Real Operators. Real Returns.

City of Oshkosh

Chad Dallman · Oshkosh, WI

The City of Oshkosh, Wisconsin operates a municipal park train attraction that runs seven days a week through Menominee Park and its adjoining zoo, carrying up to 24 riders on a fifteen minute narrated tour. For generations the original train was a favorite stop at the park, but it ran on fixed tracks, and the cost to maintain the rails and equipment had climbed past what the city could sustain. The attraction was headed for closure. After residents made clear how much the ride meant to them, the Common Council chose to reinvent the train rather than retire it. The city selected a Wattman Maxi Express Signature Edition, an electric trackless attraction train that needs no rails and runs on the existing paved paths. That decision removed the track repair and replacement costs. The new route winds through the zoo and across the park while onboard audio narrates the park's history. The Maxi Express seats up to 24 riders and is independently certified to ASTM F2291 and ASTM F770, the recognized standards for amusement rides. The parks department expects the trackless ride to cost less to operate than the system it replaced. A public private partnership funded the project, with the Oshkosh Community Foundation, Discover Oshkosh, and the WHW Oshkosh B'Gosh Foundation offsetting the initial investment and the Wyman family sponsoring free rides on opening day. Since the May 23, 2026 ribbon cutting, the municipal park train attraction has run seven days a week through Labor Day, with about three departures an hour. It now draws visitors deeper into the park and the zoo, supports the local economy, and gives a new generation a reason to return.

“Wattman was the best choice for Menominee Park. It is easier to maintain, it shows off the whole park, and it keeps alive a tradition our community fought to save.”

- Chad Dallman, City of Oshkosh, Oshkosh WI

Li'l Grande Trains

Joe Rios · Irving, TX

Joe Rios started Li'l Grande Trains in a shopping mall in Irving, Texas. What began as a single mall concession quickly evolved into one of the most diverse trackless train operations in the United States, covering private parties, school events, city festivals, and indoor events including operating on stage during a high school musical. The maneuverability of the Wattman train is what makes that range of venues possible. Joe now runs three Wattman trains: two Mini Express units from 2010 and 2014, and a Maxi Express added in 2022. All three units, including the oldest from 2010, look and perform like new. At high-volume events the train runs on 10-minute ride cycles, which adds up to 120 passengers per hour across a full 10-hour operating day. Because the train fits in a standard bumper pull trailer, Joe can unload and be operational at a venue in 20 to 30 minutes, making it practical to serve multiple events in a single day. Before launching the business, Joe researched every trackless train available on the U.S. market. His conclusion was direct: the Wattman was the only train with proper safety certification for U.S. commercial operations, conforming to both ASTM F2291 and ASTM F1193. That was the deciding factor, and it remains the reason Li'l Grande Trains operates Wattman exclusively.

“If you want to own a commercial piece of equipment and have decided on the trackless train business. The Wattman Train is it.”

- Joe Rios, Li'l Grande Trains

Kiddos ChuChu

Cesar Aguilar · Foster City, CA

Cesar Aguilar runs Kiddos ChuChu, a mobile trackless train operator and children's entertainment business serving private parties, schools, daycare centers, and community events across the San Francisco Bay Area. He operates both a Wattman Mini Express and a Maxi Express, and has run them for three years. Before Wattman, Cesar operated a different brand. The switch came down to three things: reliability, build quality, and customer service. He recovered his full investment within fourteen months while continuing to grow the business. What surprised Cesar most was the demand. The train consistently becomes the highlight of every event, and it has proven to be a strong business generator through word-of-mouth referrals that reach both children and adults. As a mobile operator, he books the trains directly to each venue, sets up on site, and runs the ride as the centerpiece attraction before packing down the same day.

“Wattman offered a more professional setup and better long-term value that you won't be able to find in any other trackless train manufacturer.”

- Cesar Aguilar, Kiddos ChuChu

Sullivan Hardware & Garden

Pat Sullivan · Indianapolis, IN

Pat Sullivan grew up riding a tiny train at the L.S. Ayres department store in downtown Indianapolis in the 1960s. Decades later, as owner of Sullivan Hardware and Garden, he built that same memory into a full-scale seasonal train attraction that has since become one of central Indiana's most anticipated family events. The Sullivan Express launched in 2015 with a $200,000 investment and a single Wattman Maxi Express train. Today Sullivan operates five Maxi Express trains ru

ing two distinct seasonal experiences: the Sullivan Santa Express at the North Pole from November through December, and the Sullivan Express to PumpkinTown from September through October. Both experiences run as narrated 15 to 20 minute round trips with themed environments, animatronic characters, and a final destination stop. The commercial outcome exceeded Pat's initial expectations on every metric. The North Pole experience alone generates $350,000 in a

“The story is not making money on the train. The story is getting people into your store to buy things. Any place where we added an hour to the train schedule, our sales in the store increased on average about 20%.”

