractions. The same economic pressures that later forced the closure of Desperado and Adventure Canyon in 2019, and Buffalo Bill’s 24/7 operations in 2025, claimed their first victim decades earlier.
The Physical Evidence That Remains
Today, remnants of the Old West Railroad still exist at Buffalo Bills. The tracks that once carried passengers can be seen snaking through the resort’s grounds, particularly near Desperado’s final helix. The wooden trestle bridge featured in the commercial remains standing, though it now serves no purpose.
These physical traces, what enthusiasts call “archaeological evidence,” prove the train was more than just a concept. Significant capital was invested in its construction, including elevated structures and track segments that would have required substantial engineering and construction costs.
Theme park explorers have documented these remnants over the years, and those remnants can still be seen today, even though Buffalo Bill’s is now closed, likely forever.
The abandoned infrastructure serves as a monument to Gary Primm’s ambitious vision and the first piece of that dream to be reclaimed by the desert silence.
The Broader Context: Primm’s Peak Years
To understand the train’s significance, it’s important to place it within the broader context of Buffalo Bill’s opening years. When the resort opened on May 14, 1994, it represented something unprecedented: a full-scale theme park wrapped around a casino, designed to be a destination in its own right rather than just a stop on the way to Las Vegas.
The resort’s opening was a spectacular success. In Desperado’s first nine months of operation alone, over 800,000 people paid the $4 admission to ride it. The coaster’s vital statistics were staggering for the era: a lift hill soaring 209 feet, a first drop of 225 feet, and a top speed of 80 mph. The $30 million investment in the ride alone demonstrated Gary Primm’s commitment to creating world-class attractions.
The Adventure Canyon Log Flume was equally innovative, achieving something no other water ride had before: integrating directly with the casino floor. The sounds of riders and splashing water mixed with the jingles of jackpot wins, creating a dynamic environment that blurred the line between gambling and amusement.
This was the world the Old West Railroad was meant to inhabit, a place where spectacular engineering met theatrical storytelling, where every element was designed to create an immersive experience that would keep visitors engaged for hours rather than minutes.
What Made It Special
The Old West Railroad wasn’t just another theme park ride; it was an integral part of Gary Primm’s vision for “kinetic architecture” mentioned earlier. Instead of static theming, the resort would feature multiple layers of moving attractions, creating a symphony of motion visible from every angle.
This level of integration was ambitious even by theme park standards. Most attractions operate in isolation, but Gary Primm envisioned a complex where every ride enhanced the others through carefully choreographed sight lines and interactions.
The train’s route itself was a marvel of engineering ambition. Winding around and through the mountain at Buffalo Bill’s, it also stretched across the desert to connect all three properties. The logistics of such a system, including the Interstate 15 crossing, would have required significant coordination with state transportation authorities.
The Mystery Deepens: Multiple Trains
The 1995 brochure’s reference to “Western-style trains” (plural) raises intriguing questions about the scope of the operation. Did Buffalo Bill’s actually operate multiple locomotives simultaneously? The commercial shows one train, but the brochure suggests a more complex system.
This detail also explains why the train’s operational life was so brief. Operating multiple trains would have required substantial staffing, with each locomotive needing an operator and potentially additional crew for passenger safety. The costs would have multiplied with each additional train, making the operation even less economically viable.
A Warning of Things to Come
Looking back, the Old West Railroad’s rapid closure served as an early warning sign for the challenges that would eventually affect all of Primm’s attractions. The same factors that doomed the train like high operating costs, maintenance challenges in the desert environment, and competition from more efficient alternatives, would eventually force the closure of Desperado and Adventure Canyon decades later.
The harsh reality of the Mojave Desert climate cannot be understated. The extreme temperature swings, blowing sand, and intense UV radiation create a hostile environment for any mechanical system. Theme park open-air train cars would have been particularly vulnerable, requiring constant maintenance and cleaning to remain safe and presentable.
The train’s closure also reflected changing visitor expectations. By the mid-1990s, theme park guests increasingly demanded high-intensity experiences. The gentle pace of a scenic train ride couldn’t compete with the adrenaline rush of a record-breaking roller coaster or the novelty of a log flume through a casino.
The Documentation Challenge
Part of what made Buffalo Bill’s Old West Railroad such a mystery was the documentation challenge it represented. Unlike major attractions that generate extensive press coverage, marketing materials, and operational records, the train existed in a documentation gap.
