Plan calls for trains chugging through Craig Ranch Park by next year

A pair of miniature trains could start chugging through Craig Ranch Regional Park in North Las Vegas by next year.

The Las Vegas Railroad Society is trying to raise $2.5 million to complete the first phase of the project, which calls for laying roughly two miles of track for a steam-powered train and a diesel locomotive.

Plans also call for building a 3,000-square-foot warehouse in the northeast corner of the park for holding daytime events and storing the trains at night, said Bruno Platzer, president of the Las Vegas Railroad Society.

“There are a lot of people who visit this park, so we think this would be a great addition,” said Platzer, who would not disclose how much the Railroad Society has raised so far.

Earlier this week, the North Las Vegas City Council unanimously approved a deal that would require the society to pay for installation and operating costs of the train over the next 10 years, Platzer said.

The Las Vegas Railroad Society is working with the city to develop a route that would allow the train to carry up to 100 passengers through the park. The cost to ride would be about $5 per person.

Platzer said he envisions an $8 million project with six miles of track, additional buildings and several more trains operating at Craig Park.

“The addition of a train at Craig Ranch would be wonderful,” Cass Palmer, director of North Las Vegas Neighborhood and Leisure Services, told the City Council. “It would bring a nostalgic aspect to the park, and really give our citizens a step back in time.”

Contact Art Marroquin at amarroquin@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0336. Find @AMarroquin_LV on Twitter.