- Pat Sullivan, Sullivan Hardware & Garden

ual ride revenue. In the first year, 89 tickets sold in the first hour. By the fifth year, 1,700 tickets sold in the first 14 minutes after opening, with 2,500 gone within the first hour. The experience sells out every season. The indirect revenue effect is what makes this story unusual. The ride itself is profitable, but its bigger function is foot traffic. Sullivan does not treat the train as a standalone business. He treats it as the reason 35,000 people walk into his store every holiday season.

Pearl Express Trains

Bob Oglesby · ICON Park, Orlando, FL

Bob Oglesby founded Pearl Express Trains to operate the ICON Park trackless train in Orlando, bringing a vintage-style ride to a dining and entertainment complex that draws families looking for a half-day experience without a full theme park price tag. He operates two Wattman Mini Express trains at the venue, each featuring an engine, two passenger cars, and a caboose. Oglesby chose Wattman specifically for their safety record, reliability, and more than 30 years of engineering experience. The low entry height was a key factor: the trains are designed so children can board naturally without climbing, making them ideal for the youngest guests. The Pearl Express has become one of ICON Park's most recognizable attractions. Guests stop to take photos in front of the trains even when they are not riding, and children who spot the train immediately want to board it. Ru

“Wattman Trains has been in business for over 30 years. They have all the engineering down, with a lot of built-in safety features. When kids see it, they want to ride it.”

- Bob Oglesby, Pearl Express Trains

ing daily, the ICON Park trackless train is now one of the venue's signature family rides.

Reid Park Zoological Society

Nancy Kluge, President and CEO · Tucson, AZ

Reid Park Zoological Society runs a wheelchair accessible zoo train as a signature family attraction at its lakeside grounds in Tucson, Arizona. Families have ridden the loop around the lake for nearly twenty years, with grandparents, parents, and grandchildren returning across generations. When the original train reached the end of its service life, the Society set out to find a replacement that could carry every guest who wanted to climb aboard. The decision came down to one feature. The new Wattman Maxi Express arrives with an ADA caboose that accommodates wheelchairs, so any visitor can board and ride with ease. Adult sized seating keeps grown riders comfortable, and an onboard microphone lets drivers narrate a live tour as the train circles the park. Steam effects, a bell, and a whistle complete the feel of a real train. As a certified amusement ride built to ASTM F2291, it operates daily from 9 AM to 4 PM at $4 per lakeside loop, and it remains the only train of its kind in Tucson. The community response was immediate. Word of a new train spread quickly, and opening day drew a steady line of riders eager to take the first loop. Every ticket on the wheelchair accessible zoo train now supports the Society directly, with proceeds funding the conservation programs that protect wildlife around the world. For Reid Park Zoological Society, the result is a renewed attraction that welcomes every guest and turns each ride into measurable support for its mission.

“what really put us over the edge was when we realized that the last car, the caboose, will accommodate wheelchairs.”

- Nancy Kluge, Reid Park Zoological Society, Tucson AZ

Jubilee Railroad

Mark Lilley · Dunsmuir, CA

Mark Lilley runs a wilderness lodge train ride at Jubilee Railroad in Dunsmuir, California, and he rates Wattman the finest builder in the category. Lilley operates the lodge as a mountain destination where guests expect a polished, dependable experience from the moment they arrive. For the property's signature attraction he chose the Wattman Maxi Express, the larger of the company's two trackless trains and a certified amusement ride built to ASTM F2291. When Lilley evaluated trackless trains for the resort, build quality settled the decision. He judged the craftsmanship and workmanship on the Maxi Express well above the rest of the field, and that level of finish is what now leads him to call it the benchmark for the category. The unit runs as a ticketed family attraction rather than a way to move people around the grounds, so it earns its place as a destination guests choose to ride. What sealed Lilley's confidence came after the sale. When an issue arose, Wattman moved quickly to resolve it and stood behind the product without hesitation, the kind of support a resort operator needs from a long-term equipment partner. That experience is why Lilley recommends Wattman to any operator weighing a wilderness lodge train ride for their own property, and why his review lands at a full five stars.

“The Rolls Royce of trackless trains. Craftsmanship and workmanship are excellent. Wattman went above and beyond to resolve an issue and gave us full confidence they stand behind their products.”

- Mark Lilley, Jubilee Railroad, Dunsmuir CA