The resort’s marketing focused on its headline attractions, Desperado and Adventure Canyon, while the train was treated as a supporting element. This meant fewer photographs, less detailed descriptions, and minimal coverage in trade publications or travel guides.
The brief operational window also meant that few people had the chance to experience and document the attraction. Unlike long-running rides that accumulate years of guest photos and memories, the train vanished before it could establish itself in the public consciousness.
Max’s discovery and sharing of the commercial footage highlights how important these archival materials are for theme park history. Without his discovery, the train might have remained a mystery forever.
The train that time forgot has finally been remembered, solving a small but fascinating puzzle in American themed entertainment history. Sometimes the most important discoveries come from the most unexpected sources: a reader’s email, a YouTube comment, and the fading memories of those who were there when the dream was still alive.
What’s Next for Buffalo Bill’s?
While the Old West Railroad is long gone, its story adds another layer to Buffalo Bills’ complex history. The property closed its 24/7 casino operations on July 7, 2025, shifting those operations to the sister property across the street, Primm Valley Resort & Casino.
Buffalo Bill’s will continue to host concerts and special events at the Star of the Desert Arena, but its days as a full-time destination resort have ended.
The tracks and trestle serve as reminders of what once was, and what might have been if the economics had worked out differently. They stand alongside the silent Desperado roller coaster and the drained Adventure Canyon Log Flume as monuments to Gary Primm’s ambitious vision for a casino-theme park hybrid. It was a bold dream. And for a while, it worked.
For theme park historians and enthusiasts, the Old West Railroad represents both an achievement and a cautionary tale. It shows how even the most ambitious visions can be undone by practical realities, but also how passionate individuals can preserve important pieces of entertainment history that might otherwise be lost forever.
The ghost train of Primm was never really a ghost at all. It was just waiting for someone like Max to prove it had been real all along.
Explore More: Videos
The commercial that Max found that was uploaded to YouTube 13 years ago and briefly shows the train.
Explore More: Resources
- Article: End of an Era: Buffalo Bill’s Pioneering Casino-Theme Park Closes Its Doors (Theme Park Magazine)
- Article: History of Log Flume Ride at Buffalo Bill’s Resort & Casino (Theme Park Magazine)
- Website: Chance Rides (Official)
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About Joe Tracy
Joe Tracy, the creator, and editor of Theme Park Magazine, is a lifetime enthusiast of theme parks and immersive experiences. The publication was launched under his leadership on June 1, 2021, as a manifestation of his deep-seated love for all things themed. Joe has amassed over 20 years of expertise in both traditional print and online publishing.
An interesting read, one of the better pieces I’ve seen online about this unique railway. I’ve recently been looking into this train quite extensively as it’s an incredibly complex and expensive piece of infrastructure that seems to have been forgotten and lost to time.
Looking through old satellite photos and the movie ‘Top of the World’ I realized that Buffalo Bills actually opened in 94/95 with this train being the primary method of transport between Primmadona, Buffalo Bills and Whiskey Pete’s. The monorail between Primmadona and Buffalo Bills was built in 1999 replacing the railway, not complementing it.
The railways was certainly capable of running multiple trains at the same time. Loops were installed at the Primmadona and Whiskey Pete train stations to allow the trains to reverse direction at either end with the loop and switches around Buffalo Bills allowing trains to run in opposite directions at the same time. The Buffalo Bills station could’ve been used as a transfer hub between trains going to either hotel. I’m guessing this encouraged people to get off at Bills and spend some money before returning to the other hotel casinos. Effectively making Bills the ‘hub’ for Primm transport.
I do wonder why the railway wasn’t a success. My theory is that the ride was too slow (particularly the long ride across I-5 to Whiskey Pete’s) and uncomfortable (being exposed to the heat) for gamblers to want to take. I also suspect that safety was a concern as much of the elevated railway was only guarded by a knee-high rail making it a very long fall if someone fell out of a train. Clearly the monorail to Primmadona was the answer (at the time) and worth forgoing the investment they’d made on the railway as the primary means of transportation. I’m sure the train was appealing to kids however adult gamblers probably wanted to get to their next casino faster and cooler in a car.
I’d love to understand more about its operations in the early years and get more detail on why it ultimately closed. A lot of through clearly went into its design and there’s a lot of mis-information out there about the railway never being completed or opened.
This is great insight, Dan. Thank you for sharing. This article has resonated with many people, and we are conducting a follow-up based on new information we’ve obtained. There truly is a fascinating history behind this train! – Joe