a rail yard opposite the Union Plaza Hotel, which had opened in 1971. The train ran for three months, from February to May. For the first two months the train departed Los Angeles on Friday and returned on Sunday; on March 26 it switched to Sunday–Tuesday in an attempt to drum up weekday business in Las Vegas, with mixed results. Another excursion train began running on September 20, 1974. Dubbed the Las Vegas Celebrity Train, it was sponsored by Las Vegas Charter Service. Unlike the Fun Train it made up to three trips a week, departing Los Angeles on Friday, Sunday, and Wednesday. This was possible because it used idle equipment from Amtrak's thrice-weekly Los Angeles–New Orleans Sunset Limited. Comedian Milton Berle was aboard for the first trip; celebrities slated to travel aboard future trips included Debbie Reynolds, Donald O'Connor, Wilt Chamberlain, Dana Andrews, Parnelli Jones, and Leslie Uggams. The service ended on April 27, 1975. Las Vegas Limited In many respects the Las Vegas Limited was another iteration of the old Fun Train. Early publicity billed it as such, and it operated on the old Friday out/Sunday return schedule. Nevada agreed to fund half the losses, but contracted with a firm, Iron Horse Inc., for marketing and promotion. The firm would be responsible for paying the state's share of the losses, if any. Package deals were available with eleven hotels. Again, Amtrak used old equipment temporarily surplus from other assignments. The primary difference was that the train received official numbers (eastbound 782, westbound No. 781) and was listed in Amtrak's official timetable. It was the only one of the 1970s Los Angeles–Las Vegas trains so distinguished. Furthermore, no official end date was announced. The first train ran on Friday, May 21, 1976. Patronage did not meet expectations, and the state withdrew its support. The last train ran on August 6. Amtrak blamed inadequate publicity. Iron Horse Inc. lost $70,000–$80,000. Equipment The various Las Vegas excursion trains ran during Amtrak's "Rainbow Era", with old inherited equipment from various private railroads mixed together. Although Amtrak began receiving new Amfleet coaches in 1975, they were not employed on the Las Vegas Limited. For its first few weeks of operation the Las Vegas Fun Train ran with eight coaches, two lounges, two dining cars, and a baggage car which was retrofitted into a dance hall. Four of the coaches were parlor cars. The