Opened: ca. 1975
Locomotives Manufactured By: Crown Metal Products Height Restrictions: None
RIDE EXPERIENCE
Passengers board the train at the station on the South Midway. The tracks lead past the crossing to Tidal Wave and Turn Of The Century, through a long, dark tunnel and into the shady trees along the lakeshore. Many different varieties of wild animals are seen along the east and south sides of Lagoon Lake. The ride ends back at the station.
RIDE HISTORY & INFO
Originally opened as the Animal Land Train in 1967, the Wild Kingdom Train probably opened in 1975 with Houston and 'The Green Train'. Merriweather probably operated on the Pioneer Village Railroad and later used for Wild Kingdom after the P.V.R.R. closed in the 1980s. The trains are all 24" gauge with a 4-4-0 wheel alignment. The station for the Animal Land Train was in a different location than the Wild Kingdom station (see photo below).
In 1989, the Deseret News reported the park's plans to connect the Wild Kingdom Train and the Pioneer Village R.R. tracks to make one long train ride around Lagoon Lake & Pioneer Village. I don't know what happened to those plans. I'm guessing they didn't want to make guests wait in line longer than they already had to. Merriweather was recently restored and repainted and work on parts of the station are currently in progress.
There was at least 1 or 2 different trains that circled Lagoon Lake before this one including the Lake Park Streamliner. The animal cages probably opened in 1961 as the I.Q. Zoo, but not much is known about them.
In 2006, the station was repainted in red and blue and in June of that year, kangaroos and a few other different animals were added to the zoo.
LOCOMOTIVE HISTORY, INFO & PHOTOS
Photos: FS/KSL-TV LEFT: Houston as it circles Lagoon Lake. RIGHT: The Green Train in operation.
Thanks to Sid, an FS Member, who provided most of the information on the trains. Thanks to FS Member, goldbadger, who sent the 1987 video from which the image of the Green Train was taken. 
