The interior sets for the “Wanderer” were last used for the two TV re-union movies “The Wild Wild West Revisited” and “More Wild Wild West” in the late 1970s. Afterwards they were supposedly destroyed along with many standing sets on the back-lot of CBS Studio City. Some props furniture and set dressings from the Varnish Car remained in stock by the studio. A few rare props and artifacts survive today in private collections.

GOLD SOFAS

    Both gold velvet sofas from the parlor of the Varnish Car survive today. After the series ended they were placed in the prop stock at CBS Studio Center for use on various productions. One is part of Danny Biederman’s Spy-Fi Archives prop and costume collection that has been exhibited at the CIA Headquarters, the Reagan Library and on the Queen Mary in Long Beach and is featured in his book. The other was auctioned off by Profiles In History and sold to a private collector.

WINDOW CORNICES 

    At least two of the gold tasseled window cornices from the Varnish Car exist. One was auctioned off on eBay by Planet Hollywood and one offered by Profiles In History. Both are iconic examples of the wonderful Victorian detail  WWW Art Director Al Heschong imbued the Varnish Car sets with.

GREEN VELVET CURTAINS

    Two of the Hunter Green Velvet Curtains have survived in private collections. The one pictured above was auctioned off on eBay by Planet Hollywood. While not one of the side window curtains this may have been one that hung from the half-bulkhead partition in the Varnish Car in its first season configuration.

WINDOW SHADE

    ScreenUsed Props sold this gold fringed windowshade from the Varnish Car set a few years ago.

CURTAIN FRINGE

    A number of  pieces of this gold tassel fringe appeared on eBay a few years ago. They match the color and style of fringe that trimmed the green velvet curtains of the Varnish Car.

ANY MORE?

    Other props or artifacts from The Train may still exist, either in Studio or rental house prop stock, or in private collections. Who knows where the Book-box with the hidden telegraph, the secret map and gun-rack concealed in the sideboard, the oval “Wanderer”  nameplates from the Varnish Car platform railing and sides, or other furniture and set decorations may have “wandered” off to. Anyone with information on other items, please contact me.

VARNISH CAR DRAWING

Over the past few years my spare time I have been recreating drawings of the interior of  the Varnish Car. The drawing below of the Parlor End Wall is the first in a series I have drafted, using still photos, screenshots and dimensions of existing set pieces and props from the original set:

HORSE SCULPTURE

    This statue is a reproduction I created of the Horse Sculpture seen in the Parlor of the Varnish Car.

WEST’S RIFLE

    This is a replica of the rifle carried by James West and stored in the gun rack aboard the Varnish Car.

WEST’S   SLEEVE-GUN

    This is a replica of the sleeve-gun device carried by James West. This was built by Tim Smyth, the original spccial effects supervisor for “The Wild Wild West” TV series.

CONRAD AND MARTIN PHOTO W/ AUTOGRAPHS

    This is a framed ensemble of  black and white publicity photo of Robert Conrad and Ross Martin matted together with autographs of the two stars.

ORIGINAL COMIC BOOK ART

    These are two framed pieces of original artwork for pages from Issue One of Millenium Comics series of “The Wild Wild West”, published in the 1990s.

REPLICA VARNISH CAR SCONCE

Custom-built recreation of the gilt gas sconces from the Parlor of the Varnish Car  (photo right).  Many of the parts used are the exact ones used on the originals.

PORTABLE TELEGRAPH SET

FROM “BREAKHEART PASS"

Although this isn’t the hidden telegraph set used in the Varnish Car, which I don’t know if it still exists, here is the portable telegraph set prop used in the Charles Bronson film “Breakheart Pass”. Bronson played an undercover Secret Service Agent John Dekin, investigating suspicious circumstances aboard an U.S. Army train in the 1870s.

LINCOLN

FUNERAL TRAIN

Lionel trains recently released a beautiful model version of a real private railroad car

from the 1860s: the Presidential Car “United Staes” originally built for use by President Abraham Lincoln. Sadly, he never rode aboard the car when he was alive. The car was used as his funeral coach, bearing his body on a long cross-country trip back to his home in Springfield, Illinois for burial.

Left: Green Velvet Curtain with Gold Tasssel Fringe

Right: Scene from “The Night of Inferno”

VARNISH CAR PARTITION CURTAIN

This green velvet curtain with gold tasssel fringe was used in the partition in the parlor compartment of the Varnish Car during the first season. 

REPLICA VARNISH CAR

MANTLE PICTURES

These framed cameos adorned the fireplace wall above the mantle in the parlor

compartment of the Varnish Car starting in the second season.

NEW!!

VARNISH CAR PARLOR

BAROMETER & DESK LAMP

The silver and gilt ormolu Barometer graced the wall of the parlor in the Varnish Car, and the brass and marble base Student Lamp dressed the writing desk.

Photographs on the right are of exact duplcates of the on-screen props.