Long-time train theme pulling away from Palace Station in Las Vegas — VIDEO

The heavy-metallic, train-themed artwork that has adorned Palace Station’s facade for the past 34 years will be chugging out in the coming weeks as the casino undergo a multi-million dollar renovation.

The pieces of artwork though won’t leave Las Vegas behind. The parent company Station Casinos is seeking a new depot for them and is in talks with the Neon Museum.

“We are looking for a way to preserve the history behind the Palace Station name and train station concept and one way is potentially through the Neon Museum,” said Lori Nelson.

Built in 1976, Palace Station was originally called The Casino and then Bingo Palace with the addition of a bingo room. As the casino expanded further in 1983, founder Frank Fertitta Jr. sought a theme for the bigger establishment much like his bigger competitors on the Strip. Seeking to avoid the western theme popular among casinos at the time, Fertitta chose trains.

Worried that the name Bingo Palace didn’t highlight the full-range of gaming and amenities on offer at the expanded casino, Fertitta held an open contest to rename the casino later that year. More than 26,000 entries were received over three weeks. Las Vegas resident Claire Jarvis won as Palace Station touched on the new train theme while keeping part of the original name.

Palace Station will finish the first of its two-stage upgrade by late spring. The removal of the train artwork will make way for a new facade in a style described as “mid-century modern meets contemporary,” said Nelson.

Stage one will also feature a new bingo room that will seat 362 guests. The current bingo room, which seats 307, will be turned into new restaurants during stage two.

The upgrade is the first major renovation at Palace Station since 1991, when the hotel tower opened along with a 25,000 square foot casino expansion.

Contact Todd Prince at tprince@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0386. Follow @toddprincetv on Twitter.